Commander Country

Commanders Have 'Tremendous Teacher' in Joe Whitt Jr.

Joe Whitt Jr. has transformed the Washington Commanders defense.

Jeremy Brener

June 1, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt Jr. looks on during organized team activities. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK
June 1, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt Jr. looks on during organized team activities. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-Imagn Images
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The Washington Commanders' rise from being the worst defense to one of the league's best has been remarkable to watch.

While a lot of the players on the field are different, they also have a new defensive coordinator in Joe Whitt Jr. leading the way.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn is impressed with the job Whitt Jr. has done.

“Yeah, I would say the things that you guys don't see that the players do, is Joe is a tremendous teacher," Quinn said. "That's one of the first things that jumped to me years back when I got a chance to start with him. The detail, you feel his experience, you feel that he can use an example of a player or a play and then tie it in. So, those are the things that I felt. I thought early on it was hard on us and I thought he stayed very consistent. Here's the approach, here's how we're going to go to get better. And you had heard me say, I thought we were closer than the numbers would indicate, and so to see their connection taking place, that's a big deal.”

The longer Whitt Jr. has with the defense, the better they will become, and considering he has only had half of a season with the unit, more improvement is on the horizon.

Whitt Jr. and the Commanders defense will look to contain Daniel Jones and the New York Giants offense in Week 9. Kickoff is set for tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

More Washington Commanders News

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• Commanders DC Joe Whitt Jr. Aims to Lock Down Nabers and Giants Offense

• Commanders OC isn't Satisfied with Red Zone Play Despite Win Over Bears

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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