When head coach Dan Quinn took over the Washington Commanders' defense from coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., fans thought they were seeing legitimate improvements. However, as has typically been the case this season, their optimism proved fleeting.
The Commanders were humiliated by quarterback J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14. It's been the tale of the season. Only this time around, Jayden Daniels isn't healthy enough or playing well enough to mask their failings.
One can make excuses for the injuries, but this defense is old and lacks genuine starting quality or sufficient depth. Massive alterations are coming this offseason, and a respected Commanders insider believes this should all begin by making things more difficult for opposing quarterbacks.
Commanders' defense isn't doing enough to make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable
John Keim of ESPN highlighted the opposing QBR statistic as the most shocking from a laundry list of poor numbers this season. Failing to generate pressure and coverage frailties is a dangerous combination signal-callers around the league are exploiting with alarming frequency. And until that changes, nothing will.
"Offensively, there are numerous bad stats that can be explained by a heavy amount of injuries. The defense has suffered its fair share of injuries recently, but it has been bad most of the season and the opposing QBR stat reflects its struggles. The Commanders can no longer apply pressure, and they don't hold up in coverage. The result has been the worst opposing QBR in the NFL after finishing 16th a year ago. In the past five games, it's a staggering 76.8. "John Keim
This is a damning (and fair) assessment. One only has to look at McCarthy's performance against the Commanders last time out to see that.
The former Michigan standout was going through severe complications this season. It was McCarthy's first game back from a concussion, and Minnesota's offensive line has been nothing short of woeful in recent weeks. The Commanders' inept defense and zone scheme made him look like the second coming of Fran Tarkenton. That is utterly unacceptable.
Quinn hasn't ruled out the prospect of retaining control of the defense next season. Even so, it's clear that a fresh injection of ideas is needed, and that only comes from hiring outside the franchise if Whitt is inevitably let go.
Pressure is building. The Commanders haven't lost eight games in succession by accident. This team is flawed, devoid of motivation and ideas. Unless the required alterations are made during the offseason, several seats will get increasingly warm if the same trend continues in 2026.
It'll be interesting to see how Quinn approaches matters. But something drastic is undoubtedly needed to pick this franchise off the canvas.