The Washington Commanders are preparing to face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday without wide receiver Noah Brown, who was added to the injured reserve list on Wednesday.
On a more optimistic note, fellow pass catcher Terry McLaurin joined the team for a light practice after missing the past three games.
Brown, who had already missed four games this NFL season, will miss at least four more weeks. He was a limited participant in two of last week’s three practices as he continued to deal with the nagging injury.
Quinn said the veteran pass catcher has struggled to return to full speed.
“It wasn’t a setback,” the coach told reporters on Wednesday. “It just hasn’t responded quite the way it needs to.”
Players on injured reserve open a roster spot and are eligible to return after missing four weeks. Given his extended absence, Brown could have been added to the list earlier, Quinn confessed.
“Hindsight is 20/20,” he said. “The main thing is we’re going to get him right. That’s the ultimate goal, to get there. We know that means four more weeks.”
In a positive move, the Commanders opened the 21-day practice window for cornerback Jonathan Jones. He had been sidelined with a hamstring injury suffered in the Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
He will have at most three weeks to work back into practice before returning to the active roster.
More reinforcements could be on the way. Guard Sam Cosmi, widely considered the Commanders’ best lineman last season, is inching toward a return. The Texas product tore his ACL during the postseason run and missed the offseason program.
He now has two weeks of practice under his belt and is eligible to return to the active roster at any time.
“It was a hell of a start for him to get back and get rolling,” Quinn said. “He’s really put the work in, so [we’re] anticipating seeing that trajectory.”
Elsewhere on the offense, Quinn said Pro Bowl wide receiver Terry McLaurin would return to practice this week. The 30-year-old, who signed a $97 million contract extension this offseason, has missed three straight games with a quad injury.
“I’ll have a better assessment after we go through some full-speed routes and movements to see where he’s at,” Quinn said. “But I’m excited.”
McLaurin’s teammates know how impactful the Ohio State product can be. He’s the fastest receiver on the team, and his downfield connection with Daniels was immediately evident last season.
“You have to account for him, and it can’t just be with one person. Safety help, more zone coverage, or whatever it is, he just dictates so much in this league,” tight end Zach Ertz said. “I can’t wait for him to be back out there, whenever that is.”
Fellow wideout Deebo Samuel, Washington’s leading receiver this season, has also been hampered by injury. He was a game-time decision before Monday’s loss to the Chicago Bears and did play despite a heel injury that prevented him from participating in a pair of practices last week.
Without McLaurin and Brown, the Commanders have relied on the ground game to carry the offense. Washington leads the NFL in rushing yards and yards per carry entering Week 7.
That’s out of necessity.
“There’s a way to win every game,” Quinn said. “You just have to go dig in and find it, and it might not be the same every week.”
That run game has its own flaws, though. Daniels and rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt combined for three fumbles on Monday, including a botched exchange in the fourth quarter.
“It’s ups and downs. You want to make it as straight as you can; you want to have a positive outcome every time,” said Croskey-Merritt, who leads Washington with 344 yards rushing. “It’s a game we play, and it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
The 3-3 Commanders head to Dallas next to take on the rival Cowboys, 2-3-1, at 4:25 p.m. Sunday.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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