Just like with Cleveland, a warning needs to be sent that the defense played against a less-than-stellar Carolina Panthers offense. However, you can only play who’s on your schedule… And the Panthers’ offense was the stronger of the units for Carolina, yet Washington’s defense still dominated. That counts for something…
The Good:
Pressure!! The defense was able to pressure Dalton. Even in his old age, he’s not really Kurt Warner when it comes to pocket movement. It didn’t matter, however, because the defensive line was on a mission on Sunday.
The Bad:
Hardly any… Losing the shutout does suck, and it would have been the first one since 1991. However, it was the freakin’ fourth quarter. The damage was done; the message was received.
Two Up 👍👍
Dante Fowler Jr. (PFF Grade - 96.6)
I started writing this during the second quarter with 7:32 left. Why? Because this man had already recorded a pick-six and a big TFL on 4th down. It doesn’t matter what happened after this; he’s already earned this spot. Yet he still added another sack, his fourth in the last three games. He’s on a heater at the moment…
Mike Sainristil (PFF Grade - 82.7)
If Luvu and Wagner are the heart and soul of the defense, what can Sainristil’s role be? I’ll have to think about that, but what I will say is that the rookie had a decent game, and you have to remember that this may not be his best position. The ceiling is growing higher for the former Wolverine…
I know it was “only Carolina,” but still… A good performance is a good performance, so no thumbs-downs this week. Here’s…
Two MORE Up 👍👍
Phidarian Mathis (PFF Grade - 34.1)
“Big Phil” was great against the run versus the Panthers. PFF DOES NOT agree with me, AT ALL. It’s cool. My eyes and the stats sheet say that he had a decent game, and that’s something we haven’t been able to say much since he was drafted.
Emmanuel Forbes (PFF Grade - 53.6)
He caught an interception! Granted, it was thrown right to him, but he still had to be in the position to get the INT. Hopefully, it could be a spark, and we start to see him play better. For pride’s sake, former Head Coach Ron Rivera may want to see better play from him more than most!
Season Progressive Grade
• Week 7 Grade:A+
• Season Grade:C
Defensive Rankings:
• Total YPG:329.1 (14th, Last Week: 22nd)
• Pass YPG:197.6 (12th, Last Week: 19th)
• Run YPG:131.6 (18th, Last Week: 22nd)
• 3rd Down Conversion Rate:44.00% (23rd, Last Week: 29th)
Okay, so the Panthers didn’t even score last week… That’s my bad! However, the defense won’t be as fortunate with the Bears coming to town. Hopefully, they can limit any potential big plays and make the Bears earn any success they may have on Sunday.
Photo credits: Commanders.com
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