Commanders at Cowboys: Coach Jack Del Rio Sees Defense Improvement Despite Poor Start

The Washington Commanders are going to need the defense to perform better to win this weekend against the Dallas Cowboys. But Jack Del Rio believes the team is better than advertised on the defensive side of the ball.

The Washington Commanders defense hopes to bounce back this weekend against the Dallas Cowboys. After losing two straight games, the pressure is on and the Commanders need to rise to the occasion.

Through the team's first three games, Washington ranks 27th in yards allowed and 28th in points allowed, but Commanders coach Jack Del Rio believes the team is on the path towards figuring things out again after their game last week against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I liked the first, third and fourth quarters," Del Rio said. "I thought we played some good football in spurts. We're looking to have more consistency in what we're doing, but there were some real bright spots in the game. A couple things we like to do better but the effort has been really strong, and I feel like we're improving.”

The Commanders only allowed points in the second quarter during last week's loss, but 24 points was more than enough to put Washington in a hole it could not dig out of.

Del Rio was asked about several players specifically during Thursday's practice, but didn't give a whole lot away. For most of the players, he said that they are doing a "good job" and that the team needs to work on the things that aren't being executed consistently.

As the team approaches October, patterns are beginning to form and the Commanders defense needs to prove that it is improving in the way that Del Rio says the unit is.

The Commanders and Cowboys kick off at 1 p.m. at AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Sunday.

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