2024 Commanders defense – Page 3

Commanders’ DTs Payne and Allen need to produce

The Commanders need more from Allen and Payne.

Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen are under increased scrutiny.

The former Alabama defensive tackle duo Allen (2017) and Payne (2018) were both drafted in the first round by Washington. Both have extensive NFL experience; Allen is 29, and Payne is 27.

Both are also paid well, like first-round draft choices they were—their stat lines for 2024 after two games do raise eyebrows. Allen has contributed two solo tackles, two assisted tackles, as well as two QB hits, with no QB sacks. Payne has one solo tackle and has yet to record anything else: no assists, TFL, no QB sacks, no QB hits.

In Payne’s defense, both of Clelin Ferrell’s sacks resulted from Payne being the first to put pressure on the quarterback, moving him to where Ferrell then stepped in and got the quarterback sack.

Craig Hoffman of The Team 980 had some strong declarations to make regarding Payne’s play.

“Eventually, you have got to give production. Yeah, he ate some blocks, got some penetration on Clelin Ferrell’s sack. He’s the main instigator there, pushing the pocket. One of his two hurries that PFF credited him with.

“But at the end of the day, you are paying these dudes major money to produce. You need stat sheet stats from them. You need tackles, sacks.”

“You need Daron Payne to be the Daron Payne, not that he was necessarily against Denver last year for that one series where he entirely wrecked it. That is unsustainable for a game.”

“But can we get some flashes of that dude a couple of times a game? Maybe it is what they are asked to do in this defense. Which is why I am not willing to fully say, “Bad job, Allen, bad job, Payne.”

“Ultimately, the thing I am willing to say at this point is that this defense needs to get to a point where they are producing more.”

Commanders’ DT Johnny Newton trending closer to playing

Commanders hopeful Johnny Newton can make his NFL debut.

Rookie defensive tackle Johnny Newton missed the opener last week in Tampa, rehabbing from a Jones Fracture that required surgery.

He worked in pads last week but was deemed not yet ready for a regular-season intensity in the Tampa heat and Buccaneers offensive line.

He’s continued to get in some work this week in pads, and head coach Dan Quinn is watching Newton closely in hopes that he will be ready this week.

“I felt really good, honestly, going in,” Quinn told the media. Friday. “So we’ve stuck to the plan, so we got a good bit there, some more today (Friday). And we’ll take it into tomorrow really, to make the assessment to see how the workload of the last couple of days (results). It was really cool to see him get going. So he is trending in the right spot for us for sure.”

Newton was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and thus drafted by the Commanders at No. 36 overall. However, shortly after being drafted, he required surgery to repair his Jones Fracture (foot). He has now had surgery on both feet since completing his senior season at Illinois.

If Newton can go on Sunday, it would immediately mean some more breaks for Jon Allen and Daron Payne during a game. It would also mean he would take some snaps from Phidarian Mathis or Sheldon Day.

Commanders’ Quinn: ‘Sainristil has a real presence about him’

Washington coaches excited about rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil. #RaiseHail

Last week, Washington Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil had a rough introduction to NFL regular season games.

But coach Dan Quinn likes what he sees in Sainristil: his work during the week, preparation, and mindset. Quinn believes in Sainristil and that the former Michigan Wolverine cornerback will bounce back and play well this Sunday against the New York Giants at Northwest Stadium.

“I think what we have grown accustomed to with Mike is the urgency he can play with,” expressed Quinn. The blitzing, the communication, the owning the leverage onto whomever he is guarding.”

Sainristil was in on six tackles last week (5 solo, one assist), but he also found himself beaten badly on a few occasions by Buccaneer receivers. It was undoubtedly a learning experience for a slot corner in his first regular-season NFL game.

Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. brought Sainristil four times on a blitz of Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield in Week 1. Meanwhile, in pass coverage, the Bucs targeted Sainristil six times, completing five against him for 58 passing yards and 11.6 yards given up per completion.

Though Sainristil had a lot to think about in the opener, Quinn believes in him, and they are still planning on giving him many differing tasks on Sunday against Daniel Jones and the New York Giants.

“Each week, it could play a little different, depending on who is in the slot (corner),” added Quinn. “I’m really looking forward to watching him in this home opener. I really am. He’s just got a great presence about him. In this game they’ll be in a lot of different spots, and where all the heat is, so it will be a good thing.”

With Emmanuel Forbes out for a few weeks (thumb surgery), look for Mike Davis and Noah Igbinoghene to get more snaps on Sunday.

Commanders DC Joe Whitt Jr. says the communication must improve

Whitt discussed the importance of communication, particularly in the secondary.

Imagine a defense in basketball that does not yell to teammates to inform them of a pick, a cutter, or a rotation needed to trap in the corner.

Well, Washington defensive coordinator Joe Whitt, with the press Thursday, felt similarly regarding his team’s communication Sunday in Tampa. “I don’t expect to have the communication mistakes that we had. We hadn’t made them. I don’t expect them. The standard is the standard, game one or game 17.”

Whitt talked of how they attempted to work on their communication in game-like situations, but apparently, it all fell apart during the pressure and pace of a regular-season game.

“We talked about putting them (defense) in stressful situations, which we have. When we get in game stadiums we got to communicate the same way we do in the practice field.”

Whitt then turned to how he would step it up himself: ” I have to do a better job of demanding it, and I hear it the way that it should be said in the walk-throughs and practice.”

When asked if perhaps they didn’t know what the Bucs would do, Whitt smiled, responding, ” No, no, no. We knew what they were going to do. That’s when I said, ‘Make them beat you and not beat yourself.'”

