Lofty standards push Commanders’ defense in strong start to season

ASHBURN — Jonathan Allen’s definition of greatness can be measured in terms of numbers. Yes, the Washington Commanders defensive tackle still shrugs at individual statistics regarding his play. But ask him about what constitutes a great — a truly great — game for the defense? He gives no hesitation. 

At least 10 sacks. Three turnovers — forced by the defensive line alone. There definitely needs to be a defensive touchdown, he says. Hurting the quarterback, while not technically a statistic, also helps. 

“I mean, we would have to just completely wreck the game,” Allen said. “Oh, and also get a shutout.” 

The fact that Allen sets such a high standard for what makes a great defensive game — that he’s completely serious in his answer — explains a lot about the mindset of one of the most punishing units in football.  

The Commanders are set to face their biggest test of the season thus far when they host quarterback Josh Allen and the high-powered Buffalo Bills on Sunday. To get ready, Washington’s defense will rely on a mantra that demands excellence and consistently pushes players to elevate their play to support the rest of the group. 

Those standards can be seen on the field more and more these days. Even coming off a down week, when the Commanders let up 33 points and trailed 21-3, Washington’s defense still managed to punish the Denver Broncos when it counted. Though the unit was far from great, last Sunday’s win started to turn on a forced fumble by Commanders linebacker Jamin Davis, the defensive line registered seven sacks and Washington largely shut down the Broncos after Denver’s fast start. 

Through two weeks, Washington’s defense has set a tone for the Commanders — who, at 2-0, are off to their best start since 2011. And unlike in 2021, when the unit regressed badly from the year prior, there has been little slippage for the Commanders defensively after they were one of the best units in the league last year.  

“That was definitely a point for us this year, holding each other accountable,” defensive end Chase Young said. “I feel like we’re doing it pretty well in the meeting rooms, in practice and I feel like we’ve got to keep it going.

“We’re 2-0 so we feel like it’s definitely correlating. … Everything we’re doing right now, we’ve got to continue.” 

Part of that accountability stems from the expectations that Washington’s defense puts on itself.

“I promise you, the standard that I have for myself … is 20 times higher because of what we put on ourselves and each other,” Allen said. Those expectations materialize in concrete goals like forcing more turnovers and starting fast. 

So far, the Commanders have hit on those two points of emphasis. The defense has had four takeaways — three forced fumbles and one interception — through the first two games, tied for sixth-most in the NFL. Last year? The Commanders had the seventh-fewest turnovers. And in regards to starting fast, Washington didn’t allow the Arizona Cardinals to score a touchdown in Week 1 and clamped down on Denver after initially falling behind. The Commanders’ defense ranks 10th in DVOA, a metric that measures efficiency.

Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio laughed Thursday when told of Allen’s definition of a great game. The coordinator’s definition of what makes for a great defensive performance was much simpler: “One that helps the team win,” he said. 

But in that, he said, Del Rio acknowledged that there are games when one phase of the defense is operating at a higher level than the rest. Against the Broncos, that was evident by the way the defensive line took over the game. Defensive tackle Daron Payne, in particular, had a sequence in which he single-handily forced a Denver three-and-out with a sack, tackle for loss and a pass deflection to start the second half. 

By now, the defense also has come to know what Del Rio expects. The coordinator is in his fourth year at the helm with mostly the same core intact. 

“I establish high standards, my expectations, the things that I want us to strive for, but ultimately it needs to be something that the players grab and they make it something they’re pushing and demanding of each other,” Del Rio said. “When that happens, then really great things can occur.”

So if great games are rare, when was the last time that Allen saw such a dominating performance? This time, he pauses to think. 

He comes up with two examples: Last season’s NFC Championship game when the Philadelphia Eagles dominated the San Francisco 49ers — “To put out two quarterbacks, that pretty much won them the game,” he said — and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl LV victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. 

“Obviously, you’re not going to reach those standards every game,” Allen said, “but that’s the goal.”