Commanders offensive line dominant against Broncos' top-ranked defense

Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters was aggressive in upgrading the offensive line last offseason. Not only did Peters trade multiple draft picks for five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, but he also used a first-round pick on Oregon left tackle Josh Conerly Jr., with the plan of moving him to right tackle.

Last season's rookie success story, Brandon Coleman, would move to left guard. However, Coleman struggled early this season and was replaced by Chris Paul. Right guard Sam Cosmi returned from offseason knee surgery in Week 7, and while the Commanders have yet to win a game since, the offensive line is beginning to look like Peters believed it would.

Sure, Coleman was supposed to be a part of that starting five, but it's not like Coleman hasn't carved out a role. Trent Scott is no longer the third offensive tackle. When the Commanders play three tackles, Coleman is the guy, and he's making an impact.

Tunsil has been his usual dominant self.

Center Tyler Biadasz remains a stable force in the middle, while Paul stabilized the left guard position, and Cosmi is rounding into form at right guard.

Conerly's growth has been the story. In his first three NFL games, he faced Brian Burns, Micah Parsons and Maxx Crosby. Since then, Conerly has improved each week, even shutting down some of the NFL's better pass rushers.

In Sunday night's heartbreaking 27-26 overtime loss to the Broncos, Washington's offensive line played its most complete game. Denver entered the game with 49 sacks — most in the NFL. Quarterback Marcus Mariota dropped back to pass 52 times and was sacked only twice.

Conerly played 55 pass-rush snaps, allowing only one pressure. He was one of Washington's highest-graded performers, via Pro Football Focus.

The Commanders finished with 419 total yards against one of the NFL's best defenses with their backup quarterback. They ran the ball well, and they passed for close to 300 yards. The offensive line deserves credit for that performance.

How good was Washington's offensive line?

Denver's defensive line is loaded and has been causing problems for opposing teams all season. If you're a Washington fan, this should encourage you. The Commanders have their franchise quarterback and a terrific offensive line that is still coming together.

Now, Peters can use the offseason to give Daniels another weapon or two and use most of Washington's resources to fix the defense.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: OL dominant vs Broncos' top-ranked defense