Chase(ing) Washington Greatness

Some Washington watchers have been disappointed by Chase Young's rookie year. Don't pay attention. There's nothing to be frustrated with if you understand football.

ASHBURN, Va. - Chase Young started off on fire against Philadelphia and Arizona. Then, he pulled his groin early in the loss at Cleveland and missed the rest of that game, and the following week against Baltimore as well.

It seemed to take him a couple of games to get back to 100% but look out NFL; Chase is on the case and he's already "Chase-ing" greatness. 

Double team rate as an edge (x) by pass rush win rate as an edge (y).

Note that y axis is overall PRWR as an edge, not just vs. double teams.

Both categories led by a Watt brother: J.J. is doubled more than anyone else, T.J. wins more than anyone else. pic.twitter.com/aC9NUuXhbj

— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) November 28, 2020

Coach Ron Rivera has mentioned the double-teams and occasional triple-team blocks that Young has faced. It's not every snap. It's not every series. But teams double in different ways. With a chip, a rub, a pass-off, depending on scheme and coaching style.

The chart above shows that Young is getting a healthy dose of it all. 

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J.J. Watt, Aldon Smith and several others are getting doubled more,  but how high would the number be if Young hadn't missed almost two full games? 

To explain further: You want to be as far into the upper-right quadrant as you can be left to right, but also as high up as you can because that shows 'pass-rush wins.'

Only Myles Garrett and Joey Bosa have a better combination metric than Young, per NextGenStats and ESPN Pass Rush Metrics. 

LISTEN: Locked on a Double Dip of Wins in Washington!

Young absolutely annihilated a third-string left tackle (Dallas' Brandon Knight) on Thursday for a sack - and he should have ... but his presence is felt in many ways. 

"I knew that this game, was a game that I wanted to make an impact in this game," Young said after the win on Thanksgiving. "I'm just glad I got an opportunity to make an impact. I just tried to give it my best."

The Ohio State product's talent goes beyond just sacks and pass rush pressure. It's also about stopping the run, which he did when he engulfed Ezekiel Elliott early in Thursday's win, a play that stunted momentum by Dallas on their first drive. And it's about the opportunities that Young's presence creates for others, like Montez Sweat, Tim Settle, Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. 

Young's overall run defense grade, per ProFootballFocus.com, is a 72.6/100, the third-highest run defense grade for Washington among players with 170+ run snaps. He also has the fourth-most pressures on the WFT despite missing the time he did. 

That's where Young's greatness should ultimately be measured. Not just in sacks or pass rush pressure. It's what he does for his teammates and the analytics tell us he's doing a lot.