The Washington Commanders will be without two key pieces for the week two road matchup against the Dallas Cowboys
The Washington Commanders will officially be without two pieces on Sunday.
Head coach Dan Quinn noted during his Friday media availability that both tight end Chig Okonkwo and linebacker Frankie Luvu will be sidelined for this weekend's divisional matchup on the road. The news comes as Quinn expressed uncertainty during the week surrounding their game status after they did not return to practice.
Okonkwo suffered a hamstring injury in the final minute of the third quarter during the week one loss against the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving offensive coordinator David Blough with John Bates as his primary receiving tight end and Colson Yankoff in a reserve role. Okonkwo finished with 16 receiving yards on two receptions and three targets in his debut with the team, though his absence leaves a hole at the position ahead of week two.
Luvu was the first player to go down on Sunday after suffering a groin injury, leading the team to rule him as questionable to begin the second half. The experienced linebacker posted four tackles, including one solo, and accounted for one of the team's three tackles for loss against the Eagles. His absence will also be notable for a Commanders' linebacker room that turned to Luvu as the 'green dot' linebacker for the bulk of training camp, adding a question whether former first round pick Sonny Styles draws the bulk of the week two responsibilities for the first time in an NFL regular season game.
Luvu and Okonkwo were among the four players who exited the regular season opener due to injuries as the Commanders got a mix of news on the other two. Safety Tyler Owens battled an ankle injury that sidelined him in the second half, though he downplayed the severity of it during a TV appearance highlighting his standout play on special teams. Linebacker Jordan Magee suffered a hamstring injury in the week one loss against the Eagles before being placed on the reserve/injured list this week. Kain Medrano could be the one to step in to round out the inside linebacker rotation this week after registering one tackle vs. Philadelphia.
Quinn also announced that defensive tackle Daron Payne will serve as the week two game captain, one week after right guard Sam Cosmi drew the first honor. Payne, who Quinn previously pointed to as capable of stepping into an early season game captain role, registered one tackle in the week one loss to open a critical year eight with the organization.
The Commanders are set to face the Dallas Cowboys on the road in week two with kickoff set for 4:25 PM on FOX.
