Washington's quarterback room was already thin entering the Colts game, & one more hit could force a scenario nobody in Burgundy & Gold wants.
The Washington Commanders are down to their third quarterback against the Indianapolis Colts and the fourth option doesn't play quarterback at all.
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Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who was already filling in under center, left the game in the first half with a knee injury. That pushed rookie quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis into the lineup for the rest of the afternoon against Indianapolis. Washington started the day one injury deep at the most important position in the sport. Now it's two injuries deep, & the margin for error is gone.
Who's next if Kaliakmanis goes down?
That's the question hanging over every Commanders fan right now. Here's the answer: tight end Colson Yankoff is Washington's emergency quarterback.
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It's Yankoff because wide receiver Luke McCaffrey is inactive.
So every dropback becomes a held breath. Kaliakmanis takes the snap, the pocket starts to collapse, & fans across Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. flinch. Nobody is watching the route concepts. Nobody is checking the coverage. Everyone is watching the rookie's knees, ankles & shoulders, hoping he gets up after every hit.
Why a tight end at quarterback would sink Washington
Let's be clear about what the emergency quarterback rule is built for. It exists so a team can finish a game without forfeiting. It does not exist so a team can win one.
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A tight end playing quarterback in a meaningful NFL game is a survival plan, not a game plan. The playbook shrinks to almost nothing. The defense knows it. The Colts would know it the second Yankoff jogged onto the field, & they would tee off on every down.
The one comfort is Yankoff played quarterback at UCLA, but that's obviously nowhere near close to playing in the NFL. Especially when considering he's transitioned to tight end.
The stakes against the Colts
This isn't some throwaway game, either. Washington came into this matchup with Indianapolis looking to climb back to .500. A loss drops the Commanders to 1-3, & a start like that in a competitive NFC is a hole that's hard to climb out of.
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If Yankoff has to come in & play quarterback in a game this big, that 1-3 start goes from possible to nearly guaranteed. It wouldn't be his fault. You can't ask a tight end to run an NFL offense on the fly against a real defense & expect anything but chaos.
The Commanders need Kaliakmanis to stay upright, protect the football & get through four quarters in one piece. Everything else is a bonus at this point.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Who is the Commanders emergency QB? Marcus Mariota's injury forces a potential plan no Washington fan wants to see
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