The Commanders pass rush got a little harder to handle on Monday, with Dorance Armstrong reinstated after serving a one-game suspension.
Armstrong missed Sunday’s 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy – read more about the violation here – but will be back in the mix moving forward.
There’s no corresponding roster move required, with Commanders already with open roster slot after releasing offensive tackle D.J. Humphries last week.
Getting Armstrong back
is a good thing for a Commanders defensive front that showed signs of real quality without him. Washington had three sacks and five quarterback hits against Philadelphia, using high blitz rate and an active front to create chaos in the backfield.
Adding Armstrong to the mix should serve to help the Commanders in both versatility and depth. He has been a starter or a heavy rotational presence most of his career. He had 16 sacks combined for Dallas over the 2022-23 seasons, with five in 2024, his first year in Washington. He had 5.5 last season and an absolutely scorching 19.5% quarterback pressure rate before a torn ACL ended that campaign early.
Armstrong was able to practice during the preseason, though it remains uncertain if he’ll be ready in time to play his former team when Washington plays at Dallas in Week 2.
He’ll be an asset to be sure, but exactly how might he fit into Daronte Jones’ new scheme? It’s markedly different that what he was in during previous seasons.
I texted Mark Tyler that question. Here’s a summary of what our HH analyst said: Armstrong is more of a pure defensive end than a 3-4 outside linebacker who can drop into coverage. He could be an edge rusher with his hand in the dirt coming from out wide, or he could kick inside on sub packages with Odafe Oweh or K’Lavon Chaisson outside of him.
In other words, he gives the Commanders options.
That last prospect sounds intriguing and illustrates how Jones could use Armstrong creatively. He’ll be a key depth piece, providing quality even with Oweh or Chaisson are catching a break. Both of those guys played roughly 80% of the defensive snaps against the Eagles, and rookie Joshua Josephs fared well in limited action.
Washington has a quality collection of pass rushers now, which should allow the defense to get after the quarterback or make life difficult in the run game.
What are your expectations for Armstrong now that he’s back in mix? Let us know in the comments below.
