Before the advent of media devices, football coaches at all levels used simple whiteboards to outline plays, map out player positions and explain schemes in real time. Nowadays digital playbooks and tablets have taken over, but coaches still use whiteboards on occasion to impart information quickly and effectively. The following are some quick notes and observations from the Washington Commanders’ heartbreaking 22-24 lossto the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Commanders’ defense has been upgraded
There was plenty of speculation
this offseason about what exactly Daronte Jones’ defense would look like and if Adam Peters’ offseason additions would make a difference. The early returns weren’t perfect, but the defense looks to have taken a massive step forward from what we have seen from Dan Quinn’s first two years at the helm. Jones’ defense is fast and aggressive. The Commanders defensive coordinator didn’t look like a rookie in in his first game at the controls. Jones did a nice job of rotating Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, and Charles Omenihu along the defensive line. As expected, Daronte called plenty of blitzes in front of zone coverage and, for the most part, the pressures were effective when they were dialed up. The front seven played fast and disciplined for the most part and, aside from one long run, they bottled up Eagles running back Saquon Barkley for most of the game.
The performance was far from perfect though, as the defense allowed several explosive plays that altered the course of the game. That number includes Dontayvion Wicks’ 64-yard reception and two Dallas Goedert touchdowns. A 22-yard rush by Jalen Hurts on 3rd-and-18 was particularly damaging.
Payne and Ominehu both fell down on the play, and at this point Payne was noticeably gassed and takes some time to get back on his feet. Hurts recognized the opening and took off, but when Jordan Magee goes to close on him, the linebacker appeared to injure his hamstring. The net result is a 21-yard scramble and conversion that led to the second Goedert touchdown shortly afterwards.
Still, there were lots of positives for the Commanders defense. Amik Robertson largely went unnoticed, which typically means a cornerback had a good game and marquee free-agent signing Odafe Oweh got home for a sack to go along with two tackles for a loss and one quarterback hit. No turnovers for a defense that emphasizes their importance is glaring, but the Commanders’ defense looks like it can keep the team competitive as long as the offense holds up its end of the bargain.
David Blough will continue to grow as an offensive coordinator
Unlike his counterpart, David Blough certainly looked the part of a first-time offensive coordinator. After a positive first series, the Commanders’ offense only accumulated 126 yards of total offense and converted 2-of-8 third-down attempts in the first half. As expected, the offense had a number of false start penalties, but Blough’s play-calling and tempo were also stagnant for most of the first three quarters. There is reason for optimism, though, as Blough shifted Daniels to a shotgun look in the fourth quarter, sped up the tempo and capitalized on Stefon Diggs and Antonio Williams’ ability to get open in the intermediate portion of the field. This demonstrates that Blough is not only willing but also able to adjust his play-calling on the fly, something we haven’t always seen from the Commanders’ offensive coordinators in the past.
The play call on the 2-point conversion certainly deserves criticism, but for those that believe Blough should have left the game in Jayden Daniels’ hands, in some ways he did. There were multiple options available to the Commanders’ quarterback on the play, and Daniels made the correct read as the defensive end commits up the field, going with the primary option in tight end John Bates on the shovel pass. The play had Sam Cosmi out in front to block and could have been a conversion, but Nick Allegretti failed to seal Moro Ojomo, as the defensive tackle made a beautiful spin move to avoid his block.
For a quarterback learning a new system and a suspect interior offensive line, it was the wrong call, but Blough will develop his situational play-calling and acumen as he grows into his role. The question is if Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders have the luxury of waiting for it to happen.
Plenty of new faces, many of the same problems
Blough certainly isn’t the only one that deserves to take blame for the Commanders’ loss. While both coordinators and a good portion of the roster may have changed, the perpetual problems that plague Washington’s football team remain the same. Fangio was able to create pressure by only rushing four linemen, which allowed the defense to bracket the wide receivers. They failed to create separation down the field and often times Daniels had nowhere to go with the ball. That resulted in some late pressures, although Daniels did a nice job throwing it away when the play was not there.
Terry McLaurin was targeted four times for two receptions and 14 receiving yards, while Stefon Diggs dropped two passes, the same number he dropped over the entire season last year. Diggs also incurred a costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after his fourth-quarter touchdown that removed the option for a 2-point conversion. Allegretti struggled with low snaps and former second-round tight end Ben Sinnott played just 18 snaps and wasn’t targeted in the passing game. The issues continued with the kicking game with a blocked extra point and a miss on a long, but makable, 54-yarder by Stevens.
Once again, there were also issues with communication in the secondary, and several times cornerback Mike Sainristil appeared lost in coverage. Jeremy Reaves as a starter didn’t look much different in a new scheme than he did last season and the Commanders once again gave up multiple touchdowns to a tight end.
It will be interesting to see how quickly the coaching staff addresses these issues, if they do at all.
The Commanders appear to have something in their rookies
It was nice to see first-round linebacker Sonny Styles have a good rookie debut after some unfair evaluations in the preseason. The No. 7 overall pick played with a lot of discipline, showed solid instincts, and demonstrated his range and athleticism. The rookie had a nice game besides one lapse in coverage on the uncalled false start.
Fifth round selection Joshua Josephs only played 13 snaps, but you can see No. 48 bringing outside pressure versus Lane Johnson on the Styles sack. Rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams played 37% of the total offensive snaps but was Washington’s most productive wide receiver and lived up to his pro-ready draft billing.
The early returns on the 2026 draft class were a welcome sight for fans as Washington looks to build on their opening day performance in Week 2 versus the Cowboys.
