Commanders' Critics Concerned With 'Disappointing' Defensive Weakness in Super Bowl Chase

Commanders' Critics Concerned With 'Disappointing' Defensive Weakness in Super Bowl Chase originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Washington Commanders may have enjoyed one of the best turnarounds in league history, but they still have much to prove going into the 2025 season.

In the second year of the Dan Quinn era, one area that must improve is the team's run defense. While Washington fielded a top-10 unit in many statistical categories in 2024, the run defense broke down... and did so at the worst possible time.

Their 55-23 loss to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game was a clear sign that the Commanders still had work to do on the defensive side of the ball.

It's also why NFL.com’s Jeremy Bregman believes there is some concern for the roster going into the new season.

“The last we saw the Commanders defense, it was being boat-raced off Lincoln Financial Field by Saquon Barkley and Co. to the tune of 459 yards and 55 points allowed,” said Bregman. “Joe Whitt Jr.'s middling outfit was the more disappointing unit in 2024 and saw some turnover this offseason that should change things—for better or worse, who knows?”

Washington lost defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. during the offseason. They recently added veteran pass rusher Von Miller, but there are concerns that the Commanders did not adequately solve their run-defense problems.

With another year under Quinn's direction, however, the Commanders believe they will be much better from a schematic standpoint.

And them being right about that may be the difference between another deep playoff run toward a Super Bowl... or a significant decrease in production across the board that causes a disappointing end to 2025.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.