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Washington Commanders Await Power RB’s Return For Week 7
- Oct 6, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (8) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at NorthWest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders need Running Back Brian Robinson Jr. in a major way. Hopefully, he will be ready to play Sunday. It’s looking that way. Robinson was out with a right knee injury that eventually ruled him out of Sunday’s 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Robinson is a major part of the Washington Commanders’ ground game, leading the team with 73 carries for 325 yards. Quarterback Jayden Daniels ranks second with 63 carries for 322 yards, followed by Austin Ekeler with 28 carries for 171 yards.

Good Signs: Robinson At Limited Practice

Robinson was limited in Wednesday’s practice, but according to ESPN’s John Keim, he felt great. “I feel more like myself again,” he said, adding having the week off “helped tremendously.”  This is a good sign. Having Robinson back Sunday would mean the Washington Commanders’ ground attack can exploit the weaknesses exposed by the Atlanta Falcons last week in their 38-20 win over the Panthers.

Ground Game Is a Difference Maker

Having Robinson back in the Washington Commanders’ ground attack could get the team back to playing balanced football. Daniels and Ekeler shared responsibilities of the run game Sunday, which led to low numbers. Daniels is not encouraged to run, only when he needs to. In Week 2, Head Coach Dan Quinn was clear: “We don’t want the hits.” On Sunday, Daniels had six carries for 22 yards, his longest being nine. Ekeler had nine carries for 21 yards, his longest was six.

Daniels was the first player in NFL history to have more than 1,000 passing yards and 250 rushing yards in his first five career games.  That doesn’t mean Daniels’ rushing is part of the plan. Having Robinson back in the mix makes things better for Daniels so he can focus on the passing and utilize his legs instead of his own. That is what was missing from Sunday’s game. The Washington Commanders have what the Ravens have in their offense, but only half of that ability was available, thus leading to the loss.

Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson had his star Running Back, Derrick Henry. Not having Robinson in Sunday’s game made the Commanders’ offense somewhat one-dimensional. Not to take anything away from Ekeler, he was also returning from time off due to a concussion.

Robinson Can Exploit Carolina’s Weaknesses

Reviewing the Panthers’ 38-20 loss to the Falcons Sunday, they allowed for 11 rushing first downs. The Falcons converted six out of 12 third downs. They also had 198 yards rushing averaging 5.2 yards per carry. In their 36-10 loss to the Chicago Bears, the Panthers allowed 11 rushing first downs and 128 total yards rushing.

Opponents have scored more than 30 points on the Panthers. Observing the last few games, Sunday’s home game shouldn’t be different. The Panthers have won only one game. The Washington Commanders should keep that in mind to avoid complacency. With possibly having Robinson return, it should be another complete game for Daniels and company.

On Wednesday Daniels told the Associated Press  “It’s going to be helpful to have B-Rob back — I’m looking forward to it…B-Rob is a special player, how he’s able to run the ball, how he’s able to break tackles and things like that. And people don’t give him a lot of credit for his hands out of the backfield in the passing game.”

Robinson has hands. He’s been targeted 11 times this season resulting in 68 yards. It’s not his best attribute though. Daniels having that option when needed is always a good thing.  Currently, he is still on the depth chart as questionable. While the Washington Commanders have solid backups, having Robinson brings back the power.

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This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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