Commander Country

Why Commanders Have Unlocked Dante Fowler Jr.

Dante Fowler Jr. is having a fantastic season for the Washington Commanders.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 10, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) is sacked by Washington Commanders linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (6) during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Nov 10, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) is sacked by Washington Commanders linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (6) during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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Washington Commanders linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. is enjoying his first season with the team, and he is having one of the best years of his 10-year career.

Fowler, 30, has 8.5 sacks this season for the Commanders, the most in any year for him since 2019, and the team still has six games to go.

Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. has been with Fowler for a few years, even in previous stops, and he has seen his evolution with a front row view.

"He's a guy that I just knew if you gave him the right opportunities, put him in the right spots, he can produce at a high level," Fowler said. "He’s a guy that has tremendous bend and balance around the corner. The thing that we've talked about going into this year is finishing on the quarterback. The past couple years, his sack numbers haven't been as high. He's won, he's beat the tackle, he just hasn't controlled and finished on the quarterback. And I give all that credit to [Assistant Defensive Line Coach] Ryan Kerrigan. He's done just a heck of a job taking Dante, and once you get past the tackle, control to the quarterback and finish. That's really what he's worked with him for a long time and it's showing. And then the production that Dante's having. So, that's all Ryan right there.”

If Fowler continues to play at a career-best level, the Commanders defense could scare some teams in the playoffs.

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

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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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