During his four seasons as head coach of the Washington Commanders, Ron Rivera’s teams always seemed to get off to a slow start. Without elite quarterback play, it was always difficult for the Commanders to climb out of an early deficit.
In 2023, the defense was supposed to be a team strength. With four former first-round picks in the starting lineup on the defensive front, the Commanders defense should have made life easier for the offense.
Not only did that not happen, but Washington’s defense was even worse than the offense.
Here are the ugly numbers:
- Last in yards allowed
- 27th in run defense
- Last in pass defense
- Last in scoring defense
- 31st in FTN’s total defensive DVOA
Those are some ugly numbers. Last season’s performance led Rivera to fire defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and secondary coach Brent Vieselmeyer after a blowout loss to the Cowboys.
If you think those numbers are bad, Warren Sharp had another that showed Washington’s defensive ineptitude.
the Washington Commanders allowed 125 points in the first quarter of games last year
that's over 1 TD per first quarter!
insanity
it's the most since in over a decade
in fact, it's the most since the Washington Redskins allowed 126 first quarter points in 2013 đź«Ł
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) June 20, 2024
Insanity is the correct word. Quarterback Sam Howell never had a chance. It’s remarkable that the Commanders allowed so many first-quarter points, and that stat alone tells the complete story of the 2023 Washington Commanders.
Washington’s defense will be better under head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. in 2024. While the Commanders have some question marks, namely at edge rusher and cornerback, Quinn’s defenses always find a way. If nothing else, Washington will force turnovers — another thing it could not do last season.