Then Whitt was asked how he improves the communication this week.

“Just like I said. Demanding it in the walk-throughs,” Quinn answered. “I stood way back in the walk-through we just had. I told them I am way back here and I got to hear it. So you have to scream it; it has to be loud.I don’t want to have one player say, I didn’t get it. So communication is sent, received and acknowledged.”

One thing is certain: the Commanders’ defense needs to be on the same page against the Giants on Sunday at home.

Commanders DC Joe Whitt: ‘I got to do a better job’

Washington defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. breaks down what all went wrong in Week 1, with an emphasis on one thing in particular.

Listening to Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., Thursday, you could hear the frustration of dealing with all that went wrong with the Commanders’ defense Sunday in Tampa.

The primary concern for Whitt on Thursday was how weak the Commanders’ defense was on third downs. On nine of thirteen third downs, the Commanders could not force a Buccaneer fourth down.

“”The inability to get off the field on third downs” is how Whitt succinctly summarized what lost the game. There are three major reasons that happened. “Losing leverage in certain situations. Times we did get to the quarterback, we didn’t get them down, and we had some communication issues.”

Then Whitt turned the forward direction on himself. “It’s my responsibility to make sure they don’t happen…It’s our job as coaches to make sure that the players are not thinking they are playing fast and that we are on the same page.”

Whitt wanted turnovers created by the defense, which is what he preached throughout the preseason. “We didn’t create any turnovers. We had real opportunity at one. We have to make those splash plays when we have them.”

When he took the job, Whitt enthusiastically asserted that the Commanders would be a defense that played with intensity and speed. He mentioned perhaps having as many as 18 people routinely rotating on the defense.

However, on Sunday, Bobby Wagner and Benjamin St-Juste played each defensive snap in that excessive heat and humidity. Mike Sainristil, Quan Martin, and Frankie Luvu were not far behind, playing 95, 92, and 92 percent of all defensive snaps, respectively. Why?

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“Towards the end of the game, I just didn’t feel the speed that we talked about and that’s our responsibility to make sure we do a great job of rotating. We said we were going to roll with a deep crew, and we have to do that.”

So, look for the Commanders to rotate personnel more often on defense on Sunday.

The Commanders defense will look drastically different in Week 1

Washington’s defense will look drastically different on Sunday.

The Commanders wanted and needed a much different defense in 2024.

GM Adam Peters, head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. are only starting three players at the same position this season. Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne are again at defensive tackle, while Benjamin St-Juste is again starting at corner.

If the Commanders start three corners against the Bucs, it will be St-Juste, Mike Sainristill, and Emmanuel Forbes. Forbes started six games in 2023, but Kendall Fuller started 15 and is now a Miami Dolphin.

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At safety, Kam Curl and Percy Butler have been replaced with Jeremy Chinn and Quan Martin. Martin has been moved from a nickel back to safety, and Butler is now a backup.

Last year’s linebackers, Cody Barton and Jamin Davis (13 starts each), have been replaced with new starters Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner. Dante Fowler has been listed as a 12th starter at outside linebacker/edge rusher.

Montez Sweat and Chase Young were traded for draft choices, and this year’s starters at defensive end are Clelin Ferrell and Dorance Armstrong.

Peters in that introductory press conference said when asked about the roster (after a pause) “…We have a lot of work to do.” Peters only had so many draft choices, so he made a couple of trades, signed many free agents, and most to one-year deals. The man has been industrious because he realized he needed to be.

The defense is thus undergoing a major remodel, mostly a remake, a revamp. But more importantly, it had to be upgraded. Considering they gave up the most passing touchdowns and the most points in the league last year, this defense needed to be overhauled and rehabilitated.

Peters has done the work on paper. What Quinn and Whitt have accomplished on the practice field and in the meeting rooms remains to be seen.

Here’s hoping that on Sunday, the restored and reassembled defense gets off to a good start.

Daron Payne says Commanders defense is hunting

Daron Payne couldn’t be more excited about the new defensive style/scheme.

Working in his seventh NFL training camp, Daron Payne really likes the up-tempo defense Dan Quinn is instructing.

“We are really working on just flying around and getting to the ball, hunting. That’s the main emphasis right now, just you want everybody hunting,” Payne told the media Sunday, following practice.

Payne has been very dependable for Washington, missing games only during the 2019 season due to injury. He missed seven that season and has played in every other single game for the Commanders.

“Coach Quinn is just letting us be explosive. Be explosive guys! Get after the quarterback, get after the run games.”

The former Alabama defensive tackle likes how Quinn is not allowing the defense to be as predictable as it was last year. “It definitely gives the offense something different to see. They won’t be able to scheme us up and just focus on what we do.” Payne said he likes the design calling for more games and movement from the defensive line.

Evidently, the defensive linemen are being called upon to do a lot of running early in this camp. “I usually stay around here and train (offseason), train hard. But like I said, with the new defense we have, they want us hunting so we got to be around the ball. They want us flying, so I feel like that’s just getting me in shape already.”

Payne, after six seasons has recorded 30.0 sacks and he likes what new defensive line coach Darryl Tapp is drilling in camp. “We just don’t come out here and just do things to waste time. He thinks about it and preps ahead and does things to get us in good shape and have good technique.”

There is a huge roster turnover this season and Payne pointed out Sunday he thinks the defensive players are already listening to the lead of linebacker Bobby Wagner. “He commands the huddle and we listen to him.”

The DMV is hoping the new personnel and new coaching staff results in at least a few more wins in 2024.