The Washington Commanders did not play anyone last weekend, but that does not mean they were idle with their time off.
They were focused on identifying the problems that plagued them in the first six games and how to fix them to be more competitive in a critical second half of the season.
"What I can say is that it was a thorough process to make sure what needs to be trimmed down, what do we add, where do other emphases go?" head coach Dan Quinn said.
The Commanders sit at 1-4-1 after their bye week, which came over a month sooner than previous seasons. Their record is not ideal, but the reality is that they still have a chance at winning the division if they can correct their miscues. There is plenty to work on, but the team is confident things will be different for the remaining 11 games.
"I like our fight and our intensity to match our levels of execution and play like we're capable of for all four quarters," Quinn said.
The Commanders' struggles with consistency in games were the most glaring problems to start the season. Of course, the most blatant example came during the tie with the New York Giants, but there were other pain points that contributed to their inability to finish games.
For one, the Commanders had difficulty with starting games. They rank 19th in first-quarter points, which ranks third in the division ahead of only the Philadelphia Eagles. That stat improves in later quarters, but the defense has a hard time keeping second-half leads. They are tied with the Baltimore Ravens for last in second-half points allowed. They held the San Francisco 49ers to three points in in Week 6 -- an encouraging sign -- but they also allowed the New York to score 14 points in the final eight minutes and nearly did the same thing against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3.
"There's been this half and that half," Quinn said. "I know there's always ebbs and flows of the game and talked about that to the team, but specifically what needs to get done to go win the game."
The Commanders are aware of the problem and how it puts them in a bad spot. Defensive coordinator Daronte Jones said he wants the team to "reset," take a breath and focus on technique. The players know it, too, and want to do whatever they can to "finish strong," as Kain Medrano put it.
But it is one thing to know the problem; it is another issue entirely to focus on the next part of the process: implementing the solution.
"We know the plan," Quinn said. "Now, we've got to go do it. I'm excited to spend the next three or four days putting a lot of that into play."
There are other issues that require attention. The Commanders are in the bottom half of the league in penalties per game and penalties per play. They are tied for 15th in average penalty yards, but the number of presnap and procedural penalties have stalled their progress in games. Against the Giants, for example, they committed back-to-back false starts that moved them back from the 9-yard line to the 14. They had to settle for a field goal.
The penalties are also costing the Commanders yards. They lead the league in yards taken away by penalties per game at 30.5, with the most damning example being Antonio Williams' 80-yard touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts being wiped away by an illegal shift.
"It's hard to be behind the sticks and get a drive started," Sam Cosmi said after Wednesday's practice. "The biggest thing is...execution; just being able to execute for all four quarters."
Washington's defense has plenty to work on as well, but much of that circles back to the unit's struggles with putting pressure on quarterbacks. It's not for a lack of trying; the Commanders are second in blitz percentage behind only the Minnesota Vikings. That has not led to results. They are tied for 14th in pressures and tied for 22nd in sacks.
Quinn made it clear during his Wednesday press conference that he is not pleased with how the pass rush has struggled in recent weeks, but he also knows there is still time to fix it.
"I'd love to see us, whether it's blitzing or rush coverage together, really being in sync with that," Quinn said. "How do we put guys in the right spots to do the right things. That was one of the topics that we spent a lot of time on."
The Commanders' first opportunity to show how much they have improved will be against the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend. It's an important matchup for the team. Not only could it be the first win they have had since Week 3, but it is also a key division game that could keep their hopes alive at securing the NFC East at some point this season. The Eagles have lost five consecutive games and have lost key players like Jalen Hurts for the season. Philadelphia is also coming off a short week having played the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.
It's an opportunity the Commanders must capitalize on. They began preparations for the primetime game last weekend, but they also know they can give themselves the best chance to win if they focus on themselves.
"There's so much about us that I want from a four quarters standpoint of putting that all together," Quinn said.
