There wasn't one specific culprit for why the Washington Commanders allowed so many explosive plays against the Atlanta Falcons, but head coach Dan Quinn made it clear that the issues must be resolved quickly.
"We'll work really hard to nail that," Quinn said during his Monday press conference following the Commanders' 34-27 loss to the Falcons. "We have to, and we'll get better at that for sure."
Like the rest of the team, the Commanders' defense has been on a roller coaster for the past month. Sunday's game featured a dip in the ride, as they allowed the Falcons to put up 435 yards on an average of 6.8 yards per play. Many of their problems stemmed from an inability to bottle up explosive plays; they allowed 10 plays of at least 15 yards, many of which came from the trio of Drake London, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts that combined for 361 total yards.
The Commanders sense the urgency of the issue as they get ready for a stretch that features two of the league's top 10 offenses, starting with the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday.
"I think we've just got to get better with our keys, just make sure we're always focused when we're out there communicating at a high level," cornerback Mike Sainristil said after the game. "That's when we're at our best is when we're all back there talking."
Quinn highlighted communication as one of the main reasons the Commanders' defense struggled against the Falcons. It led to mismatches in coverage, like Bobby Wagner having to follow Robinson on what ended up being a 69-yard play, and allowing the Falcons to get out of longer second downs. The Falcons faced second downs of at least 10 yards seven times and converted all of them with some of their biggest plays, like the 43-yard catch from Drake London, coming in such scenarios.
Quinn said after the game to give the Falcons some credit for knowing when to dial up their best plays, but the Commanders carry the blame for not executing in those moments.
"We're digging on everything, making sure we can eliminate those because that's not when we're at our best," Quinn said.
That's not to say the Commanders are lacking in effort to communicate. It's been a point of emphasis since the new coaching staff took over, and players are often seen directing calls across the field before plays. Prior to the Falcons game, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said the communication has been "really, really good," which had helped improve the run game and keep overall completion percentage to a minimum.
The problem is that slip-ups have often resulted in gashes downfield.
"If we want to be the type of defense that we can be, we can't give up and put that stank on us at the end of a game and make it feel bad," Whitt said.
Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders have begun at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for their Week 4 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.
Quinn also pointed to the pass rush's role in eliminating explosive plays. Despite now having a top-tier player up front, the Commanders have managed to hold their own against offensive lines. Their committee approach to the group led to nine sacks, which was tied for sixth in the league.
They ran into problems against the Falcons, who are now ninth in pass block win rate following Sunday's game. Quinn said the front could have used more stunts to create more pressure on Michael Penix Jr., who had a time to throw average of 2.7 seconds. Even more concerning is that Penix had a 2.99 average when under pressure, according to Pro Football Focus.
"I thought early on I thought they did a nice job of getting rid of the ball quickly to get intermediate throws to go," Quinn said. "But the ones that are down the field, those are the ones that we've got to capitalize on."
And the players know those numbers need to improve, particularly with Justin Herbert, who has a completion rate of 76.5% when kept clean, next on the schedule.
"We've got to figure out what we're doing wrong and get it right," said defensive end Dorance Armstrong.
The team isn't panicking with 13 games left in the season. They know they have the skill set to fix the errors and limit the explosive plays. Although .500 certainly isn't the best scenario, it doesn't mean any of their hopes for the season are lost. They're also aware that if they want things to stay that way, there's no time to waste.
"All of us have to understand that no matter who's out there the things we struggle with are the things we'll continue to see until we learn from them," said safety Jeremy Reaves. "We have to harp on those things, harp on the small things -- the eye control, the gap discipline, how we communicate on the back end. They all add up."
