Landon Collins is providing resoundingly he is back. The Washington Football Team safety is returning from a torn Achilles tendon that sidelined him midway through the 2020 season.
But with his start in training camp and preseason, Collins is showing no ill-effects from the injury. In Washington’s second preseason game Friday against the Cincinnati Bengals, Collins made a great open-field tackle that displayed his improved speed and range.
Collins was playing deep safety in coverage when Bengals tight end Thaddeus Moss slipped out in the flat off the playaction. There appeared to be a lot of green in front when Collins flew downhill to cut Moss down with the big tackle.
Collins’ great pursuit minimized the gain of the play to two yards.
His presence was all over the field in the first half. Twice him barreling down in the middle of the field forced incompleted passes by Bengals quarterback Brandon Allen. That included a huge third down stop where rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase made a business decision by dropping the pass instead of meeting Collins’ head-on.
The glimpses should quiet critics for the time being. Before coming back from his Achilles injury, there was speculation Collins would have to switch to linebacker to fit inside Washington’s defense. It was also assumed he could be a cap causality ahead of training camp.
However, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio debunked the outside chatter, saying Collins was a safety. Since then, Landon Collins has taken matters into his own hands to prove he is capable of being Washington’s starting strong safety.
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