Last week, Chase Young got back to doing what he loves – playing football. After a year on the shelf, the stud defensive end finally got to make his 2022 debut against the San Francisco 49ers.
The former Defensive Player of the Year played very well.
The Plan
The official word was that Young would be on a short leash last week. That he would play somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 snaps. After all, a torn ACL and patellar tendon is a very serious injury. One that can have career-shortening ramifications if not careful.
Instead Young played 30 snaps.
Apparently he told Head Coach Ron Rivera that he had more in him than 12-16 snaps.
Chase Young says he told Rivera he could play more than 12 to 16 snaps: pic.twitter.com/GDgJWXvUfS
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) December 25, 2022
So in his second game of 2022 – which is actually the first day of 2023 – Young will start against the Cleveland Browns.
He replaces James Smith-Williams, who is out with a concussion.
Hopefully the load isn’t too much for Young.
Rivera said earlier this week that he wanted Young to, “Just Go.”
He didn’t want Young to, “play with a finesse style or try to diagnose this or that.”
Playoff Aspirations
It’s all hands on deck for the Commanders. So Young’s contributions could be pivotal.
If they want to make the playoffs, there is little room for error.
A three-game winless skid put them in a precarious but straight-forward position.
Washington can clinch the NFC wild-card spot with a win and losses by Seattle (against the New York Jets), Detroit (against Chicago) and Green Bay (against Minnesota). Alternatively, they would be eliminated with a loss and wins by the Lions and Packers.
“If we win these two games, we’re in the playoffs,” said Charles Leno. “It’s as simple as that.”