Dan Quinn keeps talking about an issue Commanders need to fix that would easily help them beat the Ravens
After two consecutive weeks of solid-to-elite play, Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn knows his defense is getting better each week and closer to what he and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. envision for the future.The growth since Week 4 has been both palpable and substantial, but at the same time, there's one area the […]
After two consecutive weeks of solid-to-elite play, Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn knows his defense is getting better each week and closer to what he and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. envision for the future.
The growth since Week 4 has been both palpable and substantial, but at the same time, there's one area the Commanders defense needs to get better in and Quinn has been talking about it since the end of the Week 5 win over the Cleveland Browns.
"I think collectively as a defense, you know, we're making progress," Quinn told reporters on Wednesday. "You go through this process to make progress and that is part of what the whole group is doing. And so at linebacker, defensive end – this team, you know, they're going to challenge us. It's no secret that Baltimore's got a good team, and they challenge you in lots of different ways. So, I'm pleased with the progress that we're making.
"We're not, you know, getting the ball and turning it over at the rate that we need to yet, but we're making progress. We're tackling better. You know, I felt our speed more, and those are things that may not show up on the stat sheet, but for damn sure, I know what that looks like, and I felt more of that."
The Commanders defense currently has just three takeaways on the year, which is tied for 27th out of the 32 teams. All three takeaways are fumble recoveries – the unit has yet to record an interception through five games.
Fortunately, the offense hasn't been turning the ball over, despite Jayden Daniels' rookie status and the unit's first year as a collective under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. That's allowed Washington to break even in the overall turnover margin department, but still, that's not good enough. Especially when it places in you in a 15th-placed tie, like the Commanders are in, now. Teams want to be in the plus and as much as possible.
"We're still not getting quite the takeaways that I'd hoped we would," Quinn said Monday. "But I do feel like those shots, are now becoming more apparent in terms of the forced fumbles and how we could go get those. That's the next step for us…
"… We've got to get ourselves into the plus. It's not sustainable to be in the minus and have winning football. So it's one of the things that we're going to work really hard at. But you also have to get more takeaways to be in the plus."
The Commanders were -1 in the turnover department against the Browns, thanks to Terry McLaurin's fumble and Jayden Daniels' interception. The defense forced one takeaway, which came via a Deshaun Watson fumble.
That's going to have to change Sunday against the Ravens. Sure, Baltimore has its deficiencies on the defensive side of the ball, but Lamar Jackson and the offense is humming. Producing takeaways would certainly help the Commanders' case when it comes to pulling an upset on the road and continuing what has been a very fun year, so far.
