Terry McLaurin proved how much Commanders missed him while he was out

Terry McLaurin was on a strict pitch count, Sunday.

Well, that was the original plan, anyway.

The Washington Commanders prepped McLaurin for his return, and the plan was to keep the big picture in mind, not overextend McLaurin in his first game back in a month. Seeing his injury was an upper leg injury, it makes perfect sense that the Commanders wanted to see McLaurin some each quarter, get him out of the game healthy, and prep him for next week.

But the best of plans are still plans at best, so the old saying goes. You must execute your plan and not let yourself be diverted from it. Or, in the case of Sunday night, the Commanders felt it was fine to chuck the plan aside, permitting McLaurin to play much more.

As a result, McLaurin, for the third time in his career, was targeted 14 times. Now, it's true that Marcus Mariota and McLaurin only connected on seven of the 14. However, they did connect seven times for 96 yards (13.7) and a receiving touchdown. He also had a touchdown called back due to a questionable holding penalty.

Perhaps the Commanders will rest McLaurin during early-week preparation, allowing his body to recover more effectively. Don't be surprised to hear he is sore or stiff from playing much more than anticipated. Perhaps they might wait until he's on his feet on the practice field on Thursday or Friday, allowing him to recover adequately?

Suppose you are wondering about McLaurin's other 14-target games. In 2020 against the Baltimore Ravens, McLaurin had 10 receptions for 118 yards (11.8) on 14 receiving targets. The following season, against the NY Giants, Terry hauled in 11 receptions for 107 yards (9.7) on 14 targets, including a touchdown catch.

McLaurin showed everyone how much the Commanders missed him with his mere presence on Sunday night. It was a different offense.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Terry McLaurin's big game proved he was missed