2025 Washington Commanders- All Things Defense

[skinsinparadise]

What you said 3 weeks ago, before the noticeable defensive improvements, seems about right. Doc Walker on the post game show was actually upset about this, saying that he gave Joe Whitt way too much slack based on their personal relationship, and that it’s a head coach’s job to make hard decisions without considering personal relationships. So the fact that the defense is doing better shows that Quinn should’ve made that call long ago. Ironically, it’s a knock on his management.

Definitely a knock on Quinn. The key is of course has he learned from this? Hire a top D coordinator or continue to call the plays from here on.

 

[DWinzit]

Definitely a knock on Quinn. The key is of course has he learned from this? Hire a top D coordinator or continue to call the plays from here on.

That's the big question, will he name a DC for the remainder of he year or will he wait until the off-season? He definitely does not want to call the plays. Could he be concerned about Whitt's feelings about naming someone else from the current staff to take over the play calling. I am afraid he eats it and calls thee plays the rest of the season.

 

[Conn]

That's the big question, will he name a DC for the remainder of he year or will he wait until the off-season? He definitely does not want to call the plays. Could he be concerned about Whitt's feelings about naming someone else from the current staff to take over the play calling. I am afraid he eats it and calls thee plays the rest of the season.

He won’t name anyone else DC for the remainder of the season, Whitt will ride it out in the booth while Quinn calls plays. Otherwise he would have already done it. Whitt and whoever else will be let go on Black Monday like most of the league’s fired coaches, imo. Otherwise, again, he would’ve just ripped the bandaid off originally

 

[skinsinparadise]

That's the big question, will he name a DC for the remainder of he year or will he wait until the off-season? He definitely does not want to call the plays. Could he be concerned about Whitt's feelings about naming someone else from the current staff to take over the play calling. I am afraid he eats it and calls thee plays the rest of the season.

Just watched his press conference, he said he will consider calling the plays next season, too



That play is a win for Dan Quinn as a play caller. The Broncos clearly expected more Cover-3 from the two deep safety look and called a Cover-3 beating concept, only for Quinn to switch it up and call quarters. When he did show single high safety looks pre-snap, Quinn rarely played Cover-3. In fact, he typically would rotate to some form of inverted Tampa-2.

 

[Riggo44]

Doc Walker on the post game show was actually upset about this

Doc Walker upset by something?! YOu don't say! What's next, Lynell Willingham and Chris Russell are going to overreact to something?

 

[DWinzit]

Just watched his press conference, he said he will consider calling the plays next season, too



That play is a win for Dan Quinn as a play caller. The Broncos clearly expected more Cover-3 from the two deep safety look and called a Cover-3 beating concept, only for Quinn to switch it up and call quarters. When he did show single high safety looks pre-snap, Quinn rarely played Cover-3. In fact, he typically would rotate to some form of inverted Tampa-2.

The defensive turnaround has been impressive. I will be shocked if he is calling the defense next year but hopefully another one of those lessons has been learned here...he should have stepped in made suggestions to his buddy Whitt. Of course that's assuming he did not.

 

[method man]

I realize there is a lot of desire here to shit on Daron Payne and to get him out of town… but something Logan Paulsen said on the post-game show stood out- that London Fletcher has been saying all year that Payne is the team’s most consistent player on defense.

Now it’s only London Fletcher so take that with a grain on salt. 😉

Suter would disagree. Hates his motor and loves Kinlaw’s

 

[method man]

One of the LB FAs I was thinking about: Nakobe Dean, I am not sure how he would fit our defense, but has wheels, is very athletic--even though the PFF run defense and coverage grades are poor.

I don’t think we need to hand out a multiyear deal for someone like Dean will probably require. If Micah McFadden is equipped to wear a green dot, he could be that guy on a 1 year deal

 

[method man]

If Ullbricht is the new DC, he runs 3 down linemen in his base package. A 3-4 or 3-3-5 may allow us to fill our needs more cost effectively because the talent is a bit more specialized and there isn’t as much demand for their services

 

[Chris]

Quinn was asked by Ben Standig at today’s presser if ‘there is a world where you could see yourself as play caller next year?’.

Quinn answered ‘yeah, there’s a possibility of that. I’m not sure where I’m at on that, I haven’t discussed or gone too far down that road yet, but yeah, I’d say that’s a possibility’.

 

[Conn]

Really didn’t love the outcome when he did that for an extended period in ATL, but it also could have been that he lost Shanahan and the offense no longer made the defense’s life easier, along with poor drafting.

