The Commanders invested a ton in their defense, with money spent on younger players perceived to be on the ascent. Odafe Oweh came with a huge price tag. Nick Cross was supposed to lock down the secondary. Leo Chenal was to help anchor the linebacker corps with No. 7 overall NFL draft pick Sonny Styles.
Amik Robertson was signed to fortify a young cornerback corps ready for better.
This group, including K’Lavon Chaisson and Charles Omenihu, was supposed to help a previously old and slow unit get younger, faster and prove to be a better fit for Daronte Jones’ attacking scheme.
Our John Portis did a great job breaking down why this scheme isn’t quite hitting like it should, so we won’t rehash all that here.
Let’s focus instead on the personnel and the hits the depth chart has taken while allowing at least 23 points in every game this season and 30-plus in three straight. Those totals are surely a negative as the Commanders try to emerge from a rough start. There was great hope that the defense would be better. To this point, that has not been the case.
The Numbers
Total defense: 354.5 ypg (No. 26 overall)
Scoring defense: 28.7 ppg (No. 29 overall)
Rushing defense: 100.5 ypg (No. 11 overall)
Passing defense: 254 ypg (No. 29 overall)
Third down%: 44.4 (No. 25 overall)
Red zone%: 81.8 (No. 32 overall)
Takeaways: 8 (3 INT/5 FF) (No. 13 overall)
Biggest weakness
This Commanders secondary was always thought to be an issue. Then injuries hit, starting in the summer when Trey Amos’ balky ankle never got right in its recovery from a fractured fibula, landing him on injured reserve when the season started. Mike Sainristil simply couldn’t be trusted and has now essentially been benched, leaving smart signing and street free agent Rasul Douglas to take tons of unexpected snaps.
Nick Cross missed significant time with an undisclosed issue stemming from a Week 2 hospitalization, depleting an already weak group of safeties that Jones expects so much from.
All that has left the Commanders vulnerable in the back, especially when the team’s blitzes don’t get home. Cross and Amos are back now and Amik Robertson is playing like a No. 1 cover corner, providing some hope that the Commanders will be better down the line.
Greatest strength
The Commanders are allowing roughly 100 rushing yards per game, by far their best defensive metric within a group that doesn’t have much to brag about. That’s largely due to a defensive line that is stout and fairly deep.
Charles Omenihu has been a pleasant addition, with Deatrich Wise adding heft to the group after being activated off the physically unable to perform list. While Daron Payne isn’t the pass rusher he once was, he’s still tough against the run. The defensive line funnels ball carriers to Sonny Styles and Frankie Luvu, who have been good cleaning things up.
Problem that must be solved
The Commanders employ some creative blitzes and pressure schemes designed to put the opposing quarterback under duress. Washington is doing all that but not getting home enough or on a regular basis. They’re therefore left vulnerable and exposed to explosive plays that have proven to be back breakers.
Outside of that Week 6 loss to the 49ers, Washington has generally been worse in the second half of games as teams adapt and adjust to what they’re doing. As Portis outlines, it sure seems like Washington gets in trouble when it’s not set or still changing strategy when the ball is snapped.
Jones scheme seems solid, but it doesn’t seem like the Commanders are comfortable operating it yet. They need to figure that out in a hurry and get right or the season will get away from them.
How would you categorize the Commanders’ biggest weakness, greatest strength and the problem that must be solved? Let us know in the comments below.