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Currently, Washington has allowed 95 second-half points, the most in the NFL through five games. Commanders defensive coordinator Daronte Jones spoke with reporters Friday and didn't waste time addressing the team's second-half defensive issues. "We're okay with a three- or four-yard catch; just gotta rally make the tackle." Of course, Washington has been allowing a lot more than three- or four-yard catches after halftime, and things aren't likely to get any easier against a San Francisco offense averaging nearly 31 points per game and ranking second in the NFL in second-half scoring.
In what seems like a never-ending story, the Washington Commanders' injury report took yet another hit Friday when defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw didn't practice and was listed with ankle/knee injuries after practicing fully on Thursday.
The list is long these days, with Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Charles Omenihu, and Marcus Mariota all still out. Austin Ekeler remained limited, while Rachaad White was downgraded from full to limited, and WR Stefon Diggs returned to limited participation after missing Thursday. Washington still has Saturday's practice before final game designations.
The Commanders aren't the only ones dealing with injuries, as Nick Bosa missed practice for the 49ers for the second straight day with a calf injury. Maybe more importantly, receiver Mike Evans also remained out, but fullback Kyle Juszczyk returned to full participation after dealing with a knee injury. While Saturday's practice should give a better answer, GM John Lynch said the 49ers want to avoid rushing Bosa back and risking another injury.
One of Washington's top defensive priorities this offseason was to carry a mindset into the season that lived and died off of takeaways. Five weeks in, the team has produced seven takeaways in a season where they've turned the ball over only twice. That's a +5 turnover differential for the Commanders, tied for second-best in the NFL, even though the team has only won once this season. This is unusual, as teams in the top five in that category tend to be better positioned to win.
“We just gotta learn from it,” Daniels said when asked about Washington's fourth-quarter passing game. “You know, they were bringing a lot of zero pressure. I gotta be able to get different checks to the guys and, you know, ultimately just be, play in the quarterback position, make sure we're in the right position to be able to get the ball out to its perimeters, to the skill guys, so they can make plays and hopefully break a couple tackles and make some things happen.”
The Washington Commanders already look to be slipping down the path of the future seller following their tough start to the regular season, having slumped out to a disappointing 1-3-1 record with the help of injuries to most of their featured offensive staples and some glaringly poor late-game choices. It's time for Commanders executives to evaluate who's worth paying while key contributors waste away in an unworthy situation, and someone like Daron Payne will continue seeing his name come up in mock trades over the weeks to come.
Commanders insider Ben Standig takes a look at Washington’s lengthy injury list by going through the status of each position group and recaps David Blough’s turn at the mic. Bill out against 49ers? Cross/safeties trending toward returning. The George Kittle problem.
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