Who has the best defense?
By: Jake Rajala
Six points. That’s how many points the Washington Commanders gave up to Russell Wilson and the GMEN in Week 1. Malik Nabers only had five grabs for 71 yards. It wasn’t worth a Pro Bowl vote. The calls for Jaxson Dart to start have already happened.
It would be an understatement to say the Commanders have a lot of talent on defense. They have Bobby Wagner (5/5 tackles on the day), Daron Payne (who had a sack and is stout against the run). Payne was one of my x factors for the Commanders. Then the Commanders acquired the Pro Bowl CB Marshon Lattimore during the last season. Let’s not forget about the addition of the elusive Von Miller, who had six sacks last season for the Bills.
The Commanders ranked first in points per game allowed last season. This mindset and talent was on full display in the last playoff gauntlet. They only gave up 20 points to the explosive Bucs offense. They did give up 31 points to the Lions, but the game was out of reach for them far before they scored 31 points.
They had a wake-up call in the conference Championship, as they allowed 55 points to Philly. This led them to stay aggressive in adding talent to their defense this offseason.
The Commanders haven’t been impressive at sacking the opposing QB since Ryan Kerrigan was in town. The Commanders ranked 17th in sacks last season. They have a stout front seven and secondary, but they have to get after the passer a lot better than last season. Not only is Philly loaded with talent at WR, but the key to beating Patrick Mahomes (who will certainly be in or near the Super Bowl each season) is having a potent pass rush.
I believe the Commanders deserve to have their defense called the number one D in the league. We’ve seen other “elite” defenses like Baltimore and Pittsburgh get bullied and shredded in Week 1. The Commanders prove they were legit last season and they have already started with their hair on fire this season.
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