Whether it's because of injuries, lack of execution or the scheme itself, it's clear that something is off with the Washington Commanders' defense, and they're trying whatever they can to get it right.

The latest and most significant move: head coach Dan Quinn announced on Monday that he is taking over play-calling duties from Joe Whitt Jr. to help try some different communication methods and calls that will hopefully stop the bleeding for a unit that has allowed a league-leading 7.6 yards per play over the last three games -- all losses.

Regardless of the reason, the players aren't making excuses for how the defense has performed for most of the season. They're pointing the finger at themselves and believe it's on them to fix it, never mind who's calling plays.

"I think whenever you have a move like that, that means the players are not executing at a level that they need to be," Bobby Wagner said when asked about Quinn taking over as the play-caller. "So, we just gotta do better, and we've gotta perform better."

Wagner has a point, and it's clear over the past month that Washington has not played up to its expectations. Over the last three games, the Commanders' defense ranks 31st in yards per game, last in passing yards given up, 30th in sack percentage and 29th in third-down conversion rate. They've lost by at least 21 points in each of their last four games with two squads -- the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions -- hanging 40 points on them.

So, it's hard to blame Quinn for wanting to take more serious steps to pin down exactly what hasn't been working for the Commanders' defense.

"I think now just after watching and reviewing the tape, we felt off," Quinn said. "You've heard me say that word and so I thought this is the time to add into that and lean in. Joe and I have got a great vibe together. We've worked together through our time in Dallas and we'll lean back into that space where he'll help me along the way and all that leads up into the game and calling it into that space."

Still, Wagner and fellow linebacker Frankie Luvu want the players to own their mistakes rather than blame the scheme. Miscommunication errors and a lack of execution, both factors the players can control, have been a problem for the Commanders all season, and it has led to explosive plays from offenses. For example, Jordan Magee watched as Jahmyr Gibbs ran past him for the opening score of the Lions game, while Sam Darnold completed 17 consecutive passes before getting a drop.

So, for Luvu and Wagner, that isn't because of the scheme; that's on them and the rest of the Commanders' defense.

"We just gotta bring the play to life," Luvu said. "Whatever the call is, we gotta go out there and execute it. At the end of the day, it's just everybody doing their jobs."

But Quinn and the Commanders believe that a change of pace will help the players execute their responsibilities. It was a tough decision, Quinn said, to take the play-calling roles for himself, but he hopes that it will help the unit be more consistent.

"We've been digging for it; we haven't had it; we haven't found it," Quinn said. "And so, that type of consistency and execution, that's what I'm after and that's the only reason behind the move."

Even if Wagner wants to put the blame on himself and his teammates for failing to execute, he can agree that the defense needs a spark. They're in the bottom third of the league or worse in nearly every defensive category, including third-down percentage and points allowed per game. What's more, in order for the Commanders to keep their slim hopes at a postseason berth alive, they'll need to show meaningful improvement against the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys on top of beating the Miami Dolphins in Madrid.

To use Wagner's simplistic terms, the Commanders just need to play better and win.

"Winning solves a lot of this stuff, and we haven't done that in a minute," Wagner said. "Regardless of what you wanna call it…we gotta win."

And Wagner can vouch for Quinn' ability to get that done as a play-caller.

"I think he's gonna bring his fire, his passion, his energy," Wagner said. "I think as a head coach, whether you're an offensive mind or defensive mind, you still have that in you. You can always activate that at any time.