Changing their defense was an imperative for the Washington Commanders, and head coach Dan Quinn believes two players have earned “more opportunities” thanks to their performances during Week 8’s otherwise disappointing 28-7 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Quinn highlighted second-year linebacker Jordan Magee and big-bodied safety Tyler Owens after the game on Monday Night Football. As Quinn put it, “I liked the speed I felt from them. … They earned the right to have more opportunities in there, too,” per ESPN’s John Keim.
The increased workloads for both Magee and Owens were just a small part of a number of alterations the Commanders made to their schemes. Those changeups also included a new role for dynamic, roving linebacker Frankie Luvu.
While the defense was still burned by three Patrick Mahomes touchdown passes, the Commanders’ unit did create pressure and force turnovers. Those are necessary steps toward genuine and long overdue improvement on this side of the ball.
Commanders Made Positive Changes on Defense
Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. had teased more snaps for Magee against the Chicago Bears in Week 6, but the Commanders committed to the linebacker in Kansas City. They also put 6-foot-2, 213-pound hybrid defensive back Owens in the box more often.
All told, Magee was on the field for 58 snaps, while Owens, who was also touted for bigger things this offseason, clocked 25 reps, according to The Washington Post’s Tom Schad.
Quinn’s reference to the increased speed the Commanders had with Magee and Owens involved was key to how this defense changed the picture in coverage. The Commanders played more zone, an approach that yielded interceptions by cornerback Marshon Lattimore and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner.
Keeping the ball in front and maintaining eyes on Mahomes worked early, but things fell apart when the Commanders weren’t able to keep heat on the pocket, despite a different look up front for Luvu.
Frankie Luvu Change Produced Mixed Results
Getting Luvu more involved in the pass rush was a priority, and he “played 48 snaps on the DL against the Chiefs, tied for the most in his career. Last time he played that much on the line was Week 16 of his rookie season,” according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.
Luvu aligning further forward was part of Quinn and Whitt deploying a “lot of 3–4 looks,” per Keim. The altered appearance of the front seven unsettled Mahomes, but it didn’t leave him under siege, with Pro Football Reference noting Luvu didn’t register a sack, nor a single pressure, although ESPN credited the 29-year-old with a QB hit.
While Luvu couldn’t make a dent, fellow edge-rusher Jacob Martin did. The versatile veteran “took advantage of an opportunity on Monday night in his highest workload of the season (32 pass rush snaps),” per Commanding The Huddle host Ryan Fowler, who highlighted Martin’s two sacks.
Martin led a makeshift pass rush, but the Commanders are still waiting on more from Luvu. They can play zone at a high level with Magee and Owens covering ground more quickly sideline to sideline, but passive coverage shells won’t hold up without greater pressure.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Dan Quinn Names 2 Commanders Set for ‘More Opportunities’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.