Nobody was expecting too much from the Washington Commanders during their Christmas Day clash against the Dallas Cowboys. But it was yet another inept defensive display that left far more questions than answers.
And it was another glaring indication that general manager Adam Peters' massive $45 million gamble this offseason is not going to yield the desired results.
With Pro Bowl defensive lineman Daron Payne missing the game due to injury, the Commanders needed Javon Kinlaw to step up more than ever. Not for the first time this season, he did not deliver.
Commanders have a massive Javon Kinlaw problem on their hands
Peters placed significant faith in the interior presence in free agency, despite his only season with the New York Jets in 2024 not going well. Eyebrows were raised, and skepticism was abundant around the league when this signing was confirmed. Unfortunately, the South Carolina product has done nothing to silence the doubters.
If talking big before the game was a helpful skill, Kinlaw would be an All-Pro. He is constantly bragging about himself after practices during the week, but there is little substance to it. And when the Commanders needed him more than ever, he fluffed his lines.
Kinlaw was woeful. His pass-rush was pathetic, and his run defense was even worse. There was almost no effort. And his waving of the white flag on a Dak Prescott scramble in the first half, when a play could have been made, typified how things have gone for the player in Washington.
Jets fans were laughing at this move before the season, as we saw those in San Francisco who spent a first-round pick on Kinlaw only to see him fall flat. Unfortunately for the Commanders, they have no real out on his deal until 2027.
The Commanders structured the contract to give Kinlaw two years with the franchise. That's what made this deal even more bizarre — something no one across the NFL was expecting. Peters made his bed; now he has to lie in it. But it does not detract from the need to find legitimate reinforcements on all three levels of defense when the 2026 offseason arrives.
Kinlaw has time to turn things around; the contract dictates that. But to say the leash is getting a lot shorter would be something of an understatement. Second-year rotational lineman Johnny Newton got more sacks in one game than he's managed all season in Week 17, which spoke volumes.
Fans have seen enough, in all honesty. At the same time, the Commanders need every spare cent they can get this offseason. That's why they're stuck with Kinlaw and his atrocious contract for at least another campaign.