ASHBURN — Charles Leno gave credit to Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Washington Commanders left tackle was badly beaten by the Giants rookie pass-rusher in Sunday’s loss, no more so than when Thibodeaux exploded off the edge to strip sack quarterback Taylor Heinicke near the end zone en route to recovering the fumble for a touchdown.
“I can tell,” Leno said, “Just what he’s got and what he can do, he’s going to be a good player in this league.”
Leno’s words were reminiscent of the kind of awestruck praise Washington’s Chase Young regularly earned as a rookie.
Thibodeaux’s defensive score wasn’t just the turning point in Sunday’s game, it was a painful reminder for Washington that Young — the 2020 defensive rookie of the year who has been out for more than a year and counting with a torn ACL — is still missing from the equation for the Commanders this season.