Despite Win in Atlanta, Time to Hit Panic Button for Washington Defense?

WFT's vaunted defense was again shredded, this time for 30 points by the lowly Falcons

Coming into the season, the Washington Football Team was expected to win games with its defense.

In 2020, the team allowed the fourth-fewest points and the second-fewest yards in the NFL. But in 2021 it's been a hideous flip-flop, as WFT is surrendering the third-most points and the fourth-most yards.

Thankfully, quarterback Taylor Heinicke was able to bail out the defense on a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter for the second time in three weeks and allow WFT to improve to 2-2.

READ MORE: Washington Football Team QB Taylor Heinicke Beats Odds

Rarely do you see a team win for the absolute opposite reason it was intended, but that's been the story for the WFT in the first month of the season. Its predicted strength has been is weakness.

On third down Washington ranks 31st in the league, allowing conversions nearly 60 percent of the time. When you boast a front seven that features Chase Young, Jonathan Allen and Montez Sweat, those numbers are unacceptable.

The one metric that stands out for the WFT defense is a lack of turnovers. Last season, the team took the ball away 35 times, but this season it forced just one takeaway through four games.

The lack of big-play, game-changing ability in the defense is leading to extended drives and, ultimately, points for opposing offenses.

Young, who last year recorded 7.5 sacks in winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, is yet to produce his first this season. And to think, during training camp he and Sweat were dreaming of a record-breaking season. Last year the duo combined for 16.5 sacks, and were publicly stating a goal of breaking the NFL's 32-year-old mark of 39 sacks between two teammates.

Through four games, they have two.

The reason why there should be concern is because the team has several quarterbacks left on its schedule that love to take care of the ball. Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers will face this defense later this month, while Tom Brady and Russell Wilson get dates with it in November.

However, Washington has two wins through four weeks. Last season, it didn't see its second win until Week 7, so it is on a better path compared to last season.

CONTINUE READING: Resiliency Carries Washington Past Atlanta


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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.