Commanders have a 2-step plan to shut down the Falcons' offense

The Washington Commanders put Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith in several no-win situations in Week 3. Situations where Smith could take a sack or risk throwing an interception.

On at least one occasion, he opted to throw the potential interception. Unfortunately, the Commanders’ defense wasn’t able to capitalize on it. The presence of the conflict, however, is something defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. wants to see his unit replicate this weekend against Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

The 'Turnback' Philosophy

"We have what we call turnbacks, where either we tackle them behind the line of scrimmage or their head is pointing towards their end zone, and we had 26 of those plays [in Week 3],” Whitt said about what Washington did against the Raiders. “That's a lot when you're hitting and turning people back the other way or hitting them behind their line of scrimmage.”

It isn’t as simple as just going to get sacks, however, because it actually all starts with stopping the run, according to the coordinator. This weekend, that task will likely prove at least a little more difficult because the Falcons have one of the best in the league, Bijan Robinson, leading their backfield.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9). | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

The Key to the Kingdom: Stop Bijan

“He can do everything,” Whitt said of Robinson. “He has the ability, if you start crashing the inside to stop the inside run, he can beat you to the perimeter, and he's fast enough to outrun people. He runs with power; he has a jump cut. He can run between the tackles and [can contribute in] the screen game... You can put him out at receiver; he can run slants. He's just a complete football player."

The key, Whitt says, is stopping the Atlanta rushing attack first, opening up the opportunity for obvious passing situations. If the Commanders can then put points on the board offensively or through special teams, then the defense will really get to go out with their ears pinned back, rushing the quarterback from ahead.

“If we can stop the run and play the run, now we are putting them in known passing situations, now we can sort of dictate on who the [running] back [is blocking]. Is he going to block [LB] Bobby [Wagner]? Is he going to block [LB Frankie Luvu]? Is he going to be on one of those big guys? They don't necessarily want to do that, but we have to stop the run, and that's the most important thing, stopping the run and getting into the known past situations.”

A Symbiotic Front

Like the offensive line enjoys blocking for a successful rushing attack, defensive linemen enjoy stopping their opponents' efforts just the same. Helping to get the Washington defense into the situations Whitt referred to has been the welcome rise of a franchise mainstay, defensive tackle Daron Payne, and a newcomer, defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw.

“I begged for the young man last year when he went to the Jets,” Whitt said of Kinlaw, who he calls ‘JK’. “And I sort of chuckled when people were saying negative things about him. He is what we needed at that position. He's a penetrating, disruptive man. And now what has that done for Payne? Payne doesn't have–he's not going to get all the doubles. He's not going to get them because they got to take care of 99, and then once they take care of nine-nine now they got to take care of 94 at times. And so now, 92 [DE Dorance Armstrong] he's had a sack every game.”

There’s an economic structure to NFL defenses, and the profits of others serve to benefit the unit. In that way, Whitt has his unit humming as a run-stopping pass-rushing machine entering Week 4. But getting to one takes achieving the other first.

So when the Commanders visit the Falcons, success on defense will be dictated first by their chance to stop Robinson, and not just because he’s so good, but especially because he is. Once that happens, the leashes will come off, and the pass rushers will start flying.

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