Washington Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel has been ruled out for Week 9 against the New England Patriots.
Commanders ruled out WR Curtis Samuel for Sunday’s game at New England due to a toe injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 3, 2023
Samuel has been battling a toe injury he suffered in last week’s game. Toe injuries can be tricky to manage and Samuel will be out at least this week. Samuel has been having a decent season seemingly being the third receiver behind Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. However, he has simply outplayed Dotson so far this season and has been targeted more often by quarterback Sam Howell. This is somewhat surprising as Dotson was a first round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and had a very decent rookie campaign. Some thought year two would be a breakout season, however, that has not been the case.
When Samuel left early, Dotson had his best game of the season. Samuel has been the primary slot wide receiver for the Commanders and has shown his prowess in the short intermediate game. The Commanders do have depth behind Samuel, with Dyami Brown and Jamison Crowder. Crowder will most likely replace Samuel in the slot as he is now in his second stint with the Commanders after starting his career with Washington.
The Washington Commanders are +8000 to win the NFC East according to offshore sportsbooks.
Now with Samuel out of the lineup, Jahan Dotson should benefit the most from his absence. Dotson caught 8 passes for 108 yards on 10 targets in Week 8’s loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. It should be another good day at the office for Dotson as New England tends to take a way the number one pass catcher which is Terry McLaurin in this case. When Samuel comes back, it remains to be seen if Dotson can keep it going for the rest of the season.
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