Jayden Daniels is injured again, but that’s the least of Washington’s problems

Jayden Daniels is injured again, suffering what is reported to be a hamstring injury, but that’s the least of Washington’s problems right now. The Commanders fell to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday evening, 44-22. It is their second consecutive loss and their first streak of any kind on the season. The book is out on Washington’s defense; they cannot prevent the explosive plays, players in their secondary are borderline unplayable, and the team generally cannot create a turnover if their life depends on it. Now, something else to monitor is that the defense has begun to allow explosive plays on the ground, too, when it was mostly limited to the pass game.

In Dan Quinn’s post-game presser, he began to acknowledge that defensive changes should be considered.

Washington has suffered injuries to several significant contributors on both sides of the football for seven weeks, and it has definitely contributed to the offensive and defensive decline. However, does the injury excuse pass for the defense if they continue to make the same mistakes? What changes can Quinn make that he’d be willing to make, at this point, that can plug the leaks?

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore and Quan Martin continue to be the faces of the explosive plays in the secondary. Will their usage or snap count be addressed in any capacity? What is most frustrating is that the defense, individually, has some good pieces. Javon Kinlaw, Daron Payne, Dorrance Armstrong, Frankie Luvu, Trey Amos, and Mike Sainristil are all players that you can win with. But it is clearly not enough, as the problems are both a talent and a coaching issue.

On this episode of the Trap or Dive Podcast, we gave our instant takeaways following Dan Quinn’s most embarrassing loss as Washington’s Head Coach to date. Jayden Daniels, suffering another injury, following a week two knee sprain, deserves some attention, too. However, with ten games left in the season, a Jayden Daniels conversation can be tabled with the level of incompetence that Washington displays defensively.

You can listen to the full Trap or Dive post-game recap below. We discussed:

• Dan Quinn needs to make changes defensively asap
• Marshon Lattimore and Quan Martin appear unplayable
• Jayden Daniels’ injury outlook
• Is Kliff the primary issue, or is it personnel?

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