Behind Enemy Lines: 5 Questions with Commander Country Reporter David Harrison

The New York Giants last saw the Washington Commanders about a month ago on New York's home turf. But since then, Washington has undergone a few changes that, while not necessarily reflected in their won-loss record, have seen the Commanders playing better football.

For one, the Commanders trade away two former first-rounders on defense, edge rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young. They also shook up their offensive line, benching old friend Nick Gates for Tyler Larsen and replacing Saahdiq Charles with Chris Paul, moves that have helped their young quarterback Sam Howell settle down since he was sacked six times in that first meeting with the Giants.

Perhaps more importantly, although Washington is 1-3 in their last four games (including the first meeting with the Giants), they've managed to keep things close, as in one score.

What will they do this weekend when the Giants come to town? Let's check in with Commander Country reporter and Locked On Commanders podcast host David Harrison on the changes to Washington.

1. How much has the defensive pass rush changed since Montez Sweat and Chase Young are no longer on the team?

The pass rush certainly looks to be lacking a bit of the bite it had before Sweat and Young were traded, and with James Smith-Williams suffering a hamstring injury last weekend, it may take another hit. That said, it looks like defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is turning up the heat a bit in the blitz department to try to impact that dip, which may be something we see more of in Week 11 as well.

2. What brought about the changeup on the offensive line, and how has that affected Sam Howell's play?

On the surface, we can clearly say that pressure from the middle of the line led to the change, with Tyler Larsen being inserted as the starting center over Nick Gates. Some of that has to do with physical ability, sure, but Larsen is also much more experienced at that position than Gates, and the combination of a new starting center and young quarterback may have just not been working. Now, it seems like the quarterback and center are on the same page more with protections - but Howell's ability to recognize and anticipate defenses has also grown.

3. Speaking of Howell, where has he made the biggest jump lately?

Presnap reads and decision-making are the areas where he's grown the most. Throughout the past few weeks, there are great examples on tape where Howell makes reads you don't categorize as a 'young quarterback' tendency, and it's also shown up in the stat box.

4. I believe the Washington defensive secondary had some issues the last time we spoke. Where is that unit now in terms of its play?

It's more or less the same, although they did hold the New England Patriots to just one explosive pass in their Week 9 matchup. This defense is still suspect when challenged deep, and some of that is leading to more physicality from cornerbacks, which is also contributing to more flags. Rookie Emmanuel Forbes was at the beginning of his period on the bench in New York but has since earned more playing time outside of being ejected in Week 10. Expect to see more of him and a better version than you might have seen, even if just on tape.

5. Given that Washington appears to be playing better late, do you think Ron Rivera is still on the hot seat? Why or Why not?

I do think Coach Rivera's seat is still hot, certainly. There's no denying the history of this team before and since he arrived, and the overall feeling is one or two more really bad losses, and it might be curtains. I'd hate to see it happen, but it's an unfortunate part of the business that he understands better than I think I do, and the performance of what was supposed to be a defense-led roster has been mostly bad in a year where he needed it to be good.

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