Could Washington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore be rounding into form at the perfect time?
The Commanders acquired Lattimore at the NFL trade deadline ahead of Week 10, but he missed his first four games for Washington with a preexisting hamstring injury. He first played in Week 15 against his former team, the Saints, and had an easy day.
In Week 16, Lattimore lined up across Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, and the duo had a back-and-forth battle. Unfortunately, Lattimore aggravated his hamstring in the second half and departed. Washington would hold Lattimore out for the regular-season finale and have him ready for the postseason.
In last week’s wild-card win over the Buccaneers, Lattimore faced off with archnemesis Mike Evans. Evans won that battle, particularly in the first half. Things improved for Lattimore in the second half.
On Saturday, Washington faced the top-seeded Detroit Lions and their explosive offense. Rookie Mike Sainristil covered the speedy Jameson Williams and dominated that matchup, coming away with two interceptions.
How did Lattimore perform? The eighth-year pro had his best game for the Commanders, playing 90% of the defensive snaps, including 41 coverage snaps. Lattimore was only targeted once against the Lions and did not allow a reception. He also finished with five tackles, including one for loss.
Washington forced five turnovers, including four interceptions, in the 45-31 upset over the Lions.
Next week, the Commanders face the Philadelphia Eagles for the third time this season in the NFC championship game. That means a rematch against Brown. With Washington focused on shutting down Saquon Barkley, Lattimore and Sainristil need to lock down Brown and DeVonta Smith.
The Commanders have won seven straight games, including a Week 16 win over the Eagles, heading into next week’s title game.
