Commanders' secondary come of age in Week 8 after turbulent start

Never in doubt.

In previous seasons, the Washington Commanders may have been the team that called the brain-dead handoff to an offensive lineman on the goal line of a one-score game. And Jeremy McNichols never would have fallen on Olamide Zaccheaus’ fumble on an early punt return.

Most of all, the Commanders would have been the victims of the brutal last-second touchdown, not the team that scored it. But this team is different.

They find ways to win, even when all seems lost. They may be a year or two away from championship caliber, but the Commanders are doing the things contending teams do.

When Patrick Mahomes had just 13 seconds to beat the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game back in 2021, he didn’t let that deter him. Jayden Daniels didn’t let 25 seconds stop him against the Chicago Bears. He didn’t even need overtime. The rookie quarterback and his teammates just won the game right then and there.

Never in doubt.

There are a lot of takeaways from the Commanders' thrilling win over a very good Bears team. On the positive side, Washington dominated for the most part. Even before that final miracle Hail Mary, they had outgained the Bears by over 100 yards on the field. They led in every statistical category.  

Johnny Newton announced his arrival with the best game of his young career. Washington’s offensive line was thoroughly challenged but mostly held up.

On the negative side, the sputtering red zone offense, which nearly cost them the New York Giants game, once again proved nearly disastrous. Cornelius Lucas’ injury meant the Commanders were down to their third-string left tackle. Multiple issues in the same position are always a major concern. If the Commanders have to go forward with Trent Scott as the regular blindside protector, it will require some creative problem-solving.

But we’ll leave that for another day. In the aftermath of the stunning win, I want to focus on something that speaks very well for where the franchise is right now.

Commanders' secondary is coming to life under Joe Whitt Jr.

Late in the third quarter, the Commanders had just extended their lead to 12-0. Caleb Williams and company were furiously attempting to mount a comeback. They started on their 30-yard-line.

On first down, Williams looked to throw. Though the Commanders' pass rush made him uncomfortable, the No. 1 pick moves so well in the pocket that no defender laid a finger on him. He had what felt like an hour to find a receiver. He couldn’t.

Williams ended up scrambling for eight yards setting up a short pass for a first down on the next play. After a good D’Andre Swift run put the ball at midfield, the Bears had a second-and-short. They decided to take a deep shot. The former USC star had time to throw. Rome Odunze ran a deep post.

How many times over the past four years have we seen this play result in a game-changing touchdown? How many times during the Ron Rivera years would Odunze have been virtually uncovered due to some coverage miscue?

Not on this occasion.

Noah Igbinoghene, a cast-off from the Dallas Cowboys, ran stride for stride with the speedy rookie. Quan Martin, who has not always looked comfortable in deep coverage, broke beautifully on the play and smothered. The play never had a chance. If it had been caught, it would have been an interception. Chicago would soon punt.

What’s important to understand here is that early in the season, the Commanders' defensive backfield was disorganized. They had a lot of new pieces. The coaches were still trying to figure out what various players could and couldn’t do. They still have work to do, but unlike in recent seasons, we are seeing improvements.

Williams is not a great quarterback yet. He missed a lot of throws. But some of that was due to the excellent coverage provided by the maligned Commanders' secondary.

And if you’ve watched Williams over the past few weeks, you saw a young quarterback who was making great strides. In his two games coming into Northwest Stadium, the Heisman Trophy winner completed 74 percent of his throws for an outstanding 9.1 yards per attempt. He threw six touchdowns in those contests.

Against a recently-suspect Commanders pass defense, Williams was just 10 for 24. That’s 42 percent. His yards per attempt was a measly 5.5. He threw zero touchdowns.

Washington’s pass rushers bothered him. Even more importantly, the Commanders' secondary kept D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Odunze, and Cole Kmet in check.

Washington gave up a few big plays. Benjamin St-Juste's weekly pass interference in the final minute nearly cost the Commanders the game. Martin was just a hair late on a deep throw to Moore midway through the fourth quarter. There is still room for growth.

Watching Quinn’s coaching staff, there is every reason to believe that the needed improvement will come. That was never the case under Rivera.

The same problems recurred week in and week out. The defensive backfield was so discombobulated that Rivera was forced to fire his defensive coordinator and secondary coach midway through the 2023 season.

Joe Whitt Jr. knows how to coach the secondary. Early in the season, I questioned whether defensive pass game coordinator Jason Simmons and defensive backs coach Tommy Donatell would be able to correct long-standing problems with the Commanders' coverage unit. Sunday’s game against a quality opponent is proof that they are indeed capable. And as is the case with the team in general, perhaps even ahead of schedule.

In hindsight, it was never in doubt.

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