Next Gen Stats show how dominant Commanders’ defensive line has been

The Washington Commanders don’t currently have an identity, but one has quietly been taking shape over the first six games of the season.

The Commanders’ defensive line is supposed to be their calling card and it looked that way for most of 2020 when they won the division. However, the group regressed significantly in 2021, as Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne had to carry the load while Montez Sweat and Chase Young missed a combined 15 games.

In a pleasant surprise, the line has rediscovered its 2020 form and is making everyone’s job on the defense a lot easier, including some struggling DBs.

Montez Sweat is playing like a man possessed after a slow start, Allen has delivered some All-Pro performances and Payne has maybe been the most consistent player of the three with 3.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits.

Just how impressive has Washington’s front four been? According to Next Gen Stats, they’ve produced an NFL-best 37.4% pressure win rate rushing four or fewer players. Allen, Payne and Sweat have been right at the center of that.

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The Commanders’ defensive line is living up to its reputation again.

Talk about a sight for sore eyes! And to think Young is only a couple weeks away from returning. The Commanders have to be the only team with three players who rank in the top five in pressures at their respective positions.

While Allen, Payne and Sweat are all performing like Pro Bowlers, we’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge Efe Obada and Casey Toohill.

According to TruMedia’s pass-rushing metrics (percentage of quarterback hit rate on pass-rushing snaps), Toohill ranked second only to 49ers star Nick Bosa entering Week 6. Obada isn’t far behind, as only Bosa, Toohill and the Jets’ Carl Lawson have a superior QB hit rate than Obada’s 10.5% for the year.

Obada’s done an excellent job filling in for Young, as his 16 pressures rank fourth behind Sweat, Allen and Payne and his 3.0 sacks are tied with Sweat and Jamin Davis for second on the Commanders behind Allen and Payne’s 3.5.

Getting back to the Big 3, it wasn’t long ago fans were campaigning for the Commanders to extend Payne, a free agent to be in 2023, over Sweat, who had his fifth-year option picked up this offseason.

When he was on the field last season, Sweat struggled with consistency, logging five sacks in 10 games (one sack every other game), 13 QB hits and three tackles for loss; the same as Matt Ioannidis and one fewer than James Smith-Williams.

From Weeks 1-3 this season, Sweat showed much of the same ineffectiveness, amassing eight pressures, four hits, zero sacks and six run stops. Since then, you’d be hard-pressed to name five edge rushers who’ve been more efficient, as he’s managed 18 pressures, three sacks, six hits and 12 run stops.

No DE has more sacks and QB hits during that span than Sweat.

While Allen and Payne are the nucleus of the defensive line (and entire defense), Sweat’s emergence proves he’s the X-factor. If he can maintain this pace when Young is activated, Washington’s DL could finish as the NFL’s best in 2022.