The Washington Commanders‘ defense bent but didn’t break, giving the team a chance to win in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Washington’s offense managed only nine points through three quarters before a 13-point performance in the fourth.
Nonetheless, the team fell short, losing 24-22, but the Commanders’ defense will look to carry that momentum into Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys in a must-win game for both teams, as neither side wants to start 0-2.
Moreover, in the loss to the New York Giants, the Cowboys’ receiving duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens were kept in check. Lamb had five receptions for 44 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Pickens had three receptions for 28 receiving yards.
The Commanders’ defense will have to keep those two wideouts quiet if they want to come away with a win. Speaking to the media on Sept. 17, Washington’s defensive coordinator, Daronte Jones, discussed facing the Cowboys’ explosive wideout duo.
“They’ve shown that they can dominate defensive backs in this league regardless of the size,” Jones told reporters. “So there’s not a one-man job, so to speak, in terms of how we want to handle that. And so I think that’s a team effort, collective effort. That’s the disguises, that’s the back end, that’s the linebackers, that’s the rush.
“Everything ties in well with trying to minimize the impact that CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens have on the game. Those are two special guys. They do two different things. They’re lined up in various places, and GP is very dominant and dynamic with his yards after the catch. CeeDee can make those toe-tapping catches, and he makes those phenomenal downfield, amazing catches.”
Commanders Need to Be Ready for Entire Cowboys Offense
Moreover, Jones notes other aspects of the Cowboys’ offense that make them dangerous, given that they returned several starters from last season. As a result, they should be in sync with what they want to do on offense.
“We know what [Dak Prescott has] done in this league, and the numbers he’s put up, and this offense is an explosive offense,” Jones added. “Dating back to last year, they’re returning everyone, and so that task wouldn’t be left up to just one particular corner.
“That’s where the size, yeah, it could help in certain ways, in certain packages. But overall, it’s not so much a this matchup versus that matchup. It’s the collective unit coming together with that.”
Sonny Styles Gets Encouraging Message After NFL Debut
One of the defensive players that the Commanders will lean on is rookie linebacker Sonny Styles. In his NFL debut against the Eagles, Styles played 48 total snaps in the loss, leading to a 48.6 PFF grade while recording two pressures, one sack, one hurry, two tackles, and three stops.
On Sept. 15, former Washington linebacker London Fletcher spoke about Styles’ NFL debut, and he came away impressed.
“I thought he played extremely well,” Fletcher said during a Sept. 15 appearance on 106.7 The Fan. “That was the Sonny that I thought he would be. I saw him on the bus on the way into the stadium. We rode the buses, and we had to go through the security check. He was on the players’ bus, and I was on the bus with the non-football personnel.
“He went there and looked all business; he looked so locked in. I didn’t even want to say hi to him. I just let him walk by me. He was on the 12:00 bus. The game didn’t start until 4:25, so that tells you how focused, locked in, and ready to go he was to make his NFL debut.”
Commanders Have Strong Words for Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens