The Washington Commanders were crying out for any athleticism and aggression on defense during their Week 4 loss against the Atlanta Falcons. Dan Quinn's roster is the NFL's oldest, and it showed.
Atlanta was coming off an offensive performance where they couldn't even get past the 30-yard line in a shutout loss to the Carolina Panthers. They had no such problems this time around, racking up 435 total yards and 34 points. It was an embarrassing effort that exposed some ongoing flaws that have yet to be addressed.
The secondary was a weak link throughout. Linebacker Bobby Wagner's lack of coverage capabilities was targeted effectively. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. didn't have the adjustments to counteract the threat, and the Falcons reaped the benefits en route to a morale-boosting triumph.
Commanders refused to give Tyler Owens a shot as defense crumbled
At a time when the Commanders needed more dynamism, especially at the second and third levels on defense, Tyler Owens was an innocent bystander. Washington didn't give him one defensive rep in Week 4, which is nothing short of staggering in the absence of Will Harris and Percy Butler in the safety room.
Owens played 28.8 percent of the team's defensive snaps in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He's still a work in progress, but the size, speed, and physicality are assets the Commanders need to utilize more.
Just why he wasn't given a shot in this one is anyone's guess. It's not like others were performing well, so why not give the imposing youngster a shot to see how he fares?
The trust just isn't there yet. Owens is a core part of Washington's special-teams plans, but something is preventing Whitt from getting him involved. He clearly values the experienced factor, but it's making the defense sluggish. And make no mistake, the blueprint is now available on how to outdo them.
This cannot go on for much longer. The Commanders are in danger of failing, especially with so many injury problems holding them back. Whitt needs to inject his defense with some vibrant energy, and Owens is a strong candidate to do just that.
Using Owens as a versatile piece in a similar way to how Jeremy Chinn was deployed could at least stop every tight end from looking like an All-Pro. Nobody can cover them effectively, and the pre-snap motions also need a more athletic figure to nullify this threat. Washington's current defensive starters are often caught off guard, so an infusion of youth might help get them into gear.
After all, things can't get much worse.