Joe Whitt Jr. talks tough but Commanders stars must prove it now

Joe Whitt Jr. knows the time for talking is over. His Washington Commanders defense has to get tougher in every phase.

It's a tall order, but Whitt will see the improvement he talks about so often if some of the stars of his unit deliver. Typically, the Commanders are waiting on big names at every position group to lead by example.

Leaders were in short supply when the Commanders yielded 381 yards to the Chicago Bears in Week 6. In a depressingly familiar pattern, a good chunk of those were surrendered on the ground, where Whitt's unit is still fragile, even after an offseason spent retooling the front.

Commanders defense needs a wake-up call, or things will only get worse

A powerful line is the bedrock of any tough defense, so it's a problem that the Commanders remain inconsistent in the trenches. More was expected when general manager Adam Peters shelled out $45 million to bring Javon Kinlaw to town.

Kinlaw's yet another one Peters knows from his days with the San Francisco 49ers. But so far, whatever the front-office leader knows about the former first-round pick who has rarely made good remains a mystery.

Signing Kinlaw added beef — 6-foot-5 and 319 pounds of it — but he is no Jonathan Allen. The latter joined the Minnesota Vikings, which has shed light on Daron Payne's limitations against the run. These are shared by second-year pro Johnny Newton, who's an active presence, but not an immovable object.

The interior linemen haven't been helped by some poor play on the edges, where the Commanders are missing injured Deatrich Wise Jr. His role as a big-bodied edge-setter was going to be key to toughening up the run defense by creating more push on the pile and keeping linebackers clean to make plays.

Instead, marquee names at the second level are becoming increasingly vulnerable.

Big plays by linebackers covered up a lot of weaknesses on last season's defense, but Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner aren't hitting similar heights this campaign.

Luvu is supposed to be the dynamic game-wrecker for Whitt's hybrid front seven. Instead, the fan favorite's production is down.

He's not impacting the pass pocket enough, and Luvu is also becoming a liability against the run. Getting trucked by Josh Jacobs in Week 2 seems to have set the tone for Washington's defense to be less aggressive.

A less-than-usual effective Luvu is compounding the liability Wagner has become in key areas. Specifically, the Commanders are having to do too much to hide his weaknesses in coverage, but there are also bad habits creeping into the All-Pro's previously stellar run defense.

Whitt needs Wagner to regain the form that made him a 10-time Pro Bowler, even if it means reducing the 35-year-old's workload and having a clear alternative for passing downs. This would require identifying a viable third linebacker, somebody who can stay inside and free Luvu to rush the passer.

There's a lot to do here, but Whitt also has his share of issues to address in an uninspiring secondary.

The theme should be evident by now. Too many so-called star defenders are letting the Commanders down.

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore still doesn't look like the four-time Pro Bowl cover man the Commanders thought they traded for. Meanwhile, safety Quan Martin's breakout remains all hype and no substance.

While Whitt can take comfort from the performances of this year's second-round pick, Trey Amos, a good portion of the buzz generated by 2024 second-round pick Mike Sainristil has faded.

Thankfully, the secondary is the one spot on defense where Whitt can make changes that might do more to improve things than any more talk about toughness. Changes like handing more playing time to safety Darnell Savage Jr., a former first-round pick who's been impressing with limited reps.

Savage can make a difference, and so can returning veteran corner Jonathan Jones. The two-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots is back from injured reserve, has a nose for the ball, and can stand up in man coverage on the boundary.

More experience and versatility can help steady things on the back end, while Whitt waits for the big-ticket items up front to find their groove.