Rough start quietly proved how badly Commanders miss their cornerstone

There was no shortage of weaknesses from the Washington Commanders' primetime loss to the Green Bay Packers. It also exposed just how much they miss one of their franchise cornerstones.

Everything the Commanders threw at Green Bay offensively got sniffed out at the line of scrimmage. Washington's defense experienced lapses in coverage all night. Matt Gay missed two field goals, and the execution from the coaching staff was less than ideal.

If there was one singular glaring issue to pinpoint, it was the offensive line. Jayden Daniels simply had no time in the pocket to work his tricks. Even when he tried to extend plays with his legs, the quarterback had little room to run.

The sooner Sam Cosmi gets back into the Commanders' lineup, the better

A lot of this was due to the Sam Cosmi-shaped hole at right guard that Washington is currently operating with. The 2021 second-round pick went down with a torn ACL in the Commanders' upset playoff win over the Detroit Lions. Dan Quinn is encouraged by his progress, but there are two games left before he can be activated from the physically unable to perform list.

Cosmi's return is expected at some point. Until then, it appears the Commanders are in trouble up front, especially as they saw left guard Brandon Coleman and blocking specialist tight end John Bates get dinged up against the Packers.

First-round rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. has not progressed as quickly as the Commanders hoped. Veterans Nick Allegretti and Andrew Wylie have been turnstiles. Aside from five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who Washington acquired from the Houston Texans in a high-profile trade this offseason, the unit has been nothing short of a disaster to start the campaign.

It's no guarantee that Cosmi's return will magically solve all of these problems, either. He may take some time to get recalibrated after missing so much time, and Washington might decide to limit his snap count to ease him back in. In the meantime, the rest of the Commanders' offensive line is going to have to find a way to tread water.

Washington's worst nightmare this season is that Daniels is let down by his protection. As fate would have it, he received an MRI on his knee after the contest at Lambeau Field. It's not expected to reveal any major concerns, but the Commanders can't afford to have him spend all season running for his life.

A healthy Cosmi would go a long way.