Commanders planning to stick with Cornelius Lucas at right tackle this week
The Washington Commanders will stick with veteran Cornelius Lucas at right tackle for the Week 8 game against the Indianapolis Colts, head coach Ron Rivera said on Friday.
Lucas, Washington’s valuable swing tackle over the past three seasons, has started the last three games at right tackle, and Washington’s offensive line has been much better overall. Starter Sam Cosmi had thumb surgery after Week 4 and has not played the last three weeks. He was active last week but is sporting a massive club on his hand.
“Yeah, I mean, he’s coming along,” Rivera said of Cosmi. “Honestly, we’re gonna stick with [Cornelius] Lucas. Mostly because the hand’s clubbed completely, and right now, he’s still kind of feeling his way through it. Hopefully, next week, he’ll have a little bit better. The club won’t be a full club, and he’ll have a little more use of the hand. So, we’re kind of hoping for that, and we’ll go through it. If something crazy were to happen, we can play him as an emergency guy.”
It may be time for Washington to experiment with Cosmi at right guard. This week, right guard Saahdiq Charles missed practice with an illness and lost weight. He is questionable for the game. Charles hasn’t been bad at right guard but hasn’t solidified the position. It sounds like he may miss the game, leading Trai Turner to return to the starting lineup. Turner was bad early this season.
As for Lucas, each time he enters the lineup, he excels. Lucas has been good in pass protection, but he has been dominant as a run blocker this year.
Highest OT run block win rate % in the NFL.
1. Cornelius Lucas (84%)
He's taken advantage of an opportunity and been a flat out stud in the ground game.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) October 25, 2022
With that type of production, Washington can’t put Lucas back on the bench. Cosmi is also a terrific run blocker but sometimes struggles in pass protection. Once he’s fully healthy, don’t be surprised if the Commanders give him a chance at guard.
As for now, Washington’s offensive line is playing better than it has all season, and Lucas is significant reason for that current success.
