They couldn’t get Brian Flores, so the Washington Commanders settled for one of his assistants, but the decision has prompted a warning about new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.
If they snagged defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Jones from Flores’ staff with the Minnesota Vikings hoping to get another Flores, the Commanders are in for a rude awakening.
Jones shouldn’t be expected to emulate the scheme Flores calls, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert (h/t JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports), because “The degree to which Flores does the unexpected or unconventional is impossible to replicate, but I’d be shocked if Jones doesn’t try to be aggressive and not sit back and let the offense dictate terms.”
That final prediction Jones will still call an “aggressive” game should be music to the ears of Commanders fans. They’ve endured a passive and predictable defense for too long, and many will have hoped the Commanders would be able to make more of their interest in Flores and actually bring the play-caller whose scheme is the envy of most of the NFL to the NFC East.
Unfortunately, Flores snubbed advances from the Commanders, but Jones can still be the right man at the right time, despite Seifert’s warning.
Brian Flores Alternative Is No Mere Consolation Prize
The arrival of Jones needn’t be a letdown for the Commanders. Not even if having to settle for him as an alternative to Flores has potentially worrying implications for head coach Dan Quinn.
Landing Flores would’ve been a statement, but Jones has his own career CV, one impressive enough to explain why he “was interviewed by at least five teams for their DC opening this month. Clearly a highly-coveted candidate,” per Seifert’s colleague Field Yates.
Specifically, 47-year-old Jones has a lengthy history of working with highly-regarded defensive coordinators who love to blitz. That history was detailed by ESPN’s John Keim, who pointed out Jones “worked under Flores as well as notable defensive coaches such as Mike Zimmer, Vance Joseph and Marvin Lewis.”
The pedigree here is undeniable. Joseph calls the Denver Broncos defense that’s led the league in sacks each of the last two seasons.
Zimmer made creative double A-gap blitzes one of the cornerstones of modern defensive football, while Lewis has strong ties to the fire-zone blitz system, dating back to his days with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens.
Jones has learned from some of the true artists at designing pressure, and that’s just what the Commanders require for a turnaround on defense.
Commanders Need More Creative Defense
A coordinator with Jones’ history should have no trouble adding the creativity the Commanders have been lacking at both ends of their defense for too long. His heavy involvement in how the Vikings defended the pass means Jones was no doubt a key part of the process of drawing up the myriad blitzes and disguised coverages Flores has called the last three seasons.
The collaborative approach in Minnesota was described by Ted Nguyen and Alec Lewis for The Athletic last August. They outlined how “Maybe it’s a new way to disguise a blitz. Perhaps it’s a strategy to shift the front into a better position to play a specific run scheme. Flores will lob up a suggestion, then the football version of a think tank begins to crackle. What if we tried this? Could we hold up there? Would we be susceptible here?”
Jones’ contribution to this collective commitment to wrecking offenses made him revered by players. Including linebacker Blake Cashman, who quickly posted about the hiring, “Washington got a good one. Beyond happy for DJ.”
Quinn is counting on senior Commanders players reacting the same way to Jones. Key players like blitzing linebacker Frankie Luvu, along with young cornerbacks Mike Sainristil and Trey Amos.
All three can be freed to make impact plays by a more elaborate and pressure-laden scheme. Like the ones Jones has helped coach for years.
Commanders Get ‘Impossible’ Brian Flores Warning About New Defensive Coordinator