Daily Slop – 9 Nov 24: Rookie OT Brandon Coleman faces another stiff test vs Steelers a week after shutting down Giants pass rush

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ESPN

Commanders rule out RB Robinson, CB Lattimore vs. Steelers

Washington next week plays at Philadelphia on Thursday. Lattimore worked with trainers on a separate field during practice Friday, but Quinn said the team will have a better assessment Monday of his chances to play against the Eagles.

Though Robinson already has missed two games this season, he leads the Commanders with 461 yards rushing and six touchdowns.

Washington will use a rotation at running back in Robinson’s absence, starting with Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols. The Commanders also could promote another running back off the practice squad.

They have elevated Chris Rodriguez Jr. three times already, so if they do so again, according to the NFL rules regarding the practice squad, he will have to remain on the active roster. They could also opt to elevate Michael Wiley from the practice squad.

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Commanders.com

Game status | Brian Robinson ruled out for Week 10 vs. Steelers

Washington found a way to operate without Robinson against the Giants through a mixture of Jayden Daniels, Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr., who paced the team with 52 yards on 11 carries as part of a 149-yard day for the Burgundy & Gold. The quartet of players had a combined 38 attempts with a 3.9-yard average.

Kicker Austin Seibert will also be listed as questionable for Sunday as he deals with an injury in his right hip. Seibert did not participate on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed that Seibert did kick on Friday but also that the team brought in kickers for a tryout [and signed Zane Gonzalaz to the practice squad]. Offensive tackle Andrew is also questionable with a shoulder injury

Newly-acquired cornerback Marshon Lattimore will not be available for Sunday. Lattimore, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, also has to get up to speed on the Commanders’ defense before he can contribute.

“We’re just trying to engage him as quickly as we can, so that when it does become go time, there’s not a lag there,” Quinn said.

The Commanders will also be without Cornelius Lucas for a second straight game as he deals with an ankle injury. Rookie Brandon Coleman got every snap at left tackle for the first time this season and performed well in the contest, earning a team-high 89.2 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus for allowing zero pressures.

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Commanders.com

Three keys to Washington beating the Steelers in Week 10

Protect Jayden Daniels.

Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said that T.J. Watt keeps him awake at night, and it’s easy to see why; he’s been a nightmare for offenses throughout his career, as he has double-digit sacks in five of his eight seasons and is on pace to hit that mark again.

Containing Watt will be one of the Commanders’ top priorities on Sunday, but they have earned some confidence that they can achieve that goal. They’ve seen top tier pass-rushers like Dexter Lawrence and Myles Garrett this season, and neither of those players recorded a sack.

The Commanders’ offensive line has been a key to that success, as the group has only allowed eight of the team’s 18 sacks this season, but protecting Daniels has been a group effort. The team’s slot receivers and tight ends have often been used to chip block, like when Daniels threw his second touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin against the New York Giants, and it has helped slow up opposing pass rushes.

Daniels has shown that he can avoid would-be tacklers on his own if needed, but considering the Steelers rank seventh in pass rush win rate, it will be important for the Commanders to keep Daniels as clean as possible.

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Commanders.com

Practice notes | Commanders being patient in getting Lattimore on the field

The Commanders were aware that Lattimore, who has played in seven games this season with 30 tackles and two pass breakups, was dealing with a hamstring injury before they made the trade for him. They certainly wouldn’t have made a move for him if they believed it would be a lingering issue, but considering how tricky hamstrings can be, they gave Lattimore a physical to assess how they should deal with the injury.

Lattimore passed the physical, which is a good sign, but he was held out of practice on Wednesday.

Lattimore was in uniform on Thursday but did not have a helmet on as he watched his new teammates from the sidelines. He’s leaving the decision of when he’ll be able to participate in drills up to the team and training staff.

[T]he terminology will require some adjustment from Lattimore, because while most NFL teams run similar coverages, learning the defensive calls to get to those concepts is like learning a new language.

“Scheme is scheme,” Whitt said. “People play cover three. You’re zone cover three, or you’re a three match. You’re zoning your pressures, or you’re matching your pressures. It’s all the same. It’s just the terminology, so that’s really what he has to get to, and then just the finer reduction checks that might be different in each place.”

Once he gets that down, the Commanders have complete faith in how he can improve a secondary that is already allowing the fifth fewest passing yards per game. Lattimore hasn’t allowed a touchdown in single coverage since 2021, and his –12.3% completion rate over expected when targeted as the nearest defender is third lowest in the league this season.

That, plus his four Pro Bowls, 4.3 speed and nose for the ball — he’s had at least one interception in each season since he joined the league in 2017 — made it an easy decision for the Commanders to make the trade.

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Upcoming opponent

Behind the Steel Curtain

4 stats that will make or break the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 season

Russell Wilson is averaging 12.5 yards per attempt on play action this season.

That 12.5 yards per attempt average on play action ranks second among all quarterbacks in the league (min. 25 play action dropbacks) this season. 2024 marks a career-high usage rate for Wilson under play action with (36.9%), and his 9.5 yards per attempt average, 111.9 passer rating and 271 passing yards per game all are career-high marks. Sure, it’s a two-game sample size, but Wilson’s early results in Arthur Smith’s offense are a huge plus.

The Steelers’ +68 point differential ranks fourth in the NFL and leads the AFC North.

Keep in mind that this point differential includes games from the pre-Russell Wilson era (Weeks 1-6) where the Steelers managed to exceed 25 points just once in Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders. In Wilson’s two games as a starter, the Steelers have outscored their opponents 63-28.

They’ve also just added some help on the edge with the acquisition of pass rusher Preston Smith from the Packers at the trade deadline to work alongside T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig (when healthy) and already are a top-six unit in terms of each of the following:

• EPA per play against (-0.096) — Sixth-lowest
• Scoring drive percentage allowed (28.2%) — Third-lowest
• QB hit percentage (11.9%) — Leads the league
• Offensive turnovers forced (15) — Tied for fourth-most

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Hogs Haven

Washington Commanders vs Pittsburgh Steelers: Five Questions with Behind the Steel Curtain

How should Washington go about gameplanning this matchup on both sides of the ball?

Do you like getting punched in the mouth? Be prepared to get dragged in the mud, regardless of who wins this game. Your defense should be prepared to see the Steelers trot out a ton of heavy personnel if the score remains close throughout. The Steelers want to run to open up the vertical passing game. Be ready for contested catches, play action boots, and Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren angry runs.

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Podcasts & videos

Noah Brown + Shawn Springs on Marshon Lattimore + the Steelers | Next Man Up | Washington Commanders

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Commanders’ Best Play From EVERY WEEK This Season at the Midway Point

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Photos

Commanders.com

PHOTOS | Prepping for Pittsburgh

Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders’ week of work as they prepare for their Week 10 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.