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Terry McLaurin is almost as good at providing great mic’d up clips as he is at catching footballs. Almost.
Washington’s star wide receiver was given the microphone by NFL Films during the Commanders’ 28-22 victory over Jacksonville in Week 1. McLaurin, now in his fourth year after averaging 1,000 receiving yards over his first three seasons, was named one of eight team captains over the summer.
Naturally, the mic’d up clip started with McLaurin hyping his teammates up in the tunnel before kickoff.
“This is why you grind all offseason, this is why you put the work in,” McLaurin said. “This is why you sacrifice — for this right here. To make it happen for us, to make it happen for your people, to make it happen for why you do this game. We set the tone, don’t nobody set it but us.”
McLaurin made some plays that won’t show up on the stat sheet during Washington’s first drive, which concluded with a touchdown pass from Carson Wentz to Curtis Samuel.
“That first drive always hurt. I’m like, ‘Am I in shape bro? Like what’s going on?” McLaurin joked to teammates on the sideline after the drive.
McLaurin, who celebrates his 27th birthday on Thursday, and the rest of the Commanders’ receiving core would end up making tough plays all game. Wentz finished with 313 passing yards thanks to the three-headed monster of McLaurin, Samuel and rookie Jahan Dotson. Running back Antonio Gibson also led the team in receiving yards on Sunday.
Dotson himself would end up with quite the stat line, as he hauled in two touchdown passes on the day in his first meaningful NFL game.
“Hell yeah! Happy for you man,” McLaurin said in the end zone during Dotson’s first TD celebration.
McLaurin wouldn’t stay dormant on the stat sheet all game, though. He reeled in a gorgeous pass from Carson Wentz for a 49-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The pass energized the team but especially gave McLaurin a chance to hype up his fellow wideouts Samuel and Dotson on the bench.
“One-on-one they can’t guard you, one-on-one they can’t guard you, and they know the [expletive] they can’t guard me,” he said to Samuel and Dotson.
In retrospect, he was right. The trio would combine for 153 receiving yards for the day on just 13 targets for four total touchdowns. Washington would satisfy a rowdy FedEx Field crowd with a six-point victory in Week 1. They’ll try to carry their momentum to Motown on Sunday when they take on a gritty Detroit Lions squad.
One thing is for sure, though: confidence is peaking after the first game.
“Feels good to come out here to get the dub,” McLaurin said as he walked off the field Sunday. “It wasn’t easy, nobody said it was gonna be easy, but we came through, man. Onto the next one.”