A few years down the road, we will likely look back on last week’s matchup and wonder how we got so lucky to witness such greatness.
Obviously, I’m not talking about the matchup between the Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions, but rather the one between WR Terry McLaurin and CB Darius Slay.
Slay has become one of the best cover corners in the NFL over the past few years, and his ability to shadow an opposing teams’ No. 1 option and remove them from the equation is rarely seen. On the other side of the ball, McLaurin has proven that he is among the best receivers in the league, and his rookie showcase has been humming along, despite an abysmal offense in Washington.
In the Redskins 19-16 win on Sunday, it was tough to say who really had the upper hand, which in retrospect can be considered a win for McLaurin, as he was expected to be completely shut down by Slay. The All-Pro corner made sure to let it be known after the fact as well.
The stats won’t show that McLaurin had a great game — he finished with five catches for 72 yards — but rookie QB Dwayne Haskins was wildly inaccurate, and missed his former college teammate several times on the day.
With a time-tested veteran like Slay on the field, expectations for high-level play were set early on. McLaurin proved that he could compete with one of the best defenders in the league, and he gained the vet’s respect along the way.
