Washington Football Team Reality Checks: Week 10 vs. Detroit Lions
By Tim Payne
No. 2 – The Reality Is, Chase Young should be set free
Several times on Sunday, Chase Young was in position to blow up a play, only to hesitate ever so slightly. On plays like this it appears that he’s focused on playing gap-sound, “do your job” defense. But he’s a transformational talent. He needs to be cut loose to just go play.
There are “do your job” players on this defense, like Deshazor Everett and Jon Bostic and Ronald Darby and Kevin Pierre-Louis. Chase Young has the freedom to utilize his athleticism and instincts to just go make plays. Young is a rookie, so his attention to detail and assignment-sound play is admirable. But this team needs him to have the freedom to freelance and make impact plays in doing so.
My Prediction: The Lions have a very average offensive line. Chase Young is like a ticking time-bomb of playmaking ability. The time has come for him to take over a game. I’m going out on a limb here to predict Young has multiple sacks and a forced fumble against Detroit.