Every day, the Washington Commanders seem exposed to some new insult as the regular season looms like a massive iceberg.
A few days ago, it was the offense getting called out as “inoperable” and the “worst in years” following a disastrous joint practice.
Now, it’s a sharp-eyed analytics guru who put them on blast.
Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis shared an alarming stat on his official X account — the last defensive shutout for all 32 NFL teams. For the Commanders, it’s been 34 years. That’s the longest drought in the NFL and more than double the next-longest drought — the New York Giants and New York Jets both at 16 years each.
Reaction to Amazing Shutout Drought Stat: Big Sad
The defensive shutout drought stat brought forth most of the insecurities lying underneath the surface for Commanders fans.
“Thirty. Four. Years. That’s insane, yet having watched almost all of those games, not surprising,” Commanders fan Big John 1906 wrote on X.
“This is one of the wildest and most bizarre stats on Washington I’ve seen,” Commanders fan Mikey J ROTC wrote on X. “Just insane and sad it’s been over 3 decades since they shut out an opposing team. Even the garbage Giants last year scored a TD in week 1 on Washington.”
“Sometimes I question why I’m a fan of (the Commanders),” Leap of Faith Enterprises wrote on X. “Nothing but stress and letdowns. Been putting out pathetic product for 34 years just ridiculous! SMH…”
The Commanders came excruciatingly close to a shutout in a 40-7 win over the Carolina Panthers late in the 2024 season — a game in which the Panthers scored their lone touchdown in the 4th quarter.
Commanders NFL’s Dominant Team in 1991
The last Washington team to pitch a defensive shutout in 1991 is also considered 1 of the NFL’s greatest teams of all time.
That season, Washington didn’t just have 1 shutout — they had 3 shutouts. Incredibly, all 3 shutouts came in the 1st 5 games of the season on the way to a 14-2 regular-season record and a win over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI.
There were also 2 more regular-season games where Washington held its opponent to 7 points or less and 4 more games where they held their opponent to 14 points or less.
While Washington’s defense wasn’t chock-full of stars that year it did feature 1 singular player — its lone NFL All-Pro — in cornerback Darrell Green.
Green, a 7-time Pro Bowler and 4-time NFL All-Pro, led Washington to 2 Super Bowl wins, was named to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary Team, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He’s considered not only 1 of the greatest NFL players of all time but also possibly the fastest player in NFL history.
At training camp with Washington in 1986, Green reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.09 seconds — the fastest official or unofficial time ever recorded.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy holds the record for the fastest 40 time in NFL Scouting Combine history at 4.21 seconds in 2024.
Commanders Called Out Over 34-Year Defensive Drought