Tag: defensive ratings

Where is Washington’s defense in Bleacher Report’s post-draft rankings?

The Washington Football Team posted one of the more impressive one-year defensive turnarounds in 2020. Under new head coach Ron Rivera and

The Washington Football Team posted one of the more impressive one-year defensive turnarounds in 2020. Under new head coach Ron Rivera and new defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, the WFT finished No. 2 in total defense in 2020.

That performance helped Washington win the NFC East, despite one of the statistically worst offensive units in the NFL.

Now, that’s not to say Washington’s defense was perfect in 2020. It wasn’t. The Football Team ranked No. 14 in run defense, despite the presence of four former first-round picks on the defensive line. Washington allowed almost 113 yards per game on the ground.

Instead of Rivera just hoping his team would naturally progress in year two, he made it a point to get better.

Bleacher Report recently released their post-NFL draft defensive rankings for 2021, and Washington came in at No. 3 behind Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams.

Here’s what B/R had to say about the WFT:

The Washington Football Team parlayed one of the best defensive performances of the 2020 campaign into a surprise run to the NFC East title. They should be even better this year thanks to some shrewd moves in the draft and on the open market.

No player will have more of an impact on this defense than Jamin Davis, the linebacker prospect that the club picked up at No. 19 overall. Davis will thrive behind Washington’s loaded defensive line, possessing the speed to get sideline to sideline swiftly and surge through holes to disrupt in the backfield. Third-round cornerback Benjamin St-Juste should see a good amount of snaps as a rookie as well.

The Football Team didn’t make too much noise in free agency, but signing cornerback William Jackson will offset the loss of Ronald Darby. The club didn’t need to make any further big-money signings following a fantastic year on defense.

Washington improved at cornerback when it replaced Darby with Jackson. The Football Team has also added depth at both cornerback and safety in free agency and the draft.

Davis is an instant starter for Washington’s defense at linebacker. He can play all three downs and will also be an asset in coverage — something Washington has lacked from that position.

If they can avoid major injuries, the Washington Football Team should once again be outstanding on defense in 2021.

 

Records aside, Washington’s matchup with Steelers is closer than you might think

With the disparity in overall records set aside, the numbers show that Washington’s matchup against Pittsburgh might be closer than you think.

Everyone looks at the 11-0 Pittsburgh Steelers and automatically assumes that they are going to have a cakewalk when it comes to doing away with the 4-7 Washington Football Team this upcoming Monday night. Rightfully so, too; Pittsburgh is unscathed so far this season, and they have been at the top of their game in nearly every facet, with the offense clicking under Big Ben Roethlisberger, and the defense as dominant as it has been in recent memory.

However, on paper at least, this matchup against Washington appears to be a bit closer than some would choose to believe based on the eye test. While Washington may get labeled as one of the worst teams in the league — again, rightfully so — thanks to their place in the lowly NFC East, their league rankings are not too far off from where Pittsburgh currently is.

Based on the numbers, the Steelers’ overall offense is better, with the passing numbers from Big Ben being the biggest disparity between Pittsburgh and an Alex Smith-led Washington team. However, Antonio Gibson has seen the Burgundy & Gold reach a higher rushing ranking, and the defenses are at least comparable, though we might disagree with Washington’s ranking there.

That’s where this game could really take a turn — on the defensive side of the ball. It’s been said over and over again that Washington’s defense, particularly the passing defense, is among the very best in the NFL this year, but a lot of people choose to ignore one key thing when touting that stat. Throughout the first half of the year, Washington regularly trailed big at the half, which coaxed their opponents into running the ball as much as they could through the final two quarters in order to play it safe and drain the clock. This led to Washington having a high-rating in pass defense, but anyone who watched them through the first two-quarters of games knows that they have as many holes in the secondary as anyone else.

With that being said, over the past few weeks, Washington’s defense has absolutely stepped up, particularly in the second half of games. While they are giving up on average 16.8 points per game over the last six games, they have tightened up in the second half, allowing single-digit points in five of those six games. It’s clear that they are getting comfortable, both as the games gets into the late stages, and as the season continues to roll on.

How they’re going to contend with this, though, is a different question…

That’s what a league-leading defense looks like. Whether or not Alex Smith and Scott Turner are going to be able to devise a plan to get past the Steelers’ dominant D on Monday night is a big question, but you can bet that they will have their hands full all week trying to draw up schemes that will work.

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