The Washington Commanders go into each game with a plan to win, regardless of the players who run it, but it was clear the team missed having Brian Robinson Jr. on the field last Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

Robinson, who leads the team's fifth-ranked rushing attack with 325 yards, was absent in practice last week and missed Washington's matchup with the Ravens with a knee injury. The Commanders' offense found a way to stay competitive in the 30-23 loss, but their run game, which had averaged 178.4 yards per game, was held to just 52 yards on 18 carries.

The Ravens' defense has been the best in the league at stopping the run, so it wasn't necessarily a surprise that Washington's offense stumbled on the ground against them. Still, having Robinson would have helped the Commanders, particularly in short yardage and red zone situations.

Robinson was back on the field Wednesday after a week of rest, and he gave a positive update on his health.

"I feel great," Robinson said in the locker room. "More like myself again."

Although most of the national attention surrounding the Commanders has been justifiably focused on quarterback Jayden Daniels, Robinson has been nearly as important to the offense's success. He's already carried the ball 73 times through five games of action -- it took him six weeks to reach that number last season -- and he's already tied his career high in rushing touchdowns (5).

Robinson has also played a pivotal role in making sure the Commanders' offense stays on the field. He's converted seven of the team's 35 third downs and one of its nine fourth down plays. He's also been tough to bring down, as he ranks fifth in yards after contact and is tied for sixth with six broken tackles.

"He's a big part of what we do, both emotionally and physically," offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said of Robinson. "The way he plays the game, the joy he plays with, what he brings to practice. It's a big deal for us as a unit."

Robinson missed practice for most of the week against the Browns and was a game time decision with the same knee injury. He ended up playing, although the team limited his reps once the game was safely in the Commanders' control. He ended the day with 18 yards on seven carries but did score two of the team's touchdowns.

Robinson wasn't on the practice field at all leading up to the Ravens game. He never wants to miss a game, but he was grateful that coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters made the decision for him to be inactive.

"It helped tremendously," Robinson said of not participating in practice last week. "Thank DQ and AP for deciding that for me ... They decided that [playing] wasn't the decision for what we were trying to do. And I'm thankful for them being in my corner."

Robinson was back on the practice field Thursday, increasing the likelihood that he will be ready to go this week against the Carolina Panthers, who are giving up the third most rushing yards this season. It also means that he will be reunited with fellow running back Austin Ekeler, who has become a nice complement to Robinson since he joined the team in the offseason. They have combined for 762 scrimmage yards and six rushing touchdowns.

"We all have our own skill sets that we need to try to maximize," Robinson said. "We try to complement each other the best way we can. If I need to be physical so Austin can come in and slice guys up, then we need to try to maximize that."

As much as it "sucked" to not be on the field last week, Robinson said he was happy to see his team compete against a quality opponent. Now that he's getting healthy, he's eager to join them again.

"I don't want to miss a day or a second out there on the field," Robinson said.

The rest of the team is excited about that, too.

"He's a tremendous player, pass game, run game, pass protection," Kingsbury said. "So, it would be a big lift."