This Commanders' rookie chose the perfect time to seize his moment

Even the most diehard Washington Commanders fans can be excused if they had to consult a roster list while watching their team play the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Day.

Five of the rotational defensive linemen –— Sheldon Day, Jalyn Holmes, Drake Jackson, Shy Tuttle, and Ricky Barber — had played a combined total of 420 snaps for the Commanders entering the Week 17 rivalry game.

If you count the snaps Tuttle played for the Tennessee Titans earlier this year, that number goes up slightly. However, it is still significantly less than the snaps played by Javon Kinlaw, one of the few presumed starters who was available.

Commanders must get Ricky Barber more involved in Week 18 after impressive showing

Barber, an undrafted free agent out of Central Florida, was making his NFL debut. He was signed immediately after the draft and became the fourth member of the original 10-player cohort of UDFAs to see the field. Excluding special teams, the other three had a combined total of 18 snaps this season. Despite playing just 15 snaps, the rookie can now be considered the most productive of Adam Peters’ UDFA signings this season.

On paper, Washington’s interior linemen had strong games against Dallas. But that can be a little misleading. Johnny Newton was solid for much of the contest. It’s hard to argue with nine tackles, three sacks, and five quarterback hits. Fans can hope this will serve as a breakthrough for the 2024 second-round draft pick, who has been a disappointment thus far.

Similarly, Kinlaw’s seven tackles — five of them solos — is very encouraging on paper. The problem, for all of those defenders, is that far too many of those tackles came five to eight yards downfield.

This was especially true in the first half. The Cowboys' running back tandem of Javonte Williams and Malik Davis ran roughshod over the Commanders. Dallas ran 24 times for 127 rushing yards in the first half alone.

This was the second straight game in which Dan Quinn’s defense surrendered more than 200 yards on the ground. However, things did get somewhat better in the second half. Washington’s defense held Dallas to a respectable 4.2 yards per rush after halftime. They had given up 5.3 yards per rush in the first half.

Part of that was due to Williams’ injury, but Barber also played a part.

The rookie is undersized for an interior lineman. Though the Commanders list him at 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, he looks closer to the 6-foot-1 he had been listed at throughout his college career. Regardless of his actual height, Barber was giving up 30 to 40 pounds to Dallas’ mammoth offensive linemen.

He lined up almost exclusively in the A gap on the left side of the line, which means he was matched up with 335-pound center Cooper Beebe or 321-pound guard Tyler Booker, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 draft.

Those linemen won the battle on some plays. But Barber usually held his own. Like Commanders’ veteran Day — another undersized interior lineman — he uses a quick first step and technically proficient hands to beat bigger opponents.

Barber played six years in college. He had 63 games to learn his craft. He may never have the physical tools to be a dominant player in the NFL, but he shows more savvy than most rookies. And lest we undervalue his athleticism. On his first professional sack, he essentially overpowered the very talented Booker, despite giving up all that height and weight.

Peters clearly wanted a bigger, more physical defense this season. Kinlaw was supposed to add that element, especially playing alongside Daron Payne. Now, the Pro Bowler's future is in doubt. The free agent's contract ensures he will be on the roster next year, but expectations have to be tempered at this point.

Perhaps Newton can build on this game and become a leader next season. And maybe the unheralded Barber can be one of the rotational players helping him out.

What he showed on Christmas at least offers some reason for optimism.