Back when former quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, now an analyst on Amazon's Thursday Night Football coverage, was a quarterback for Washington, one of the reasons he viewed the team as a good destination was because of the amount of weapons he was surrounded by.
More than a year later, he still feels confident in what Washington has to offer.
"When you go into a situation sometimes, you feel a little bit helpless by the surrounding talent," Fitzpatrick told Senior Vice President of Media and Content Julie Donaldson. "But if you look at Washington, you look at the running back room, you look at Logan Thomas and the player that he's developed into as a tight end, and then when you look at this receiving crew, they've got some guys that can really go and get it."
The amount of weapons at Washington's disposal is a little different compared to the crew Fitzpatrick was working with in 2021. Players like Terry McLaurin and Cam Sims are still there, but they have also added rookie wide receiver Jahan Dotson, running back Brian Robinson and tight end Cole Turner. Prior to his hamstring injury, Dotson was tied for the most receiving touchdowns in the NFL:
Of course, Dotson and Thomas were ruled out of Thursday's game, but they have some reliable backups in Turner, who has yet to make a catch but has the confidence of the coaching staff for his size and ability that he showed in training camp as a wide receiver, and Dyami Brown, who stepped in for Dotson against the Tennessee Titans and led the team with 105 yards and two touchdowns.
"When you have subs like Dyami Brown stepping up and going in and scoring 75-yard touchdowns, you know that you're deep at that position," Fitzpatrick said.
So, Fitzpatrick does note that the talent is there, but consistency has been an issue for the Commanders in recent weeks. There are some reasons for that, including the fact that Carson Wentz is working in a new system and still getting acclimated to things. Fitzpatrick said it is an offense that does fit the way that Wentz plays, and there are signs of what he can do. Heading into Thursday's game, Wentz is fifth in passing yards (1,390) and tied for fifth in touchdowns (10).
However, Wentz has also thrown the second-most interceptions in the league (6). It has been up and down so far for the signal-caller, Fitzpatrick said, but if he can even things out, Fitzpatrick envisions a stronger season for Wentz and the Commanders' offense.
"If he gets more consistent...then we're looking forward to seeing bigger and better things in Washington."
Check out Donaldson's interview with Fitzpatrick and the Commanders' pregame show in the video above.
