Washington Commanders' Sam Howell On Charles Leno's Absence: 'We're All Behind Him'
Before the Washington Commanders even stepped on the field to play the Atlanta Falcons, adversity struck.
Commanders left tackle Charles Leno, who has been the team's best offensive lineman, was unable to play due to personal reasons.
Quarterback Sam Howell offered a few thoughts on his left tackle after Washington's 24-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"Thoughts and prayers are with Leno and his family," Howell said. "It is super tough to hear that something like that happened to one of our teammates, one of our brothers. We’re all behind him and supporting him and his family...We definitely missed Leno out there and we hope to get him back out there soon, but we know at the end of the day, there’s a lot of things that are bigger than the game of football. And God will be with his family and wrap his hands around them at this time.”
Charles Leno (72) blocks while Sam Howell (14) gets ready to throw the ball.
USA Today Sports
Losing a left tackle as reliable as Leno could be a death sentence for a lot of teams. Across the five games he's played in, Leno has been the Commanders' highest-graded offensive lineman by Pro Football Focus with a grade of 74.2.
In his place was Cornelius Lucas, who's in his 10th year in the NFL and has played for five different teams and has been with Washington for the last four seasons.
Lucas stepped in admirably and was the Commanders' highest-graded lineman against the Falcons with a grade of 68.6.
"He did a great job of stepping in today ... He did a good job stepping in today and fulfilling Leno’s role," Howell said.
While Washington and everyone wishes Leno well, Lucas' performance was a huge plus for an offensive line that has struggled this season. Even once Leno returns, Lucas' play could earn him more playing time down the stretch of the season.
