The Washington Commanders didn’t take a day off after last week’s disappointing loss to the Baltimore Ravens. After reviewing the film on Monday, many players skipped their usual day off on Tuesday to prepare for Sunday’s home game against the Carolina Panthers.
That was encouraging for coach Dan Quinn, who said his 4-2 team has progressed by leaps and bounds since the preseason. The growth has been so impressive he expects to see a similar jump in coming weeks.
“Think of like a spring you’re putting down; you see it uncoiled and all this energy takes place,” the coach told reporters on Wednesday. “As the players, they don’t get to see that, but it’s going to happen again in this leap, but you got to go put the work in. That’s where our challenge is.”
On paper, the Panthers seem like an ideal opponent for a “get-right” game. The 1-5 squad benched second-year quarterback Bryce Young for journeyman Andy Dalton earlier this season, but their struggles have permeated both sides of the football.
Through six games, Carolina possesses an abysmal minus-100 point differential, worst in the NFL by a wide margin. Opposing offenses have picked on their run defense, and the pass coverage hasn’t fared much better.
But the Commanders aren’t looking at the standings as they prepare for their next opponent. As the scoreboard reminds fans each week, anything can happen on any given Sunday.
“If we don’t come in and don’t do what we need to do, they can definitely win the ballgame,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “We’re all professionals at the end of the day. They get paid just like we do.”
To help his squad avoid a potential trap game, coach Quinn has kept the focus on self-improvement. He noted that the current version of his team would crush their preseason counterparts.
“The focus is on us,” Quinn said, noting that he urges his players to look past the standings. “We got plenty to work on, and we are absolutely going to go sharpen our game as strong as we can, knowing that that will pay dividends moving forward.”
The defense would be a good place to start.
The Ravens torched the Commanders defenders last week on the ground and through the air as quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry combined for a seemingly unstoppable offensive explosion.
Washington couldn’t buy a stop, forcing just one punt as Baltimore’s offense marched the ball down the field at will.
The struggling defense will move forward without star defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, who will miss the remainder of the season with a pec tear.
“We’re looking forward to having those guys step up, we have full confidence that they will,” safety Jeremy Chinn said of the defensive line. “As far as the back end, everybody else, we got to continue to be on our things and communicate.”
Fortunately for Washington’s defense, the offense will still be led by rookie phenom Jayden Daniels. The 23-year-old quarterback earned his fifth Rookie of the Week award on Thursday, the latest accolade in his spectacular debut season.
Even if the defense continues to falter, the Commanders can stay competitive with No. 5 behind the center.
“It’s nice not only for the team, but for the city,” Wagner said of having a franchise quarterback. “You got somebody that you know is going to consistently be there, you know is going to be the future and a really bright, humble guy that you want to follow. It’s really cool.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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