Jack Del Rio Says 'The Best is Yet to Come' For Washington Commanders' Defense

The Washington Commanders defense has had its ups and downs to begin the season.

The Washington Commanders defense was expected to be the bedrock of the team, but through six games, they've experienced their fair share of highs and lows. 

They're coming off their best performance of the season in a 24-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 15 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Commanders (3-3) had three interceptions and three sacks.

With that performance, Washington's defense helped snap a three-game losing streak and ended a four-game stretch where they allowed at least 33 points in each game. Across the three-game losing streak, the Commanders allowed an average of 37 points per game. 

Even with the inconsistent play to begin the season, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio believes the defense's best days are still ahead of them.

Jamin Davis (52) after his game-sealing interception against the Atlanta Falcons / USA Today

“We've had some ups and downs," Del Rio said. "I think we've had some great moments and we've had some moments that are a little bit disappointing. To me it's early in the season [and] we continue to compete. I would say that the best is yet to come for our group and what we're capable of and what we're going to do. I love the fact that we are a relentless group. We're a group that's stuck together and we're working through some of the issues that we're the problem. We'll come out on the other side. I feel very confident about that.”

The Commanders are 29th in points allowed per game (29.3) but are tied for sixth in sacks with 19. Eight different players have at least one sack, and Montez Sweat leads the team with 4.5. Jonathan Allen, Chase Young and Casey Toohill are each tied for second on Washington with three sacks. 

The Commanders defense will look to put together another strong performance when they face the New York Giants (1-5) at MetLife Stadium at 1 p.m.