Commanders offense gets reprieve against Falcons

Terrell out vs. Commanders

Joining Terrell on the injury report is running back Nathan Carter (hamstring) and wide receiver Kha'Darel Hodge (groin). Terrell suffered the injury in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, forcing him to miss a second consecutive game.

The Commanders will be struggling themselves without quarterback Jayden Daniels, tight end John Bates and wide receiver duo Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown, but not having Terrell on the field is huge for the Washington offense.

With Terrell out, the Falcons will rely more on backup cornerback Dee Alford to shoulder the responsibility of defending Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who will step up as the No. 1 pass-catching option for Washington.

"I thought he did an excellent job, to tell you the truth. I really did," defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said via McElhaney. "He battled his butt off. I thought he played at a really high level. I thought both corners did. I thought Mike Hughes played exceptionally well, too. They were definitely, in my opinion, the brighter spots of that game. And I know it's hard to find brightness in a 30-nothing game. But if there were bright spots, it would have been those two.

"...The times (Alford) was targeted, he battled. He got the ball out. I was extremely happy with the way Dee played."

The Commanders' job may be easier, but they will still have to compete against some challenging competition to beat the Falcons.

Kickoff between the Commanders and Falcons is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Fans can watch the game on CBS or stream it on Paramount Plus.