The Washington Commanders’ defense has not forced a turnover in their first two games of the season. They are one of six teams remaining that have not forced a turnover so far. The last time Washington ranked in the top ten in turnovers forced was 2020, when they ranked seventh. Since then, Washington has not ranked higher than 20th, consistently in the bottom third in the NFL in this area. So, the struggles extend beyond this coaching staff, but for a head coach in Dan Quinn and a defensive coordinator in Joe Whitt Jr., who preaches producing turnovers, going into week three without one falls short of meeting their standard.
Washington needs its playmakers to turn it up another notch, especially on the defensive side of the football, as the offense has gotten off to a slow start in producing points. Frankie Luvu’s quiet start has not gone unnoticed, but more importantly, cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Mike Sainristil have gotten off to slow starts as well. Whitt and staff are relying on Lattimore to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2024 season, and for Sainristil to take another step in his growth, especially after moving back to his natural position at slot cornerback.
In the latest Trap or Dive Podcast, Mitchell Tischler of Monumental Sports Network and Beltway Football Podcast joined the show to discuss the outlook of the Washington Commanders after the first two games. In the episode, we further discussed the defense’s inability to produce the football, as well as why the run defense has shown signs of improvement compared to last season.
You can listen to the full Trap or Dive podcast with Mitch Tischler below. We discussed:
Subscribe to the Trap or Dive Podcast! Available on all podcast platforms