Daronte Jones - Commanders DC
This may be a little harsh on defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, but the facts are the facts.
The Washington Commanders are statistically one of the better defenses league-wide in the first half. They have made substantial improvements against the run, and they are generating more pressure than at any stage during Joe Whitt Jr.'s tenure.
So what's the problem?
Jones' defense in the second half looks almost unrecognizable. They are capitulating over the final two quarters of games. Teams pick them apart almost at will, and it's gone from a slight blip to a major concern.
Whether this is down to complacency or a lack of adjustments is debatable. But Jones has to find solutions to these problems quickly.
He is a first-time NFL coordinator, so there were always going to be some growing pains. Washington is giving up 422.5 yards per game at home and 350.4 yards per game on average. Their third-down defense is abysmal, and they have allowed 25 or more points in four of their opening five contests.
It's just not good enough, and Jones has to figure this out.
Brandon Coleman - Commanders OT
Brandon Coleman faced enormous pressure heading into the season. The Commanders went from giving him a shot at the starting left guard job to making him the starting left tackle after Laremy Tunsil's injury, and the struggles are clear to see.
Coleman just doesn't look comfortable. There are flashes, especially on running plays, but he is exposed on an island, and he was a human turnstile against the New York Giants in Week 5.
Much like the situation with Chris Paul, the Commanders don't have the options to demote Coleman. Andrew Wylie is a backup and nothing more at this stage of his career, and nobody else on the depth chart inspires confidence. Washington just has to hope the TCU product can turn things around, but the jury is still out.
The Commanders have to get Coleman more help. Because teams now know he can be exploited as a weak link.
Drew Stevens - Commanders PK
This has gone under the radar because of the failings elsewhere, but first-year kicker Drew Stevens is having some difficulty starting his NFL journey.
Stevens missed another extra point against the New York Giants. He ranks last league-wide in made extra points at just 72.7 percent, which isn't what the Commanders had in mind. He's making 81.8% of his field goal attempts, but he's had some costly misses along the way.
It's not entirely surprising.
Rookie kickers tend to go through ups and downs. That's just the way it goes, but the Commanders must be willing to let things play out to see whether the Iowa product could become their long-term option.
Nothing else will suffice after giving Stevens the job over established veteran Jake Moody this summer. But the sooner he raises consistency, the better Washington's chances will be.
With most games so far decided by fine margins, the Commanders need more from Stevens.
Add us as a preferred source on Google