Commanders breakout weapon is rising into stardom before fans' eyes
The Washington Commanders fell on the road to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4, and there weren't many positives to take away. But one young player's development has become a promising sign.
The Commanders are decimated with injuries, particularly on offense. At wide receiver, both Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown are out, providing opportunities for youngsters Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane to step up.
McCaffrey, for the second consecutive game, found the end zone. After scoring no touchdowns in his first 19 contests, he now has two in as many weeks.
Commanders are finally seeing growth from Luke McCaffrey at the right time
In addition to his second-quarter score, McCaffrey had a 58-yard kick return at the start of the Commanders' next drive. Had he not been tripped up by the final defender, that play would have likely gone the distance as well.
Suffice to say, McCaffrey has officially arrived.
In only four games this season, he's already accumulated more than half of his 168 receiving yards from last year and one-third of his 18 catches. McCaffrey also hauled in a two-point conversion in Washington's Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
McCaffrey was the subject of considerable criticism throughout his rookie year and during the 2025 preseason, when he struggled to make an impact. Some even suggested his name as a potential shock cut candidate, which, in hindsight, was nothing short of ridiculous.
The 2024 third-round pick comes from a strong NFL bloodline — you've probably heard of his brother Christian McCaffrey — and is still relatively new to the wide receiver position. He played quarterback at Nebraska and Rice before switching positions before the 2022 campaign. He's still learning.
He was always going to be a project — one that the Commanders were willing to take on when they drafted him. No one in Washington was expecting him to face immediate pressure to step into a key role on a team with lofty ambitions. But he's starting to find his feet.
The Commanders' stunning run to the NFC Championship game last season, along with the heightened expectations for 2025 that came with it, have accelerated the development of young players like McCaffrey. It's now put up or shut up, and he's making the most of his opportunities.
The next step for McCaffrey will be continued growth in his role, even once the Commanders' receiving room gets healthy again. If he can do that, he'll have a productive career.
Raiders Get Worse-Than-Expected News on Kolton Miller’s Injury
The Las Vegas Raiders were fortunate to avoid any major injuries through the first three weeks of the season, but that changed in Week 4. With less than a minute left in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears, starting left tackle Kolton Miller had to be carted off the field after injuring his ankle.
At first, the hope was that he merely suffered a high ankle sprain. It’s not a great injury for a big player like Miller, but it’s something that he may have been able to return from after a couple of weeks off. Unfortunately, things are worse than expected. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, in addition to a high ankle sprain, a CT scan revealed that Miller has also suffered a hairline fracture.
This means he’ll be headed to Injured Reserve. Considering Miller is 6-foot-8, 326 pounds, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be able to come back this season. He’s a very tough player, so it’s easy to see him pushing to return late in the season if the Raiders are making a playoff push, but if they are out of the mix, there’s no reason to risk him making things worse.
Miller is the Raiders‘ best and most consistent offensive lineman, so this is a massive loss that could be difficult to overcome.
Who Will Replace Miller on OL?
It’s hard enough to find one good left tackle, so not many teams have capable backup left tackles. Shortly before the season, the Raiders signed veteran tackle Stone Forsythe, who previously played for Pete Carroll on the Seattle Seahawks.
He has started 14 games in his career, but has given up a lot of pressures. There’s been speculation that rookie Charles Grant will take over for Miller, but it sounds like Forsythe is going to get the first crack at the job.
“Stone’s played a lot of football and done a nice job for us, and he would be the first choice,” Carroll told reporters on Monday.
The Raiders can’t be afraid to pivot off Forsythe if he struggles. If he’s not much better than Grant, they might as well give the rookie some reps. The team could also consider moving right tackle DJ Glaze to the left side, which is where he played in college, but then that would create an issue on the right side.
Raiders OL Is in Trouble
The Raiders‘ offensive line has already been struggling this season. They finally started to build some momentum against the Bears, but now that’s getting thrown out the window.
Miller was the leader of the group and just signed a huge contract extension before the season. He will be very difficult to replace. That said, the Raiders do have some young players who could step up.
This will be a great opportunity for anybody who gets reps at left tackle. It’s the most important position on the offensive line, so playing well could lead to a lot more positive attention. It’s hard to imagine Forsythe will suddenly turn into an impact player in his fifth year, but perhaps Grant could take advantage of the opportunity whenever he’s eventually put into the lineup.
