ATLANTA — It’s still early. They’ve just got to execute better. They just have to get off the field.
That’s what the Washington Commanders‘ defensive players say needs to happen. It’s why they say they’re not panicking. But it’s also what’s not happening enough — certainly not in the 34-27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
They didn’t get off the field. They didn’t execute. And if they’re not careful, it’ll get too late.
The problem wasn’t so much that the Commanders lost to Atlanta. They were missing five offensive starters, including quarterback Jayden Daniels and top wideout Terry McLaurin. Rather, it was how the defense played — and how many big plays it allowed — that was concerning.
“We’ve got to figure out what we’re doing wrong and get it right,” defensive end Dorance Armstrong said. “ASAP.”
The Commanders (2-2) enter a crucial stretch where the defense will be tested, starting Sunday at the Los Angeles Chargers (3-1) and quarterback Justin Herbert. Multiple sources have said there’s optimism that Daniels will return this week; he missed the last two games with a sprained left knee. But it remains uncertain if McLaurin (quad) or fellow receiver Noah Brown (groin/knee) will return.
But what they need is more consistent play by the defense in the pass game. Not that they’ve stopped believing in themselves.
“It’s Week 4. S—, we lost three in a row last year,” safety Quan Martin said. “We’re not worried.”
However, they need to fix the issues. In each of the next six weeks Washington’s opposing quarterback ranks in the top 15 for Total QBR — and four in the top nine. Five of them rank in the top 12 for pass plays that gain 15 yards or more; Washington ranks last in number of such plays allowed.
“All of us have to understand that no matter who’s out there the things we struggle with are the things we’ll continue to see until we learn from them,” said safety Jeremy Reaves, who replaced injured starter Will Harris. “We have to harp on those things, harp on the small things — the eye control, the gap discipline, how we communicate on the back end. They all add up.”
They entered Sunday’s game ranked first in completion percentage; they dropped to seventh following the game.
Washington’s defense had issues allowing big plays in the pass game over the first three weeks as well. The Commanders had allowed 20 pass plays of 15 yards or longer, tied for third most. They allowed eight such plays Sunday. That’s why, last week, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt said of leading the league in completion percentage that “the ones that we have given up have been just too long. And once we shore that up, and start getting the dang ball, now the defense takes up, because the run game has been under control.”
Whitt also pointed to the coverage as being key to the pass rush; they ranked fourth in pressure percentage entering Sunday and now are sixth.
But one issue continues to haunt Washington’s coverage: motion. No team has allowed more pass plays of 15 yards or more while facing motion than the Commanders with 11 — and six of those occurred Sunday. Atlanta gained 328 yards Sunday while using motion. That tactic also hurt them in Week 2 vs. Green Bay, which gained 187 yards when using motion vs. Washington, including 126 through the air.
That means, in their two losses, they’ve allowed 515 yards vs. motion — and only 105 in their wins.
Quinn said they “have to” fix this issue — and do it as quickly as they can. Sometimes, he said, it can be as simple as communicating when there’s motion and the coverage changes. Sometimes the communication works well — only to have one player hear it incorrectly.
But, he said, simplifying what they’re asking the players to do in coverage isn’t the answer because he doesn’t see it as repeated communication issues.
The best way, Quinn said, is to talk it out even more in meetings or walkthroughs or on the practice field.
“Make sure there are no gray areas,” he said.
On multiple plays Sunday, late motion by the Falcons impacted the play. For example, Atlanta faced third-and-5 on its first possession. Receiver Drake London motioned from left to right and turned inside tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., aligned at the number. Reaves sprinted down from safety and gestured to the motion as corner Trey Amos looked at his teammate. But, on the snap, both players covered London — and Pitts was wide open for a 26-yard catch and run.
Both London and running back Bijan Robinson topped 100 yards receiving as quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw for a career-high 313 yards — one week after the Falcons were shut out 30-0 by Carolina.
“We can’t allow the free runners,” Whitt said last week.
The Pitts play was not the only occurrence.
“We just have to have good eyes,” Martin said. “It’s a lot to see but we have to have good eyes, look ahead of the ball and expect those motions to happen.
“We’re going to keep seeing it until we stop it. It’s one of those things we have to correct and get fixed.”
Washington traded for corner Marshon Lattimore last season and drafted Amos in the second round. Second-year slot corner Mike Sainristil has become a key fixture on the defense since his arrival.
But that hasn’t been enough to solve all their coverage issues. Washington wants to play a lot of press man coverage; in the first two games according to ESPN Research they were in man coverage 42 times compared to 24 the past two games.
Those negative plays have occurred in both man and zone; it’s happened vs. linebackers. Some weeks they’ve defended a particular route only to be hurt the next week by the same one.
“We just have to find a way to stop the explosives,” Lattimore said. “A lot of that is being overaggressive at certain times or messing up coverage. Stuff we have to clean up on our own.”
The over-aggressiveness hurt Sunday when Lattimore bit on a third-and-7 route by London, who sold an out route then turned upfield and ended up catching a 43-yard pass. Lattimore was flagged for his league-high third holding penalty on the play. But of London’s 27 targets entering the game, 19 were on throws of 10 air yards or less.
“They run the same play three weeks in a row and they have a counter off it in the fourth week,” Lattimore said of being overaggressive at times.
But when asked about his optimism for the group moving forward, Lattimore didn’t hesitate.
“Look at the players in the room,” Lattimore said. “We know we’re good, we just have to execute the calls and execute our techniques. We’re not down because we know what type of players we have in the room. We just have to fix what we’ve got to fix.”
