The offensive coordinator of commanders says that the team is missing Terry McLaurin and other injured players

The Washington commanders’ offensive fought powerfully during their first pre-season match against the New England Patriots on August 8. The team was held at 18 points while committing two reversals, but the attacking coordinator Kliff Kingsbury identified one of the deep causes behind these problems: injuries.

“Yeah, I think it’s a work in progress,” Kingsbury told journalists earlier during the day when he was asked how he thought of the offense. “I do not think, as long as we have recovered some of these other pieces, we will know exactly what we are.”

The team faces a series of injuries to many key contributors. Goalkeeper Sam Cosmi is still fighting on a torn ACL. The quarter of Marcus Mariota faces a light strain of the lower leg. Ball carrier Jacory Croskey-Merritt has a shoulder injury. The Lucas Niang offensive platform will miss the season after being placed in the reserve injured earlier this week.

“We had good opportunities to see other guys working in these positions,” said Kingsbury. “But when you do not have your kind of exterior receptors of the projected TWO TOP, one of your projected pieces or both projected at the guard, that will not really give you the chance to gelify or really build this relationship until you get everyone on the grass.”

One of the pieces to which he alluded was the large Terry McLaurin receiver, which organized a brief holding in the hope of obtaining a contract extension before running at training camp at the end of July and being immediately placed on the list physically unable to perform (PUP) with an ankle injury. With his holdout evolving towards a restraint, Kingsbury noticed the impact that the absence of McLaurin had in the team.

“I am huge on step by step procedures, on practice, things like that, because – until you get on the grass and you do it and feel the timing and feel the depths of the routes and things of this nature – I don’t know exactly how much you can remove,” said Kingsbury. “So I think we are a bit at this time when we have to start getting these guys when they are available there and to talk and to see what we are as an offense.”

Unfortunately, it will be difficult to do since Terry McLaurin faces an injury and organize a reservoir. When it is not involved, this offense seems and feels very different from that which has an average of 30 points per game in the playoffs.

“It is just time for task, and fortunately they had last year to establish a lot of relationships and chemistry, and Terry understands that our system is in the second year, which should accelerate the process,” said Kingsbury. “But for me, it’s time for a task together on the grass is really the only way to continue building.”

It does not seem that McLaurin will be ready to play in a match scheduled for Monday. He did not even start to participate in group exercises or team training.