As the Washington Commanders continue their march toward the postseason, they're in preparations for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. With a 10-5 record, Washington has enjoyed its first winning campaign since 2016 and can officially punch their ticket to the playoffs should they defeat the Falcons.
And they're getting a valuable piece of their team back just in the nick of time. According to NFL Network's Ian Rappoport, the Commanders have activated defensive tackle Jonathan Allen off Injured Reserve.
Allen hasn't played since October 13 after he suffered a pectoral injury. And the good news is that he feels a “night and day difference” with how he feels, via ESPN.
“Night and day difference,” Allen said Thursday. “Football's not a game you can pick up and run with it after not playing for a while. Having two weeks to work and get ready is huge for me.”
The Commanders and Falcons will kick off from Northwest Stadium on Sunday at 8:20 PM EST.
As they attempt to secure their first playoff berth in recent memory, the Commanders are excited to bring Allen back into the fold.
“I'm excited,” defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said Thursday. “[Allen] gives us just another veteran player, high pedigree player that can go in and give those quality snaps inside, that can get after the quarterback, push the pocket, be disruptive.”
In Allen's absence, the Commanders have started rookie Jer'Zhan Newton. Allen will likely be on a snap count as the team eases their key defender back into action.
The initial fear for Allen when he suffered the pectoral injury in October against the Baltimore Ravens was that he'd miss the rest of the season, but after follow-ups with the team medical staff, it was discovered the injury wasn't as serious as originally thought.
