Looking at the final stats for Washington’s 20-12 loss to the New York Giants Sunday, you’d say the Commanders defense had an excellent day. Washington held the Giants to just 288 total yards, despite New York winning the time of possession battle.
New York converted on just two of 10 third-down conversions, and if you take out one drive, the Giants had under 200 yards of offense.
However, in watching the game, you’d know it wasn’t Washington’s best defensive performance. The 97-yard drive in the second quarter was embarrassing, specifically, after the Giants went for it on fourth-and-9 — and converted.
There was also that drive after Heinicke’s second turnover, where Saquon Barkley carried the ball three consecutive times for 41 yards. The Giants ended up kicking the field goal, which was critical to the outcome of the game.
How did Pro Football Focus view Washington’s defense? It certainly wasn’t Daron Payne or Jonathan Allen’s best day.
Here are PFF’s top-10 graded defensive players for the Commanders from Week 15.