Marshon Lattimore just proved why he could sink Commanders' season

Marshon Lattimore showed up healthy this offseason. The veteran looked sharp, explosive, and ready to silence his doubters. A strong performance in Week 1 lent further weight to these claims, but his early efforts against the Green Bay Packers proved why he could sink the Washington Commanders' season.

Lattimore is a shutdown presence when firing on all cylinders. He locked up Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers impressively, which shows what a force he can be once early momentum is generated.

Marshon Lattimore will make or break the Commanders' season

Unfortunately, there is a flip side to the former Ohio State standout these days. One that reared its ugly head in a disastrous first-half showing with the primetime spotlight glaring.

It didn't take long for the Packers to test Lattimore. Jordan Love felt like there was a mismatch available whenever the defensive back was lined up against Dontayvion Wicks. He was unable to keep up with the pre-snap motion and was punished twice. This set the tone, and not in a good way.

Lattimore got burned deep again in the second quarter, failing to keep up with Malik Heath en route to an impressive 37-yard gain. It was ugly, and the frustrations were clearly showing.

This is the problem Washington has with Lattimore. They want him to be the No. 1 guy, and he can be when everything goes well. However, there is a clear blueprint for exposing him, which wasn't always the case during his best years with the New Orleans Saints.

This is all about managing Lattimore effectively. Fans saw how much he struggled last season covering some of the elite-level receivers around the league. That didn't go unnoticed, so the four-time Pro Bowler can expect to get the same treatment from other teams on the schedule until he proves to be as consistent as years past.

The Commanders were expecting big things from Lattimore following his bombshell trade before the 2024 deadline. There is a long way to go before they get a significant return on their investment.