Game Status | Lattimore starts in debut against Saints

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore will make his debut and start in the Washington Commanders’ Week 15 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, head coach Dan Quinn confirmed at his Friday press conference.

After spending the last month recovering from a hamstring injury and learning the Commanders’ defense, Washington’s coaching staff is pleased with the progress Lattimore has made and is ready to add him to a secondary that ranks fifth in passing yards allowed in this season.

“We’re just happy to have him back,” Quinn said.

Lattimore was a full participant in practice all week, but Quinn said the decision to play Lattimore was the culmination of all the weeks the cornerback has put in to get healthy and contribute. The team held him out of practice until the week of the matchup with the Tennessee Titans in Week 13, and even then he only went through individual drills.

All the while, Lattimore has spent extra time learning Washington’s scheme and impressed his coaches with how much he has retained, so much so that defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. called it out during his news conference Thursday, adding that the cornerback is further ahead of where he would be if he had been able to play as soon as he was traded away from the Saints on Nov. 5.

Now that Lattimore is ready to go, Quinn is excited to get him involved and see how he can change Washington’s defense.

“He’s been working for the last few weeks,” Quinn said. “Now is the time to fully bring him into the Commander’s scene.”

The Commanders knew adding a player like Lattimore — a four-time Pro Bowler and 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year — would elevate their defense, and they’re finally getting to see what that looks like. They expect him to impact almost every position on the field, from the pass rush to the other defensive backs, because he can hold his own against the No. 1 receivers. Now players like Benjamin St-Juste, Mike Sainristil, Jeremy Chinn and Quan Martin can focus on other parts of the pitch; and the pass rush will have more time to get to opposing quarterbacks.

Lattimore said after practice that he is feeling good and ready to go after not being able to play since Week 8 with the Saints against the Los Angeles Chargers. Lattimore has dealt with injuries in the past, so he knows how to handle himself when he has to miss time. It takes a lot of patience and study to stay sharp while he’s out.

“I just took it one week at a time, one day at a time,” Lattimore said. “When I felt good enough to play, that’s when I had to play.”

And yes, playing against his former team gives him a little extra motivation this weekend.

“I want to be, if not the best, one of the best on the field,” Lattimore said. “I just want to help my team win. That’s what I go into the game thinking, be the best I can be and try to be the best on the field so we can win.”

Lattimore feels he has a firm grasp on the system, but he also knows it will still take actual game reps to develop a better understanding of the calls and what the team expects from him. He’ll occasionally have to rely on his new teammates for help in that regard, and he knows he can count on them to put him in the right spot.

“They know what’s going on, so they know how to communicate with me,” Lattimore said. “I’m new to the team, so certain calls, I don’t want to know. They’re going to have to tell me, and they know.”

As for what he wants to show his new teammates, Lattimore has only one thing on his mind: he’s ready.’

“I just want to be the best on the field,” Lattimore said. “I want everyone to know.”

Wide receiver Jamison Crowder (calf), kicker Zane Gonzalez (left foot) and defensive tackle Daron Payne (back) will be questionable for Sunday’s game. Noah Brown, who missed the entire week with a kidney injury, is the only player ruled out.

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