Analyzing just how good the Washington Football Team’s defense is

Bright spots

If that seems overly harsh, let me close with some good news. Washington is fifth in the league in yards per play allowed. They are seventh in opposing quarterback rating. Even in their weakest area – run defense – they are still in the top half of the league, 15th in both total rushing yards allowed and yards per rushing attempt.

Most impressively, they currently rank 10th in third-down conversions. They allow opposing offenses to convert on roughly 38 percent of third-down attempts. That is significantly better than 2019, when they were dead last in the league, allowing an almost 50 percent conversion rate.

The only area in which WFT’s defense is not noticeably better than 2019 is in turnovers. They are falling a little bit short of last year’s pace. In 2019, they were slightly above the league average. So far, in 2020, they are slightly below.

But even there, you can find a silver lining if you look hard enough. Washington‘s defense is causing fumbles on pace with the league average. They just aren’t recovering them. If they could learn to fall on loose balls more efficiently, that turnover number would go up.

So that thing I identified as being the main reason Washington could win the division this year also poses a genuine danger moving forward. If the team allows itself to believe that the defense has arrived, they will be in trouble next year. The likes of Brooks and Dillard, Smith, and Collins will probably all be back to shore up the lines of the Eagles and Cowboys.

If Washington expects to maintain or improve upon that No. 4 ranked defense in 2021, they had better continue to grow and improve. That defense may be on their way, but they have not arrived yet.