Washington's defensive performances over the last month, particularly in the Week 9 loss to the Seahawks, "have not been up to the standard at all," Whitt said. The unit, which had issues during the 2024 season but still managed to hold offenses at bay, has slipped in almost every metric in 2025, as it ranks near the bottom in average yards allowed per game (28th), passing defense (29th) and points allowed per game (22nd). They have also struggled to create turnovers and are tied for the third fewest in the league.
The Commanders believe moving Whitt to the field can help improve at least some of those numbers, although it will come at the cost of certain advantages. Most of the defensive coordinators that Whitt has coached with, from Quinn himself to Mike Pettine, have all called plays from the box because the vantage point allowed them to get a better view of the field and make better personnel decisions.
But with the Commanders allowing 110 points in the last three weeks, Whitt is willing to sacrifice that advantage if it means his unit can play better. The blame for how the defense has drooped this season, he said, starts with him.
"I gotta do a better job getting the coaches to get the players to understand how we're going to do it," Whitt said. "And we gotta get this thing turned. We gotta get it turned right now."
The change is the latest in a series of adjustments the Commanders have made to try and improve the defense. They have added more walkthroughs and asked the players to do more voiceovers so they can get a better grasp of the calls. The players have homework assignments so they can better execute the defensive concepts on the field.
In addition to all that, the Commanders also simplified some of their defensive calls to help players avoid confusion, play faster and execute more decisively. It seems like that endeavor is still a work in progress, as an impressive first half against the Kansas City Chiefs, during which the unit held the Chiefs to seven points and forced two turnovers, was followed by 21 unanswered points in the second half of that game and 28 unanswered points against the Seahawks.