Washington Commanders’ tight end Logan Thomas had his breakout game of the season at the perfect time. Don’t look now, but the Washington Commanders are going streaking. After an abysmal 1-4 start, Washington has bounced back to 6-5. They’re 4-1 since Taylor Heinicke took back the reins as the starting quarterback.
We’ve seen the defense start living up to its potential (especially the offensive line) and a lot of great stuff from the running game. Terry McLaurin is finally getting the targets he deserves with Heinicke at quarterback as well.
One constant struggle this season has been getting production out of the tight end position. Heading into Washington’s Week 11 matchup with the Houston Texans, their TE numbers were … lackluster.
Cole Turner had two receptions for 23 yards, Armani Rogers had five receptions for 64 yards (and one rush for 24 yards), and John Bates had 11 receptions for 84 yards. Those were the three backups though, what was the starter Logan Thomas doing?
Thomas had reeled in just 15 passes for 118 yards and one touchdown in eight games. He had better numbers in all three categories in 2021 despite appearing in just six games. And following that breakout 2020 season, this type of production wasn’t going to cut it.
Week 11 might be the start of a breakout though, and one that is coming at a perfect time for Washington.
Thomas racked up 65 yards on five receptions. Both were team highs for the day. And he did so on just six targets, showing off that ability to make the play when the ball is thrown in his direction.
The Commanders are making a push for the postseason. They don’t have any “easy” games left on their schedule though. And the defense might be able to carry a little extra weight, but the offense will still need to put some points on the board.
There are a few great things in Taylor Heinicke’s game, but his arm strength is not one of them. Washington will need to go with more short and medium routes with him at quarterback, sprinkling in a few deep balls. McLaurin can work from anywhere, and Curtis Samuel is a great screen option. Jahan Dotson‘s looked great when healthy, but Heinicke will need someone to lean on, a security blanket if you will.
Thomas proved he could be a phenomenal one of those in 2020. Now he can do the same for Heinicke in 2022. We saw in Week 11 that he still has the ability to get open and make a play after the catch. Hopefully, that was a breakout and not simply a mirage, because unlocking Logan Thomas could be exactly what the Washington Commanders need to make that playoff run.