He’s a four-time Pro Bowler who should be the shutdown cornerback for the Washington Commanders, but instead Marshon Lattimore has become a high-priced flop, a favorite target for other teams looking for easy completions or cheap yards gained via penalties.
So it’s surprising head coach Dan Quinn is still a believer in Lattimore. To the point where he’s defending the struggling eighth-year pro who cost the Commanders three picks in the 2025 NFL draft when they traded with the New Orleans Saints midway through last season.
Quinn told reporters on Wednesday, October 1, including JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports, he doesn’t “feel” like teams are going after Lattimore. Rather, Quinn is convinced the 29-year-old’s “playing better than perception, but the big mistakes get the headlines.”
That’s a bold and slightly baffling assessment of a player who has become a magnet for flags and frequent perpetrator of blown coverage assignments through four games this year. Lattimore is playing like anything but a Pro Bowler, but Quinn’s public show of faith is timely for a player needing a boost in confidence to return to his best.
Commanders Hoping Positive Reinforcement Works
Quinn offering positive reinforcement is the latest attempt by the Commanders to get Lattimore on track. General manager Adam Peters had hoped a full offseason would do the trick, but Lattimore is still struggling.
Those struggles are being manifested each week. Like when Lattimore was beaten for this long gain by Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London in Week 4.
Lattimore lose on the route, despite being flagged for holding. There’s no more vivid illustration of how he’s become a liability to Washington’s pass defense than Lattimore allowing a 105.2 passer rating, as well as 15.5 yards per reception, according to Pro Football Focus.
The worrying numbers owe a lot to Lattimore’s continued difficulty adjusting to the Commanders‘ schemes.
Marshon Lattimore a Weak Link in Coverage
Lattimore admitted to a certain timidity after he first joined the Commanders. It showed up most damagingly in one-on-one matchups, and unfortunately, the trend has continued in the new campaign.
Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. simply can’t trust Lattimore to play on an island against an opponent’s best receiver. Not when he’s floundering in man coverage, according to The Team 980’s Steve Suter.
The latter noted how the problem isn’t limited to Lattimore, with second-year pro Mike Sainristil also taking heat for a frailty in man-coverage situations. Yet, Lattimore is the marquee name on the back end, the player the Commanders traded for so they could count on a corner able to lockdown one side of the field.
Lattimore is still nowhere close to meriting that status, and he’s currently being outplayed by this year’s second-round pick, Trey Amos. As well as he’s playing, it’s a problem rookie Amos is making the most positive impact within an otherwise suspect secondary.
The Commanders need an established player like Lattimore to step up and become a leader by example. There’s no easy fix, but protecting Lattimore more often with safety help seems like a good place to start, at least until he gets his confidence back.
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