In Washington’s Week 1 win over Jacksonville, the defense allowed 383 total yards. The Jaguars averaged 6.8 yards per rushing attempt, and Trevor Lawrence passed for 275 yards.
Imagine if Lawrence hadn’t overthrown multiple receivers, including one easy touchdown he missed, or running back Travis Etienne hadn’t dropped a surefire touchdown. We could be looking at a different outcome.
Throughout the game, it appeared Lawrence specifically targeted Washington cornerback Kendall Fuller. Fuller was beaten several times, as was William Jackson III. The pair combined for multiple penalties.
After reviewing Washington’s win, head coach Ron Rivera met with the media for his normal Monday presser and was specifically asked about the cornerback play. He appeared pleased overall.
“I thought they played some good football, I did,” Rivera said. “I thought there were a couple times that, you know, early on they’re a little cautious, but as the game went on, you start to see their aggressive nature. I appreciated some of the plays they made. I was a little concerned with a couple of calls. I don’t necessarily agree with ’em all, but, you know, we just gotta be aware and play smarter than that.”
To defend Washington’s cornerbacks a bit, the pass rush wasn’t always getting home. The Commanders need to be able to pressure with only the front four at times something Rivera also talked about.
“Well, if you’re generating pressure with four it’s going to help your secondary because you don’t have to blitz, you don’t have to bring that extra guy. I think that’s important,” Rivera said.
Last season, Washington’s cornerbacks struggled a bit to begin the season but settled down as the season progressed. The Commanders are better at safety than people realize but need to be better at cornerback against better teams.
The Commanders face the Detroit Lions and their underrated group of wide receivers in Week 2.
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