I think I’d prefer he hire the absolute best veteran DC he can who can handle that side, and just feel more comfortable giving input than he seemed with Whitt.

I don’t think we experience best outcomes if he becomes the de facto DC forever, another brilliant defensive mind in the building is the way to go imo

 

[Chris]

I have a sneaking suspicion that he wants to retain Whitt, work together with him, but personally devise the scheme and call the plays.

 

[Conn]

I have a sneaking suspicion that he wants to retain Whitt, work together with him, but personally devise the scheme and call the plays.

I hope he’s ready to coach under an absolute microscope for the rest of his tenure, if that turns out to be the outcome. Could shorten his own leash if it goes poorly

 

[method man]

I have a sneaking suspicion that he wants to retain Whitt, work together with him, but personally devise the scheme and call the plays.

He could just make him “Assistant HC” and let him be de facto PGC like he was in Dallas

 

[grhqofb5]

Doc Walker upset by something?! YOu don't say! What's next, Lynell Willingham and Chris Russell are going to overreact to something?

Yeah, he’s been like that for as long as he’s been on the radio. I guess that’s his thing. But I think his point is valid. Looks like Whitt was in over his head, and Quinn probably realized it well before he removed him.

 

[burgold]

I wonder how many of our busts wouldn't have been busts with a different play caller? Who would still be on the team that we didn't re-sign or that we cut? Even the biggest swings and misses might have looked different. Could Lattimore have been serviceable? It seems unlikely, but Emmanuel Forbes going from completely lost to what he is now makes me wonder. More, the defense now looks competent. Not good, but average and that's minus our top two corners and top three DEs.

 

[Conn]

He could just make him “Assistant HC” and let him be de facto PGC like he was in Dallas

Brian Johnson is already our Assistant HC, and I think “promoting” a guy like Whitt after what happened this season would probably really damage what Quinn is trying to do here. I think he’s just not embarrassing him by making him hit the job market any earlier than he has to. When he’s fired alongside dozens of other coaches across the league, it’ll be less of a story league-wide. And in the meantime Whitt can still network and try to find his next job.

 

[NoCalSkins]

This is what makes me wonder about what the coaches were/are seeing during practice that causes them to put players in certain situations during the game when it seems like small tweaks to the schemes or how they use specific players makes a big difference. Now I still look at the defense and see the limitations due to the caliber of a lot of the players but I really don't get what Whitt was seeing from the personnel during practice(s) that would have him not making some of these adjustments considering he is supposedly a student of the Dan Quinn system (or more accurately the system Quinn likes to run).

There are certain truisms about the roster right now that is going to limit their production regardless of who is calling plays & designing the scheme, but if changing things up made this big of a difference, I almost am just as frustrated at Quinn for not making this change sooner, (especially in a season where a month or so in it became clear the offense could not drag the team to victory every week like last season) maybe not outright taking the play calling duties away from Whitt but perhaps some more "advisement" along the way.

 

[method man]

Brian Johnson is already our Assistant HC, and I think “promoting” a guy like Whitt after what happened this season would probably really damage what Quinn is trying to do here. I think he’s just not embarrassing him by making him hit the job market any earlier than he has to. When he’s fired alongside dozens of other coaches across the league, it’ll be less of a story league-wide. And in the meantime Whitt can still network and try to find his next job.

Zach Strief and Jim Leonhard both hold the Assistant HC title in Denver. You can have multiple. The path they take will likely be letting Whitt go but, if he wanted to keep him around without making it look like a demotion, he could take that route (which I hope he doesn't take)

I wouldn't mind if DQ chose to call plays next year. I really don't get why all the offensive coaches do it but some of the defensive coaches choose not to. It's a superpower and he is one of the 5-10 best defensive playcallers in the league. He wasn't good at it in Atlanta because his personnel was bad. I like Gannon, Ulbrich, Rallis and others but DQ is better than all of them as a playcaller

 

[DWinzit]

I don't want DQ calling the plays next year. He has been through all of this before and felt he needed a DC calling plays when he took the job. I really think he needs to cut ties with Whitt at the end of the season. It doesn't feel like a real healthy situation if he removes his title after already removing duties. I also question his true competence level as a coach based on what he couldn't do..

I really hope they bring in a really good option at DC...and not just giving another buddy a shot

I also DQ needs to realize he cannot be hands off on the D. He needs to give input