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Washington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore Cooper Neill/GettyImages

Pressure mounts on Commanders' coverage ace to slow what drives the Raiders

Originally posted on Riggo's Rag | By James Dudko | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 7:00 AM ET

They were warned in Week 1, but the warning fell on deaf ears, so the Washington Commanders were ruthlessly exploited by a dynamic tight end against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2.

Tucker Kraft tore Joe Whitt Jr.'s defense apart at Lambeau Field, exposing a problem Brock Bowers and the Las Vegas Raiders can play on in Week 3.

Bowers is an All-Pro who can get open at every level of the field. A 6-foot-4, 235-pounder who can body most defensive players in coverage and high-point the football without too much trouble.

All of those things create a dilemma for Washington's defense. They need a different solution for handling a roving, big-bodied target.

What the Commanders need is something better than middle linebacker Bobby Wagner in coverage. Changes must be made to the personnel and coverage schemes Washington uses to keep talented tight ends under wraps.

Commanders' plan for Brock Bowers should revolve around Marshon Lattimore

Fortunately, Whitt sounds ready to make the necessary adjustments.

He saw his unit ripped apart by Kraft, to the tune of six catches, 124 receiving yards, and a touchdown. Whitt knows the Commanders need a new plan this week. The play-caller wants the defense to treat Bowers like a receiver, which is the correct approach.

Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., said they need to treat Brock Bowers "like a receiver." Called him a dynamic player and that if he had been able to leave college as a freshman "he's probably the first tight end drafted."
— John Keim (@john_keim) September 18, 2025

It's an innovative strategy, but the Commanders have to commit to it by covering Bowers like what he is: the go-to receiver for the Raiders. That means putting their best cornerback over the second-year pro.

The Commanders need Marshon Lattimore to be at the peak of his powers. Nothing else will suffice.

Lattimore is a little bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde through two games this season. Jekyll showed up during the season-opening win over the New York Giants when he essentially shut down Malik Nabers. The Ohio State product held the marquee wideout to one catch for 11 yards from four targets, according to Pro Football Focus.

Then it was Lattimore's time to morph into Hyde against the Packers when the four-time Pro Bowl corner was a penalty machine and horrific at tracking receivers in space.

The real Lattimore is something in between. A handsy cover man who can still get under the skin of some of the NFL's best receivers, but will remain vulnerable to surrendering a big play at this stage of his career.

Letting Lattimore iron out the flaws in his game by clamping onto Bowers is worth the risk for the Commanders, especially if Whitt helps the 29-year-old with safety support.

Bowers must see double-teams all over the field. He also needs to be bumped, battered, and lifted out of his cleats by edge-rushers disciplined enough to peel off and disrupt his release.

It's going to take a village for the Commanders to keep Bowers quiet. That's the problem for a defense anything but a collective force this early in the season.

The Commanders should prioritize unifying and placing Lattimore over Bowers, rather than relying on linebackers who aren't equipped to counter the Raiders' top weapon.

This article first appeared on Riggo's Rag and was syndicated with permission.

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