The Commanders have one win in six attempts and yet remain in the NFC East race. Yep. That’s how bad their division is at this stage. It’ll remain so all season, especially with the injury hits and awful defense being played by the four teams battling for a title.
That gives the Commanders hope when there would otherwise be none at this stage, especially with a 0-2-1 mark
against their top NFC East rivals.That leaves the Commanders with some work to do coming out of the bye, with a series of wins
vaulting them right back into the division race.
“As difficult and frustrated as we are, there’s also a golden opportunity this year in our division, and it’s gonna take the whole year,” head coach Dan Quinn said in his Monday press conference. “And so, I think they know that, and they’re gonna fight their ass off every time to make sure, we’re gonna give ourselves the best chance to do that.
“It’s my job as the coach to set the whole thing to say environment, strategy of how to go about taking that on after this b ye, and I’m very much looking forward to doing it with these guys. Like, I absolutely believe in them.”
The Commanders must play better in order to accomplish their end goal, with these five questions needing to be addressed as the season progresses:
Will Jayden Daniels go on a heater?
We’ve seen Jayden Daniels do some spectacular things during this young season. None of it, however, resulted in a win. The season’s only victory came during Week 3, when Marcus Mariota was at the helm against the Seattle Seahawks.
Everything else has been in defeat, a stark contrast to how his rookie season worked out. The Commanders went 8-4 in one-score games during Daniels’ rookie campaign, largely due to Daniels’ heroics. The Commanders are 0-2-1 in one-score games that Daniels has played to this point, despite him playing well late in games. Those situations are often a crap shoot, though Daniels has the clutch gene.
The Commanders will need him to turn the tides a bit, especially after a tie versus the New Yorks Giants and a loss to the 49ers where his lack of situational awareness cost his team dearly. Getting that right could help the Commanders stack some wins, which must happen right away against what is a relatively soft schedule. This season will hinge on how Daniels responds out of the bye week. If he’s the hero he can be, this campaign could get interesting. But his margin for error is so slim at this point. He must get hot and stay there for this Commanders season to stay interesting.
Can Daronte Jones get the defense worked out?
While this current Commanders defense won’t scare you, there’s clear potential in the scheme. The creativity within Daronte Jones’ pressure package is clear. It is reliant on three things: 1. Players must communicate quickly and communicate well, getting into the right call before the snap. 2. The back end must cover well in short spurts and sometimes without the bodies needed to do so. 3. The pass rush has got to get home.
Washington has had issues with all three of those elements at times. It has also struggled dealing with opposing adjustments, making it vulnerable to second-half surges. Jones has tried to tighten communications and what the players must do to get into the right call. The Commanders must come out of the bye more impactful rushing the passer, while maintaining solid run defense, and preventing the explosive plays that have killed them to this point.
Can Washington’s run game get going?
Washington just put Bill Croskey-Merritt on injured reserve with a groin injury that has bothered him since the summer. That has impacted his efficiency throughout the season, even before this injury became public knowledge.
That puts the onus on Rachaad White to crank things up. The overall rushing statistics look halfway decent thanks to quarterback runs, but the backs are only averaging just 3.64 yards per carry. That isn’t good enough.
While it’s easy to point fingers at those carrying the football, the run blocking hasn’t been good. That’s especially true on the interior, the bedrock of any rushing scheme. You can’t live on the outside.
Are there quick fixes for this problem? Probably not. The personnel up front is what it is at this point. The commitment to the run game is solid and steadfast. They’ve got to churn out tough yards and find the third-and-manageable situations that have alluded them to this point.
And, if the traditional run game isn’t working, can a short passing game take its place at times? That’s up to the coordinator to find ways to move the ball on early downs and make sure those chains keep advancing.
Will the pass rush pick up?
The Commanders rank No. 21 with 1.8 sacks per game. They rank No. 13 with a 24% quarterback pressure rate, which is aided in part by the fact that they bring so many bodies. As we all know, the Vikings defense is the gold standard for a scheme largely based on what Brian Flores does up north, and Minnesota leads the league with a 36.7% pressure rate. That’s what Washington aspires to, but it’s not where they are. There’s a clear learning curve involved with the system and the Commanders should get better operating it. The real issue is on the back end. There’s no superhero coming to save that unit. That’s why Odafe Oweh, Dorance Armstrong and even Joshua Josephs must level and start hitting the quarterback with regularity.
Can Dan Quinn make it through the season?
There are people calling for Dan Quinn to be fired in-season. That reached a fever pitch after the brutal Week 5 tie that will be forever viewed as a game-management disaster and what not to do in moments of crisis.
The fact Washington rallied versus the 49ers and heading into the bye affirmed owner Josh Harris’ preference to avoid in-season firings is a plus for letting Quinn see this through. It would take something wild to fire him now, like a complete meltdown over the next several weeks.
Despite some fans’ desire to see Quinn go, that’s a worst-case scenerio. That’s less about Quinn and more about schematics on both sides of the ball. Continuity is required here. The schemes are good. The team needs to rep it out and become proficient at what they’re doing. Starting from scratch doesn’t help anyone, especially the quarterback. Keeping Quinn means keeping the coordinators and letting them cook.
