Commanders Aiming to Get Terry McLaurin More Involved vs. Buccaneers

In their first meeting, Terry McLaurin was kept quiet, but this time the Washington Commanders plan on making a lot more noise.

Sep 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) and wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus (14) talk against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers works out prior to the game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

ASHBURN, Va. -- In two regular season games and one in the playoffs, Washington Commanders' star receiver Terry McLaurin has never caught a touchdown pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

That doesn't mean he hasn't had an impact, however. In fact, it's been quite the opposite. In two of those three matchups the Commanders star had no fewer than six receptions for 59 yards of offense.

The problem for this year's Washington team is that the anomaly in McLaurin's history against this weekend's opponent happened this season when he had just two catches for 17 yards in a Week 1 loss in Tampa where the two teams will face off in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs this weekend.

Sep 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) and wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus (14) talk against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers works out prior to the game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

"I think we definitely did not have a good enough plan to get him the ball. And then [Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach] Todd Bowles is a good defensive coach, so I don't–having watched the game–it's hard to watch. It’s so different than what we are now," Commanders' offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said when asked about the team's inability to get McLaurin more involved in that Week 1 loss. "(Bowles) recognizes that's one of the best players in the league. And so, he's going to do everything to take away, and then I (need to) do a better job calling plays. And I think [quarterback] Jayden (Daniels) has evolved to a point now where, when we have an opportunity to get Terry the ball, he's going to take advantage of it.”

Looking back, there were some opportunities for Daniels to find McLaurin that, for one reason or another, the quarterback failed to convert. Kingsbury would describe his quarterback's emotional state as being in 'fight or flight' mode in the days following the rookie's debut. And when an athletic quarterback of Daniels' pedigree goes into flight mode, he does it with his legs, not his arm.

"I think we were all learning each other. Learning the system in a game-like fashion, figuring out what our identity was. Those first few games were just–like all teams across the league–you're trying to figure out what your identity is, what you do well, and what plays you execute at a high level. And obviously, having a first-time coordinator with this group, a first-time rookie quarterback, and a new group of skill guys line, everything was new," McLaurin says, looking back at the slow start to the season for him and Daniels as a tandem. "As you can see, over the course of the season, we started to get a rhythm. And I think what really stood out was our ability to continue to put pressure on defenses (and) staying on the field."

This time around, the plan is for things to be different and for a lot more of that pressure we've seen since Week 1 to be witnessed against the Buccaneers this weekend. Part of that plan, clearly, is to get McLaurin more involved, something that has been proven to be a very good idea.

When McLaurin has six or more catches in a game–something that's happened seven times this year–the team has won all but one of those games, a seven-point loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Both Daniels and Kingsbury have admitted to understanding just how important McLaurin is to the offense's ability to score, further evidenced by his single-season franchise record of 13 touchdown receptions this year.

Now it is time to figure out how to get McLaurin the first of what should become many postseason touchdown catches, and his first career playoff win.

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