Week 12 Reality Checks: Washington vs Seattle
By Tim Payne
4. The Reality Is, necessity is the mother of invention.
Jack Del Rio and Ron Rivera don’t have Chase Young or Montez Sweat at their disposal, but have managed to draw out the best two defensive performances from their squad these last two weeks. Casey Toohill and James Smith-Williams have done a nice job defending the run, creating pressure without losing the edge, and dropping in coverage to help disguise blitz packages.
On the offensive side of the ball, Scott Turner has called his two best games in Washington in the last two weeks. The rhythm, commitment to the run, balance, and playing to the strengths of the players available to him have been phenomenal. He’s maximized the talents of John Bates as a run blocker, DeAndre Carter with pre-snap motion, bunch formations, and option routes.
Ultimately, both of these trends go hand-in-hand. The ability of the offense to sustain drives has led to less snaps faced by the defense. The efficiency of the defense has led to more opportunities for the offense to play with a lead, which has contributed to the playbook getting opened up for Turner. Complementary football is more fun to watch than the alternative.