It's a little more than wishful thinking to believe the Washington Commanders can upset the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9. Especially when the defense has the perfect weapon to attack a growing problem for reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford.
The Rams' quarterback arrives at Northwest Stadium having been under siege when lined up under center. Enter Commanders' inside linebacker Frankie Luvu, who is looking like himself again in defensive coordinator Daronte Jones' ever-more aggressive blitz-crazed schemes.
Luvu led a relentless pressure charge in the welcome win over the Philadelphia Eagles last week. He can do the same against increasingly vulnerable Stafford.
Frankie Luvu's blitz skills key to Commanders' plan against Matthew Stafford
Jones turned the dogs loose against the Eagles and overwhelmed backup passer Tanner McKee in Week 8. Luvu was central to the scheme, blitzing eight times.
He didn't get to McKee, but Luvu created enough disruption along the Eagles' offensive line for other blitzing defenders to profit. Including Commanders' high-priced, bookend edge-rushers K'Lavon Chaisson and Odafe Oweh, both of whom logged a sack.
Luvu's busy day continued an upward trend for the best natural scheme fit for Jones' defense. The veteran has blitzed 32 times since returning to the lineup against the Indianapolis Colts for international duty in London in Week 4.
Jones sending Luvu through gaps more often helped the Commanders force a 57.1 percent pressure rate (+18% over league average) per SūmerSports, according to Stats & Scheme newsletter writer Tej Seth.
More pressure numbers showed Washington's defense "generated a season-high pressure percentage of 46.5 vs. the Eagles. On 12 blitzes, they recorded 10 pressures and a sack -- the 83.3 percent rate was the 2nd highest by any D this season (minimum 5 blitzes)," per ESPN's John Keim, citing Next Gen Stats.
According to @NextGenStats: The Commanders generated a season-high pressure percentage of 46.5 vs. the Eagles.
— John Keim (@john_keim) November 3, 2026
On 12 blitzes, they recorded 10 pressures and a sack -- the 83.3percent rate was the 2nd highest by any D this season (minimum 5 blitzes)
They produced pressure on just…
Frankie Luvu can provide the blitzing violence to make Matthew Stafford uncomfortable
Keim's note about how efficiently the Commanders' four-man rush got to McKee is also significant.
Teams are becoming more susceptible to being overrun by just four rushers because quarterbacks and their offensive linemen are increasingly looking for designed pressures from blitzing defenders.
It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation for the Commanders' opponents.
They can't leave just five blockers in to protect against late-developing blitz looks, but overloading the line of scrimmage to repel possible pressure takes eligible receivers out of routes and reduces the credibility of passing concepts.
This is what the Commanders hired Jones off Brian Flores' staff with the Minnesota Vikings to unleash on offenses. It's starting to work, and Stafford appears primed to be Jones' next victim.
Stafford's been blitzed 77 times and faced 50 pressures through eight games. The 38-year-old is getting an average of just 2.2 seconds of pocket time to throw. He's also made 42 pressured throws, per Player Profiler.
The stats all favor another week of Jones keeping his finger firmly pressed on the blitz button. He'll also have Luvu's name all over the call sheet and at the heart of the Commanders' most sophisticated pressure packages.
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