Commanders 'Elite Defense' Could Hide Lackluster QB Play

The Washington Commanders defensive performances will be the reason whether the team sinks or swims this season.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 23, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders have question marks at the quarterback position, but it may not be as big of an issue compared to what other teams may face.

Only a handful of teams have elite quarterbacks, which makes up the majority of the true playoff contenders in the NFL.

However, not all of those teams have as strong of a defense as the Commanders do.

"If Howell can hold off Jacoby Brissett and perform better than last year's tandem of Taylor Heinicke and Carson Wentz did, Washington might just be a playoff contender," Bleacher Report writes. "The reason for this—and the reason Washington should feel confident about its chances—is a defense that is among the NFL's best."

The Commanders defense was one of the best in the NFL last season and helped willed Washington to a 8-8-1 record despite having a revolving door at quarterback with Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke.

That defense is only expected to improve with a healthy Chase Young on the edge, last year's second-round rookie Phidarian Mathis coming back to add depth to the defensive line and additions in the secondary with rookies Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin.

For the past several years, Washington has been built on its high-end defensive talent and it remains the core of the team. That's why the Commanders can get away from playing Sam Howell and/or Jacoby Brissett in such a pivotal year for the coaching staff and front office.

If Brissett or Howell are serviceable and play smart football, Washington will be in the thick of things come December and January.

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Published Jul 23, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.