One more regular season game means another chance for the Washington Commanders to prove they can stop a prolific running game. In this case, a downhill running back by the name of Rico Dowdle, who's been a lone star during a miserable campaign for NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys.
Dowdle has rushed for over 100 yards in four of his last five games. The streak is defined by getting north-south in a hurry and breaking plenty of tackles along the way.
Those traits should worry the Commanders. Poor tackling and an inability to stop downhill runs are why they are surrendering 4.8 yards per carry. It's the third-highest mark in the NFL and the clearest indicator of why Washington faces the strong possibility of being one and done in the playoffs.
Finding a quick fix for a shoddy run defense has to be the main focus for head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. at AT&T Stadium in Week 18. They should focus their efforts on taking the interior away from the Cowboys.
Commanders must defend Rico Dowdle physically
Dowdle thrives because the Cowboys love to run inside zone or the 'duo' concept. Its X's and O's translate into two double teams along the interior. The runner makes one cut and gets downhill, with at least one member of those double teams joining him at the defensive second level.
This run against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14, highlighted by Brandon Loree of SB Nation's Blogging The Boys, is the perfect example of 'duo' in action. Stopping this staple play demands at least one defensive lineman capable of splitting a double team, to go with a linebacker who can take on a guard and win.
Unfortunately, the Commanders don't have many of those, although one under-the-radar nose tackle could handle the difficult assignment. Perhaps another game for returning Jonathan Allen will get No. 93 up to speed enough to split gaps and move the pile the way Washington needs to help make life more difficult for opposing runners.
Allen and the rest of the defensive line can be helped by Quinn and Whitt stacking linebackers into inside gaps more often. Both veteran middle linebacker Bobby Wagner and roving blitz specialist Frankie Luvu are bulky and tough enough to wreck, or at least disrupt, some of the Cowboys' double teams.
Having linebackers and linemen play closer together can help the Commanders execute the next key part of a winning strategy for stopping Dowdle.
Commanders need more stunts against the Cowboys
Run stunts, games, and twists need to be a bigger part of the playbook this week. Linemen slanting into the next gap over, while a linebacker wraps around, will put more bodies into the inside rushing lanes where Dowdle does most of his damage.
Specifically, the Commanders should run their stunts and games across the face of Dallas center Brock Hoffman. Allen, Daron Payne, Sheldon Day, and rookie Johnny Newton can take turns slanting to either of the lineman's shoulders.
As any of those defensive tackles move, so too should Wagner or Luvu. They can twist into the space vacated when Hoffman turns. The Commanders can mix up the scheme by playing a pair of 1-tech tackles, lined up opposite each shoulder of the man with his hand on the ball.
Whoever gets through the line first should straighten their path and get vertical to meet Dowdle in the hole. An approach based on getting 11 hats to the ball will be needed to successfully gang tackle a back who's broken 11 tackles and gained 474 yards after contact this season.
Challenging the run with greater size and a more attacking mindset can create good habits the Commanders will need to carry into the postseason.