Does Joe Whitt Jr. have enough pieces to put his stamp on the Commanders defense?
Depending on who you asked following the 2024 season, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.’s first season with the Commanders was a mixed bag. The defense finished the season 13th in yards allowed and 18th in points allowed. The defense had expectations to carry most of the water for the team heading into the season, given that Washington had a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels and several more unknowns in its position groups, compared to the defense.
The defense had their bright moments throughout the season. In the passing game, Washington went 9-1 when they held opponents under 200 yards passing. Alternatively, their biggest headache throughout the season was defending the run, and their yards allowed per game do not accurately reflect their shortcomings in controlling the line of scrimmage in most games. In the 20 games that Washington played last season, the Commanders held opponents under 90 yards rushing just twice. In their division, where Washington played the Philadelphia Eagles three times, they allowed 228, 211, and 229 yards rushing, respectively. The Commanders made good choices by bringing in defensive help with Javon Kinlaw, Deatrich Wise Jr., and Eddie Goldman during the free agency period to help improve their rush defense, which ranked 31st in explosive run rate allowed and 25th in negative run rate forced, per Sharp Football Analysis. Second-year linebacker Jordan Magee should also help in the box, but given the defense’s repeated failures against the run, it was an off-season priority.
Whitt did have his hands tied to some extent. The roster turnover affected both sides of the football, and Washington could not have made significant defensive changes overnight, let alone in one season. Whitt’s secondary saw usage from cornerbacks Michael Davis, Emmanuel Forbes, and Benjamin St-Juste throughout periods of the season, and all three were starters and benched at some point. The cornerback group brought so much instability, which prompted the trade that acquired veteran Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints. Whitt took chances despite the question marks in the secondary, as he was one of the higher-rated pressure coordinators in the league last year.
So how can Whitt change the question marks people have for him into unwavering support in 2025? Whitt’s unit needs to close fourth quarters out. Washington’s defense was bottom 12 in the league in turnovers forced, and despite being 11th best in sacks, they struggled in four-man rushes and were even worse sacking the quarterback in the fourth quarter. Washington was ranked 26th in the NFL in sacks with a four-man rush, and ranked 30th in the NFL in fourth quarter sacks. Washington added some pass rush juice this offseason, signing future Hall of Famer Von Miller and veteran edge rusher Jacob Martin.
Washington won eight games that were decided by seven points or fewer, and went 4-1 in games that were decided by three points or fewer. Lattimore, who was a disappointment in his brief time with Washington last year, also contributed to the defensive dysfunction at times. Washington gave up at least 20 passing yards on 8.7% of the attempts they faced, which ranked 24th. Lattimore is fully healthy now heading into training camp. Washington hopes to have solidified the position group with the additions of veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones and rookie cornerback Trey Amos, These additions will help the aggressive, physical playstyle that Whitt envisioned for the unit, especially at cornerback, where the unit finished the season with just three interceptions in the regular season.
Washington’s defense is facing a stronger group of quarterbacks in 2025 than it did last year. Among the quarterbacks are Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Justin Herbert, Jared Goff, Tua Tagovailoa, Bo Nix, and Michael Penix Jr.. Of course, those names exclude the top-tier quarterbacks already in the division in Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts. Furthermore, the first quarter of the season also presents challenges against top-tier running backs, including Josh Jacobs, Ashton Jeanty, Bijan Robinson, Najee Harris, and Omarion Hampton. It’s not all about closing out games in the fourth quarter for Whitt, but it’ll be most important as the quality of teams that the Commanders face in 2025 has drastically increased compared to last season. The AFC West and NFC North are two of the best divisions in football. Next to the NFC East, the team will be in plenty of dog fights this season, but can Whitt’s unit withstand them to help out the offense?