Washington Football Team: Three takeaways from close 2020 playoff loss
By Ian Cummings
No. 3 – The defense still needs improvement
Last night’s game was a rough one for the defense, which gave Tom Brady all day to throw and allowed over 500 yards of total offense. But there was also a silver lining in the defense’s uneven performance. In spite of their success in the regular season, they can be even better.
The linebacker group can still add another playmaker — someone who can clog running lanes effectively and cover in the short-to-intermediate ranges. The secondary still needs more solidity at cornerback and a new free safety to adequately provide support. And the defensive line needs more polish; Chase Young and Montez Sweat have a ton of potential, but neither one has the hand usage needed to beat elite tackles yet.
As good as the Washington Football Team’s defense was in 2020, they can be even better in 2021. That’s both humbling and exciting. With more added talent, and more development from Ron Rivera and his staff, there’s still a considerable amount of room to grow.