Kliff Kingsbury has been the talk of the NFL through 10 weeks due to the play of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels isn’t playing like a rookie and is firmly in the MVP mix because of his play in leading the Washington Commanders to a 7-3 start.
Kingsbury’s offensive design and play-calling are praised across the NFL. The praise for Kingsbury and Daniels is deserved. Did anyone watch Washington’s offense last year?
But defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. is barely mentioned in the talk about Kingsbury and Daniels.
It’s time to change that. After Sunday’s 28-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Whitt’s defense is ranked 14th in total defense, 6th in pass defense, and 12th in scoring defense. The Commanders’ run defense must improve, but they did an excellent job Sunday against the Steelers, holding them to an average of 3.3 yards per attempt.
When you consider Washington’s personnel challenges, specifically at cornerback, Whitt is doing an outstanding job.
Another area where the Commanders have done well is pressuring opposing passers. Most believed Washington would struggle to rush the quarterback with no high-level pass rushers on the roster, yet veteran Dante Fowler Jr. has 8.5 sacks and is on pace for a career year. Others, such as Dorance Armstrong, Clelin Ferrell, Jalyn Holmes, and rookie Javontae Jean-Baptiste, have had success rushing the quarterback at times, too.
When you’re a coach, you’re judged by results. Is your team or unit improving throughout the season? In Whitt’s case, yes, it is. Check out this graphic courtesy of Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.
The Commanders’ pass defense ranked 29th in the NFL after Week 1.
It now ranks 6th. pic.twitter.com/PUufB8EY8V
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) November 12, 2024
The Commanders hope the acquisition of Marshon Lattimore pays dividends. The four-time Pro Bowler was acquired last week and has yet to debut. But general manager Adam Peters felt good enough about the team’s progress to make a splashy move for a high-level player at the NFL trade deadline.
Earlier, we asked if you’d seen Washington’s offense last year. Did you happen to see the defense? It was even worse. And Whitt’s defense is improving without one of its best players, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen.
So, the next time someone praises Kingsbury, don’t forget about Whitt. Heck, special teams coach Larry Izzo has been outstanding, too. Regardless of how things end up, the Commanders truly had a home-run offseason from hiring Peters to Quinn and his staff to the selection of Daniels and other newcomers.