Washington Football Team: 4 takeaways from Week 3 against Buffalo
3. Daron Payne dominates
In case you missed it, the big man, number 94 on Washington’s defensive front had himself a day on Sunday afternoon. Proving that he is a force to be reckoned with, Daron Payne is here to make a name for himself.
The defensive piece showed off his unique pass-rushing ability on the interior by forcing nine hurries against a Bills front that had a relatively smooth day. Payne’s performance netted him a pass-rushing grade of 90.2 from PFF, something that matches the eye test. Coming into Sunday, n Payne ranked sixth in pass-rush win rate among defensive tackles while placing 10th in run stop win rate.
I'm not sure I've ever seen DaRon Payne dominate his one-on-one matchup more than he did yesterday. @PFF gave him 11 pressures and 9 hurries and my eyeballs during the game agree with those outrageous numbers.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) September 27, 2021
The problem was that Allen would slide away from him to safety.
Bordering the line of elite, his performance vs Buffalo was outstanding. He’s been Washington’s most consistent player so far this season on the defensive side of the football. A menace against the pass, Washington should do all that they can to keep No. 94 in Burgundy and Gold long-term.
With a player who has continuously stacked good weeks on top of good weeks throughout his career, it’s no surprise that he’s emerging as one of Washington’s elite players on the roster. He’s proving that he is someone who must be kept as he continues to develop. Week 3 was a sneak peek of what Daron Payne’s future holds, Washington should make sure that his future revolves around FedEx Field for the long haul.