Burgundy & Gold Reaction: Week 9 For The Sweep

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November 6, 2024

by David Earl

Addition of Marshon Lattimore Primes The Division Race

Entering week 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Washington pass rush was not the biggest concern. Washington’s 8.71% sack rate ranks 6th in the league and 7th in quarterback hurries, with 30. Unfortunately, Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. have been unable to fully take advantage of this pressure rate because of the play of their cornerbacks. I do not mean their blitz rate should increase, as Washington is on pace with Dallas last season and the 2022 season to finish with around 160-165 total blitzes. It is about what resulted from the pressure rate in those two seasons for Dallas that Quinn most likely wants to emulate today.  In 2022, Dallas finished fifth with an 8.25% sack rate, ranked 3rd in the league, which contributed to a top-ranked 1.8 takeaway rate per game. Dallas took a bit of a step back in 2023 season, with a 7.99% sake rate, ranked 8th in the league, and still generated more than 1 takeaway average (1.4) per game that year. None of this could have happened without Dallas being ranked 9th overall in allowing an 83.6 opponent’s passer rating in the 2022 season and a near-mirror result the following season, with an 84.3 passer rating.

While Washington ranks among the best in sack rate this year, their secondary allows the 28th-worst quarterback rating at 103.9 and is part of the reason for the 21st-ranked .09 takeaway rate. The takeaway rate is important not only for Quinn’s defense but league-wide, which is where Adam Peters’ trade for 4 times Pro Bowler and a 1st team All-Pro CB Marshon Lattimore comes up. Lattimore is the 2nd least targeted corner in the NFL at 9.7% and allows a -12.3% completion percentage over expected when targeted, which is ranked the 3rd lowest according to Next Gen Stats. The trade moves Benjamin St-Juste out of the primary top cornerback role and allows rookie Mike Sainristill to play his more natural position lf slot corner. With the team still having two divisional games against the Philadelphia Eagles, which field one of the top wide receiver tandems in the league, Lattimore allows Joe Whitt Jr. more freedom in the defensive scheme. He can now utilize the safety more to help neutralize the Eagles’ run game consisting of a rejuvenated running back Saquon Barkley, who is averaging 5.9 yards per attempt and the dual threat of quarterback Jalen Hurts. This was an aggressive and slam dunk move as Peters clearly believes this team can make a significant run in the playoffs.

The Highs and Lows

Let’s start with this offensive line group. I’ve been very critical of this group since the offseason and through the first few weeks of the season. From opening week 1 of the season through week 5, the average time in pocket to pass was 2.2 seconds which ranked in the bottom 3rd of the league. Washington’s offensive line allowed a sack rate of 8.22% per game, ranked 19th among the NFL. Granted, this was a slight improvement over last season’s 9.27% but was still a concerning start with the rookie franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels under center. There were some mixed performances in the last 3 games before week 9 against the New York Giants, so the notable number is now 2.7 seconds time in the pocket. During that run, they faced the 7th-ranked pass rush in Chicago Bears at an 8.74% sack rate and the Baltimore Ravens, who are ranked 14th at 7.88%. Facing the best pass rush in the NFL in the New York Giants and their 13.31% sack rate, averaging 4.4 sacks per game, the Washington offensive line allowed no sacks and just 2 quarterback hits. More impressive was rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman’s performance against edge rusher Brian Burns. Averaging 1 sack in each of his last 4 games while totaling 10 quarterback hits, Burns was held to 0 sacks and quarterback pressures while managing just 1 pass defense. We won’t crown him the next Trent Williams of course, but Coleman’s progress has been very noticeable. Considering the criticism Adam Peters was getting for not attacking the left tackle position as we all saw fit, it appears the plan and direction is going very well at this point.

