The Washington Commanders’ defense did not have a takeaway in the first two games of the season. But that changed during their Week 3 win against the Seattle Seahawks and they have gotten at least one takeaway in every game since.
They have the seventh-most takeaways of any team in the NFL, although they only have five interceptions, which is in the bottom half of the league. However, cornerback Mike Sainristil said the Commanders are working on making takeaways part of their identity in the secondary.
“I think in the secondary, we are a group that’s going to go out there, play physical, communicate very well, and I think just as a defense as a whole [we have] been taking the ball away,” Sainristil said. “I think that’s something that we harp
on a lot during the week of practice. We stress it in the offseason, just being able to get the ball back to the offense.”
Sainristil is still looking for his first takeaway of the season after having four interceptions last year for the Commanders. He's recently served as Washington’s No. 4 cornerback since Trey Amos’s return. Could Sainristil get his first takeaway on Thursday night in Washington’s rematch against the New York Giants? Quarterback J.J. McCarthy—Sainristil’s former college teammate—has only one interception for the Giants this season, but turnovers were a problem for him as the Minnesota Vikings' starter last season, when he threw 12 interceptions in 10 games.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders CB Mike Sainristil explains Washington's defensive identity
