Washington’s defense is showing two very different faces early this season.
Against the run, there’s real progress. Against the pass, the same old leaks keep showing up.
Through two weeks, the Commanders still haven’t forced a turnover under new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, and explosive plays through the air have been a constant headache. But the run defense - the part that had to improve after Adam Peters made it a priority this offseason - has been much sturdier than it was a year ago.
That growth has shown up in the details. Washington has been stacking up tackles for loss and stonewalling runs at the line, which has pushed offenses into second- and third-and-long more often. The front is getting off blocks faster, winning at the point of attack and letting linebackers and defensive backs flow downhill with purpose.
Daron Payne has been a big part of that shift, even if his pass-rush production hasn’t popped yet. Lined up over the right tackle in a 4-tech, Payne made a backside stop by playing with strong pad level, holding his ground, shedding the blocker and getting to the ball carrier.
He stayed clean, found the runner and helped erase the play. Javon Kinlaw deserves credit there too for keeping the lane from opening on the backside by stalemating his man.
Kinlaw has been winning his own battles in the run game as well. From a 3-tech spot between the right guard and tackle, he faced a Cowboys power run coming at him as a playside defender.
Dallas tried to down-block him and wash him toward the center, but Kinlaw wouldn’t budge. His hand work and power let him knock the tackle off balance and cut off the path to the ball carrier.
Instead of getting controlled by the block, he took charge of it.
Nick Cross has also been a tone-setter near the line of scrimmage. After posting two tackles for loss against Philadelphia, he added another against Dallas.
His speed and recognition let him attack before blockers can get set. On one snap, he blitzed while Dallas ran away from him, and the receiver assigned to account for him never got a clean chance to slow him down.
Cross was through the backfield as a free runner.
Tim Settle has brought another layer to the middle of the defense. Working as a shade inside the right guard, he held firm against a combo block and kept the offensive line from driving him off the spot.
That kind of strength gives Washington a different kind of presence inside. He’s also showing more than brute force - his hand usage, especially with the long-arm technique, helps him disengage and keep runners from reaching the second level.
Still, the good news against the run only sharpens the bigger issue. Washington has done enough in that phase to force offenses into difficult situations, but it hasn’t stopped them from finding big plays through the air.
The problems against Dallas weren’t limited to Mike Sainristil and Jartavius Martin, who have both had a rough start. Receivers were getting open at multiple levels, and the breakdowns came from poor communication, defenders losing track of assignments in zone and bad positioning.
Dak Prescott made plays with his arm, but Washington also made life easier by not being where it needed to be.
The biggest takeaway right now is simple: Washington’s run defense has improved, but the pass defense still has plenty to clean up.
In Other News...
Chase Youngs Revival Revives A Painful Commanders Debate
Chase Youngs career has taken on a sharper, more encouraging shape since he left Washington, where injuries kept him from ever fully settling into the dominant force the Commanders expected when they drafted him. After the trade to San Francisco and then a move to New Orleans, the edge rusher has started stacking up the kind of production that once made him one of the leagues most intriguing young defenders, including a 10-sack season and another strong showing that has put his name back in the conversation.
For Washington, the revival brings back an uncomfortable question about what might have been if Young had been healthier in burgundy and gold. His current play is a reminder that the talent was never really gone, only interrupted, and it leaves the Commanders with a familiar what-if tied to one of their biggest recent investments. His rise elsewhere does not change the past, but it does make the debate around his time in Washington feel a lot harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have Real Stakes In One Risky QB Decision
The Commanders decision to carry three quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster has already taken on more meaning than a typical developmental move. Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis was expected to spend the season learning behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota, but with Daniels injured and Mariota slated to start, Washington suddenly has a real reason to keep a close eye on its third quarterback spot.
Adam Peters has made clear why the club liked Kaliakmanis in the first place, pointing to his arm talent and competitiveness while also noting he still has room to grow. For a team trying to balance short-term stability with a long-term plan at the position, that makes the rookies role one of the more interesting developments to watch, especially if the quarterback room is forced to absorb more changes than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Fans Want Dan Quinn Gone But Washington Has A Bigger Problem
The frustration in Washington has been building for weeks, and Dan Quinn is feeling it now more than ever. The Commanders have stumbled through a rough stretch, and when Jayden Daniels went down on a play at the end of the first half against the Cowboys, the conversation around the coach shifted from disappointment to outrage almost instantly.
Daniels dislocated his elbow for the second time in two seasons on a critical call that will hang over Quinn as the scrutiny intensifies. He deserves plenty of criticism for how the situation unfolded, but the bigger issue is the one the Commanders have been wrestling with all along: a thin, inexperienced coaching staff and little reason to believe a midseason change would fix much of anything. [Read more 🡒]