Commanders’ defense ‘working through’ early issues with new approaches
Blitzes in key situations pay off after initial reluctance
up their defensive line, the Washington Commanders have four first-round picks who are all excellent players who can be relied upon to put up strong performances.
However, it’s possible that overconfidence set in during September.
The defense had trouble getting Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts rattled during defeats to the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears.
Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins said his team realized that the Commanders weren’t going to blitz, suggesting that players who were faking it “either weren’t aware or they were just being lazy about making the shift and that led to some really open plays for us.”
During last Sunday’s win in Atlanta, the Commanders sealed up a few of those cracks in the foundation.
Rivera Explains Challenges of Barton Calling Plays
The first six weeks of the season have seen difficulties for the Washington Commanders defense. The Commanders are surrendering the fourth-most yards per game in the NFL and the fourth-most points per game, behind only the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers.
The difficulties may be attributed in part to the middle linebacker position’s familiarity. Cole Holcomb left the Commanders this summer to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers; Holcomb was replaced by Cody Barton, a former Seattle Seahawk, in Washington.
And it appears from Ron Rivera that Barton and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio are still working on their communication with one another. “You get the huddle call and you make the call,” Rivera said. “Then they pass it along if it’s a hurry up offense. Some of it will be just word of mouth, others they may have to make some hand signals. It just depends on what the offense is doing and how much time we have in the huddle. Some of the things that we do are matchup based. [Defensive Coordinator] Jack [Del Rio] wants to get the appropriate people in and have the right call for it.”
Despite their defensive shortcomings, the Commanders have a chance to surpass.500 this weekend if they defeat the struggling New York Giants. The squad is currently 3-3 after three weeks. The Commanders may be able to return to the postseason picture if Barton and the defense can improve their communication.
