When he played in Chicago, Charles Leno Jr. got to match wits at practice with legendary defensive coach Vic Fangio, who is known for dreaming up new ways to put pressure on quarterbacks.
That experience will come in handy this week as Leno and the Washington Commanders prepare for one of the toughest tests any offense faces — a matchup with coach Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
“He’ll come up with a whole different game plan,” Leno said. “He’s gonna do whatever it takes to stop you and minimize whatever you do best. So he’s going to stop that and say, ‘Hey, beat me another way.’
“We’ve got to be prepared. And we’ve got to have a counter punch ready, too.”
The challenge is particularly urgent given that Commanders quarterback Sam Howell leads the league in taking sacks, and Belichick has historically thrived against young signal callers.
The New England coach is 27-9 in his career against rookie quarterbacks, though this game won’t count against that stat either way, since Howell is a second-year player (he started one game last season in Week 18).
There’s hope, though, that Sunday won’t be another Belichick beatdown.
For one, the Patriots have just 15 sacks this season, the second-fewest in the NFL. They’re also struggling offensively, with quarterback Mac Jones a far cry from the golden years of Tom Brady.
Howell is also making strides, and did not get sacked in the first half last week — the first sack-free half of his career.
“They do a lot of different things on defense, and you can tell they try to do things to mess with your eyes and they do a good job of it,” Howell said. “They try to give you different looks pre-snap, and then get to some of the same coverages that everybody plays. You just get to them in some unconventional ways, but they do a good job. Obviously, there’s a reason they’ve had so much success up there on the defensive side of the ball. It’ll definitely be a challenge for us.”
Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy noted that Howell also benefited from a remade offensive line that replaced two players last week.
Still, he sees Howell making progress each week in terms of knowing he has to release the ball quicker.
“I thought he was more poised in the pocket, obviously that has to do a lot with what the five guys did up front,” Bieniemy said. “I thought he played with more consistency. I thought he had more urgency. I thought he was more of a field general and he was in rhythm.”
Defensively, Washington will also be looking to get right after allowing 38 points to the Eagles. They’ll have to do it without Chase Young and Montez Sweat, who were traded away this week.
The Patriots, though, don’t have a dominant option at receiver, which could make Sunday a prime opportunity for Emmanuel Forbes to reemerge. The rookie cornerback has only played sporadically since being benched against the Bears earlier this year.
But it’s Howell who will be the focus as he aims to prove himself as the franchise’s future. Coach Ron Rivera said given how many looks the Patriots have defensively, it’ll be crucial to maximize every minute of practice time this week to drill the audibles and options into his head.
“Just trying to make sure we cover all the bases as to, hey, this is what they do,” Rivera said. “When they do this, this is how we want to be able to handle that, you know. This is what your reads are, this is what the best decision to make is.
“We’ll go over those things over and over and over. Just try and make sure Sam is comfortable with everything that we do, and have some specific checks or audibles or options for him to go to and use.”
Leno, who was drafted in 2014, noted that he’s never picked up a win in New England, making him extra excited for the chess match this weekend.
“It’s gonna be a tough game because Bill Belichick is clearly known as one of the best, if not the best, defensive coaches in the league,” he said. “It’s a hostile environment in Foxborough. I played there, haven’t won there. So I’m really excited to go in there and get a W.”
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