Dan Quinn knows Commanders face an 'excellent challenge' when it comes to fixing recent problem against Titans
When it comes to the Washington Commanders offense, the running game is the backbone of the unit. No matter how good rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has been through 12 weeks of play.Led by Brian Robinson Jr., the rushing attack has not only been effective, it sets a physical tone for the offense that defenses want […]
When it comes to the Washington Commanders offense, the running game is the backbone of the unit. No matter how good rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has been through 12 weeks of play.
Led by Brian Robinson Jr., the rushing attack has not only been effective, it sets a physical tone for the offense that defenses want no part of later in the game. The varied running styles of both Robinson Jr. and veteran Austin Ekeler, hell even Jeremy McNichols, also makes things even harder for the opposition to key on.
That's one of the biggest reasons why the last three weeks have been tough to watch. Outside Daniels' 74-yard rushing performance against the Dallas Cowboys, the ground game has been a slog. Commanders running backs have combined for 187-yards, averaged 3.28 yards per carry, and have scored four rushing touchdowns on 57 carries over the last three games. Three of those four touchdowns came against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10.
Granted, they've faced some stout defenses over that span. The Steelers and Eagles defenses are two of the NFL's best, but the real surprise is the struggles the ground game experienced against the Dallas Cowboys.
Things won't get any easier against the Tennessee Titans in Week 13, however, and Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is well aware of that as he prepares Washington for its matchup.
"It's an excellent challenge, [they're] really stout inside. I thought, honestly, their whole defense has really played tough," Quinn told reporters on Wednesday. "They've played well on third down. They're square in how they play. The linebackers can get downhill. I've been very impressed about what I've seen, so far, from them. They got good size inside, mixed between four down and five down [linemen]. So for sure, a challenge."
Per teamrankings.com, the Titans defense currently allows the eighth-fewest rushing yards per game at 106.8 yards per contest. It's been particularly good over the last three games, allowing just 89.0 yards per clip. It allows just 4.0 yards per carry, which is tied for the NFL's fifth-lowest mark and the 3.0 yards per carry its allowed over the last three games is third-best.
It's not like teams are just airing it out against the Titans, either. On average, they face 26.7 carries per game, along with a mark of 29.7 rushing attempts over the last three games.
Per Next Gen Stats, the Titans also lead the NFL in stuff rate at 26.7%. It doesn't stop there, either. They're fifth in EPA allowed per rush at -0.12, 11th in rush yards over expected per attempt at 0.14, and fifth in yards after contact per attempt at 2.69. This all comes while stacking the box just 13.3%, which is the fourth-lowest rate in the NFL.
In other words: The Titans don't need extra bodies near the line of scrimmage, yet they're still an elite run defense. And the Commanders are going to have do their part if they want to have any kind of success on Sunday.
"Number one, winning performances in all parts are what we're wanting in the run game, the passing game, and we want execution, we want play style, all of that," said Quinn. "We want it to happen a lot, so we need to train it a lot. And that's what today is about – being out at practice and going through the things that we need to [like] the lines of scrimmage. I'd love to say there's one thing you know that any team is working on, [but] that's that's not how it goes. There's a lot [and] there are no shortcuts to it. You got to put the work in. You got to go through the combination [blocks]. You got to go through, you know, this front versus different front, this team versus that team. It's literally about improvement, and it's honestly what we're going to relentlessly chase.
"That's why I love practices like today and tomorrow and this week, where we're able to fully do everything that we need to do. And there's no shortcuts to that, man, you just continue to just absolutely chase after it."
Commanders have questions in the backfield and on the offensive line, but Brian Robinson Jr. is practicing on Wednesday
Ekeler, along with starting right tackle Andrew Wylie are currently in the NFL's concussion protocol and it remains to be seen if they play on Sunday. Those are two big hits that won't help the Commanders' current situation if they don't go.
However, Robinson Jr. practiced on Wednesday, which is a great sign considering how bad his sprained ankle initially looked against the Cowboys. Regardless of opponent, having him in the lineup is a major boon for the running game and he also sets the tone with his physical running style.
It's been a mix of things from poor execution to predictable play-calling, but the Commanders are certainly doing what they can to try and remedy the situation. We'll see if they can do just that after kickoff.
Dan Quinn’s latest update on Marshon Lattimore is a big step in the right direction for the Commanders cornerback
It's now been 21 days since the Washington Commanders (7-5) traded for four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore and finally, it sounds like he'll participate in his first practice with the team on Wednesday. "We're going to get some first shots at practice with him today," Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told reporters. "We're really […]
