Commanders' secret scheme change has unleashed Daron Payne

Something appears to have changed with Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne this season.

It isn’t talent; Payne has always possessed the requisite ability to be a difference maker for the Commanders. It isn’t usage, necessarily. Even though he played the fewest snaps of his career last season, he played the most of all defensive linemen.

According to the coaching staff in Washington, it isn’t even in his preparation or mentality, as we were told all offseason about how impactful Payne is as a leader, even if he isn’t as boisterous about it. So what is it? According to defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., it is something we don’t usually see two years into a new regime: a scheme change.

A 'Totally Different' Scheme

“We changed a lot of the techniques that we played last year, especially in the run game, to this year,” Whitt shared on Thursday. He added that the scheme is “totally different than what we did last year.”

In the Commanders’ Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Payne was again a disruptive force who consistently used power and quick hands to shed blocks and impact the offensive operation.

Dec 22, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne (94) celebrates after a play during the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

More Than Just the Stat Sheet

By maintaining excellent gap integrity, even when Payne wasn’t recording stats, he was making sure Chargers ball-carriers didn’t have the room to go anywhere other than to his teammates, who were waiting to make tackles and stifle the unit as a whole. So even when the stats don’t pop, the play does, and that’s what ultimately matters when it comes to deciding wins and losses.

A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships

“I think the techniques that we’re coaching now up front are more in Payne’s wheelhouse,” Whitt continued. “Collectively as a whole D-Line crew, they’re just playing more together, and so when they’re playing more together now his ability has been able to shine through a lot more.”

Whitt noted that, like it was against Los Angeles, the result has been opposing teams finding it difficult to run against the Commanders, and have had to rely on non-traditional running plays to find momentary success, knowing that those runs aren’t sustainable as strategic building blocks.

So, it’s hard to say that Payne himself has improved as much as the scheme has grown to accentuate his skillset more than before. Whether that alone is to credit for the defensive tackle’s 2025 performance up to this point, or if it’s something else, Washington is reaping the benefits and looking to continue the trend against a Chicago Bears offense that hasn’t run the ball well, but has a quarterback in Caleb Williams who is capable of moving around when pressured. Hopefully, if Payne has his way, Williams will be moving right into his–or his teammate’s–waiting arms.

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