The Washington Commanders are flying high once again following a 40-7 win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 7 to up their record to 5-2 nearly halfway through the NFL season.
This week it took a strong outing by backup quarterback Marcus Mariota who had to step in when Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels was knocked out with a rib injury.
But it was the return of a player Washington was missing last week that seemed to provide an early spark, and helped ensure Mariota had the best weapons at his disposal as he led the team the rest of the way after inheriting a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
"It was big," Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said when asked about the impact running back Brian Robinson Jr. had in his return to action after missing last week with a knee injury. "You just feel his strength and the pile moves forward."
Robinson averaged 5.9 yards per carry on Sunday moving the ball 71 yards on 12 carries and finding the end zone once.
Overall, the Commanders ran the ball for 214 yards and averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a group. That number is more in line with their 5.08 yards per carry average as a team entering the week, and much better than the 2.9 yards per carry average earned in Week 6 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Robinson's absence alone isn't to blame for the lower rushing output a week ago, the Ravens tough run defense certainly deserves credit, but it is a part of the equation. Still, Quinn says holding his primary back out of that game was the right decision for the longevity of Robinson's - and the team's - success.
"It was the right call to hold him last week. It wasn't the easiest call, it was the more difficult right over the easier wrong, you know? Because he wanted to go, but he wasn't himself in terms of what he could do," Quinn said. "And so, I felt early on in practice, even though it was hard not to have him last week, it was the right decision. And it was great to have him back out there today and get him back into his space and going. It was really important for us."
If holding Robinson out of Baltimore ensured he was a more effective version of himself this weekend, and helps him stay available for future contests, then Quinn is absolutely right. It was the right decision.
One made even tougher because of the evident difference in the way the Washington offense functions with him than without him.
"It is fun seeing B-Rob just pour through a hole, get contacted at two, and get a seven-yard run," Commanders' offensive lineman Nick Allegretti said about the back. "That's fun. But whoever's in there, we got to protect open lanes. But obviously love having a guy like B-Rob in the lineup."
Having a healthy Robinson in the backfield proved crucial in Week 7, and he'll be just as important next week when the tougher Chicago Bears defense comes to town looking to spoil D.C.'s good time.
