There was a lot of excitement surrounding the Washington Commanders’ new coordinators heading into this season. Sure, there were concerns about their relative lack of experience, but having a veteran head coach like Dan Quinn would do wonders for offensive coordinator David Blough and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.
Through five games, the Commanders are 1-3-1. They blew a chance to win on Sunday, tying the New York Giants 27-27. While everyone will focus on how the game ended, and rightfully so, the Commanders failed multiple times in regulation to put the game away.
In the first half, the Giants managed only 77 total yards. Jones got a lot of praise at halftime, with Washington leading 12-3.
Things changed dramatically in the second half.
New York had five total possessions in the second half. The Giants scored a field goal on the first possession and touchdowns on the final three. The final possession ended regulation. Jones’ defense allowed Jameis Winston and the Giants to score 24 points over the final two quarters.
How is that possible?
For one, the Commanders struggled to get pressure on Winston, who has a long history of game-changing turnovers. That’s a major concern for Washington going forward because it will face more potent offenses than the Winston-led Giants.
Maybe it’s a one-off, and the Commanders will fix it for next week’s Monday Night Football showdown with the San Francisco 49ers. Don’t bet on it. This looks like a troubling trend for the Jones-led defense, as Washington has allowed 55 second-half points, which is the most in the NFL.
Here’s a look at each week:
- Week 1 vs. Eagles: 10
- Week 2 vs. Cowboys: 20
- Week 3 vs. Seahawks: 21
- Week 4 vs. Colts: 20
- Week 5 vs. Giants: 24
That is 95 points allowed in the second half of Washington's five games this season. That’s worrisome. All offseason, we heard about the Commanders getting younger and faster on defense. That may be true, but they aren’t necessarily better—at least not yet.
Blough’s offense has had its share of issues, too, including the end of Sunday’s tie with the New York Giants.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders DC Daronte Jones has a big problem
