Commanders must have a clear plan for Jalen Carter
Every team struggles to move the ball against dominant defensive tackles. The Washington Commanders are no exception.
They have always had trouble with the Pro Bowl nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II of the New York Giants. Cameron Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi gave them fits in defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, as did Nnamdi Madubuike and Michael Pierce at the Baltimore Ravens.
The Philadelphia Eagles may have the best, deepest set of defensive interior linemen in the entire NFL. If the Commanders hope to move the ball, Tyler Biadasz, Sam Cosmi and Nick Allegretti need to collectively play their most dominant game of the year.
Here's an indication of just how good the Eagles are in the middle of the line. All four of their rotational tackles rank in the top 40 in the league according to Pro Football Focus rankings. For context, the Commanders' top defensive tackle is Daron Payne, at No. 57.
Backup Moro Ojomo could easily start for half the teams in the league. His fellow understudy Milton Williams would not only start for virtually every team — he would be a star. They don’t start because Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter are ahead of them.
Carter is the key.
The second-year standout was selected to the All-Rookie team last year and has an excellent chance of being an All-Pro this time around. Carter doesn’t accumulate a lot of sacks, but his disruptive play allows for others to reach the quarterback.
Carter had seven tackles in the first game against Washington, an impressive number for an interior lineman. He has double digits in tackles-for-loss — another sign of dominant interior line play.
Linebacker Zack Baun is having a career year in part because he is playing behind Carter. The Commanders need an answer for the Georgia product if they expect their offense to move the ball better than they did in Week 11.