The euphoria from reaching the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season hasn’t faded, but the Washington Commanders are already facing a problem after head coach Dan Quinn confirmed starting right guard Sam Cosmi tore his ACL.
A tear was confirmed following tests Cosmi undertook the morning after the Commanders stunned the Detroit Lions 45-31 on the road in the Divisional Playoffs on Saturday, January 18, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Quinn delivered the inevitable news on Sunday Cosmi will miss the rest of this postseason, “That’s a big deal, the ballplayer and the man,” per JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports.
It’s a rough break for Cosmi, who had been an iron man after signing a $74-million contract before the season. He’s perhaps the best offensive lineman on the roster.
The Commanders will miss Cosmi in the conference title game, especially since potential opponents the Los Angeles Rams or Philadelphia Eagles both boast loaded defensive fronts.
Attention will now turn to a journeyman veteran who stepped in and replaced Cosmi effectively in Detroit.
Dan Quinn Confirms ‘Significant’ Replacement
When Cosmi went down on Saturday, Trent Scott stepped into the breach. The 30-year-old who’s had stops with the Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers acquitted himself well.
Scott was applauded by ESPN’s John Keim for being “Prepared. Did a nice job.” It sounds like Scott will get another chance to fill in for Cosmi after Quinn revealed the well-travelled lineman has “really stepped into a significant role,” per Zach Selby of Commanders.com.
Praise from his head coach is merited after Scott played his part in blocking schemes that kept rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels clean against the Lions pass rush. Daniels took advantage of not being sacked by delivering a special performance that caught the attention of the most-successful head coach in Washington’s franchise history.
The brilliance of 2024 NFL draft second-overall pick Daniels has made everybody better, but nowhere has the improvement been more obvious than up front, and Cosmi has been key to the group’s progress.
Sam Cosmi a Core Part of Commanders’ Success
Cosmi had been a fixture of the Commanders’ O-line this season, with Next Gen Stats revealing he played “1,100 out of a possible 1,101 offensive snaps.”
The 25-year-old was also an ever-present during the 2023, starting every game en route to earning a big payday. Cosmi got paid because he became dominant once he switched from right tackle to guard.
That dominance has helped first-year offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury build a productive running game around Daniels. The Commanders have continued to lean on the run in the playoffs, finding the end zone three times on the ground at Ford Field.
One of those touchdowns, courtesy of Brian Robinson Jr., who notched a pair of scores, was highlighted by Rapoport’s colleague Brian Baldinger. He named Cosmi (76) as part of awesome Goal Line blocking.
A Baldinger pointed out, the TD came at a high price for Cosmi and the Commanders. He’ll be tough to replace, but the overall group is stronger than a year ago thanks to free-agent arrivals left guard Nick Allegretti and center Tyler Biadasz performing above expectations.
Add in Scott’s positive response to relief duty, and the Commanders are still on a much stronger footing in the trenches, even without Cosmi, ahead of the NFC title game.
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