USAT: Washington Wire audio clip

USAT: Washington Wire

Feb 13, 2022

The 2021 season was expected to be special for the Washington Commanders’ defense. First, there was the defensive line featuring four former first-round picks that would be one year older. Next, Washington invested more in its secondary with the signing of free-agent cornerback William Jackson III. - If you watched Washington’s defense through the first six weeks of the season, it didn’t take too long to recognize the secondary was a problem. Jackson struggled to fit in Washington’s zone-heavy scheme, while Kendall Fuller alternated between the slot and outside. Rookie Benjamin St-Juste had the typical ups and downs for a rookie. - At safety, Landon Collins continued to be a problem while Bobby McCain slowly adjusted to his new team. - However, things started to improve for Washington in a Week 7 loss to the Packers. During this period, Collins moved closer to the line of scrimmage, playing more of a linebacker role and the communication in the secondary improved. Also, the Commanders played second-year safety Kam Curl more, which was smart considering Curl is the team’s best safety. - At one point in the season, the Commanders moved Fuller to strictly playing outside and he was much better. Jackson became more comfortable until a late-season injury forced him out of the final three games. - Overall, it was a disappointing season for Washington’s secondary, but there were encouraging signs late in the season despite numerous injuries. - How did Pro Football Focus rank the Commanders’ secondary in 2021? - PFF ranked Washington No. 19, offering the following analysis: - Kendall Fuller was one of the three most valuable cornerbacks of the 2021 season and helped a great deal in Washington ranking even this high. Free safety Bobby McCain also played a role in the Football Team not being in the bottom tier, snagging four interceptions and breaking up five passes en route to a 72.6 coverage grade. - Free-agent signing William Jackson III was an up-and-down performer. He finished in the top 10 in yards per coverage snap on the outside (0.76), but five touchdowns allowed and eight penalties brought his coverage grade down to 59.5 for the year. - PFF had Washington’s secondary ranked last of the four NFC East teams. - There are plenty of reasons for the Commanders to expect more from the secondary in 2022, but they will need to add more established depth this offseason. - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Washington Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Washington Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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