There are still some very glaring issues on the defensive side that will need to be addressed if this team hopes to compete in the playoffs. The New York Giants ran the ball for an average of 5.3 yards per carry by the game’s end, and in the first half they were dictating the game. Taking away Daniel Jones‘ 5 carries for 50 yards, the Giants running backs averaged 5.4 yards per carry average in the first half. The Giants’ third offensive possession just perfectly defined just how bad Washington’s run defense has been all season. New York put together a 16 play drive that went for 73 yards and a touchdown, while running the ball 14 times. In this drive, the Giants had a 6 yard screen pass play and a 3 yard pass play, so they ran the ball 14 times for 70 yards, while averaging 5.0 yards per carry. The push the Giants got and the running lanes they opened were far too often. If not for Washington having a 21-7 halftime lead that forced the Giants to go more to the passing game, this game could have been much different. I cannot go on without mentioning how Daniel Jones seems to have stepped up his game against Washington, completing 77% of his passes with a 119.7 quarterback rating. Washington’s pass rush is very good but that isn’t enough when they allow 5.1 yards per carry and an overall average of a 103.9 quarterback rating.

For much of Terry McLaurin‘s career, the concern about him was never work ethic or talent but the revolving door of quarterbacks he’s had in his career. This season he and this offense seem to have finally found their guy in Jayden Daniels. Within an offense ranked 3rd in yards per play at 6.2, averaging 392 yards per game and 29.2 points per game, McLaurin has produced some of the best numbers of his career since his second season. His 70% catch rate is the best of his career and he ranks 4th among wide receivers with 60 or more targets. This contribution by McLaurin has helped immensely in Washington’s offense being ranked 2nd place in pass completions, at 71.65%, 7th in yards per completion at 11.3, and a 4tn in passer rating, at 108.2. This has made the growth and development of Jayden Daniels look seamless. According to Pro Football Reference, he’s ranked 5th in the NFL in passer rating, 3rd in total QBR, 6th in interception index, and 3rd in completion percentage. McLaurin’s significant contribution has helped Daniels become the front runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year and has played a significant part in the team’s 7-2 record, as Washington continues to build momentum towards the division title.

 

Strong and Unpredictable Start

It feels like just yesterday we were talking about how the atmosphere around this team has been dismal and void of any optimism no matter what changes have been made. While there have been some flashes of hope, such as Joe Gibbs’ second coaching stint that produced 2 playoff seasons in 4 years anchored by a rising star in Sean Taylor, or RGIII‘s electrifying rookie campaign in 2012 that also produced a playoff appearance, the fans have experienced the darkest of days far too many times under Dan Snyder’s ownership. In his 2 plus decades owning this team, Washington has only had 5 playoff appearances, with just a single win in 2005 under Joe Gibbs, which is a far cry from where this organization was under Jack Kent Cooke’s ownership. During Gibbs’ first stint, the organization was what many felt was the gold standard, winning 3 of 4 Super Bowls while being relevant championship contenders throughout the 1980s.

This 7-2 start just feels different. Many fans and local media seem to have bought into what this product appears to be on the field. Instead of wondering how Snyder was going to ruin the progress, we are recognizing and following Josh Harris‘ vision with very minimal doubt. As we were blatantly lied to with delusional statements from Bruce Allen like, “We are close,” or “The culture is actually pretty damn good,” we are now witnessing a transformation from Adam Peters that has put this team into legitimate contention for the division. Not just contention this season but potentially for the foreseeable future, which was something you could never say under the previous regime. While the magical 2012 season had this fan base ecstatic, Jayden Daniels’ play thus far is just different. What we are seeing in Daniels is not just an athlete at quarterback who needs to develop as a passer, as was RG3, but a complete quarterback early in his development that just so happens to be a great athlete. It’s no slight against RG3 and his ability to play the position – he was certainly mishandled – but rather, it is an indicator of just how far along Daniels is as a cerebral quarterback. The second half of the season will surely be fun and this front office, coaching staff, and Daniels have instilled a level of confidence in the future that I have not seen since the Golden Age of Washington football.