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News | Washington Commanders - Commanders.com

Wake Up Washington | Benjamin St-Juste made the most of his opportunities against Philly

Technically, Benjamin St-Juste could talk trash to opposing wide receivers in French since he grew up in Montreal, Canada. That would certainly throw players off, the cornerback mused in a one-on-one interview with Julie Donaldson, but you will not hear St-Juste spewing French profanities any time soon. He prefers to look his play do the talking.

Against the Philadelphia Eagles, his play was speaking loudly.

The 24-8 loss at the hands of the Eagles was not the outcome anyone playing for the Washington Commanders hoped for, but St-Juste was one of the clear bright spots on defense. He finished the game with three tackles and three pass breakups while working against the Eagles' top receivers, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown.

It was a nice moment for St-Juste, who needed to step up with William Jackson III being ruled out ahead of the game, but for the second-year defensive back, that is the kind of performance he should have every week.

"It's expected for me to go out there and perform like that every weekend," St-Juste said. "It's very tough to be consistent every weekend, but if I can put up a performance like that in most of the games, that gives us, as a team, the better chance to win."

St-Juste has seen growth in his skill set dating back to training camp, when he was placed in a new role as the team's primary defensive back in the slot. The coaching staff likes his combination of length and quickness, which allows him to match up well against a variety of receivers.

With more of the spotlight placed on him, St-Juste received the highest grade on the team from Pro Football Focus with a 78.4. St-Juste most often found himself lined up against Smith, and two of his most impressive moments prevented Smith from making big plays. He kept Smith from bringing in a touchdown at the start of the second quarter, and he deflected another pass in the second half that would have put the Eagles inside the Commanders' 10-yard line.

Still, Smith finished with a career high 169 yards, which speaks to the Commanders' issues against explosive plays. That is one of St-Juste's biggest concerns, but he also believes that those moments are the result of minor, fixable mistakes.

"It's really about details," St-Juste said. "It's really about maybe just one step too much on the outside, one step too much on the inside. So that's why we're not too worried about...everything that's being said on the outside, because we know it's just basic, fundamental stuff."

St-Juste and the Commanders will have another opportunity to show they can fix those mistakes against the Cowboys on Oct. 2. He missed both matchup as a rookie, but he knows to expect a fight on Sunday.

"Those division games, they're nothing like regular games," St-Juste said. "It's gonna be an all-out game where everybody's gonna give everything they got. So, we gotta go down there, handle our business and come out with a win.

Here's a morning roundup of what the local and national media have to say about the Washington Commanders on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. All reports, rumors and conjecture are a reflection of the media conversation and are not endorsed or confirmed by the Washington Commanders.

The reports and deals expressed in this article have not been confirmed by Washington, nor do they reflect any insider information from anyone in the front office.

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