If you watched the Washington Commanders defeat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, you probably noticed how dominant Washington’s defensive line was in the victory.
Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne and Montez Sweat dominated the Arizona Cardinals, combining for 10 tackles, including six for loss, four QB hits, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Buy Commanders TicketsSweat’s sack of Arizona QB Joshua Dobbs essentially clinched the game for the Commanders.
While each of Washington’s three standout defensive linemen recorded two tackles for loss, Allen came away from Week 1 receiving the most praise.
Per Next Gen Stats and ESPN analytics, Allen led all NFL defensive tackles in Week 1 in pass rush win rate. Allen had 20 pass-rush plays, and he won seven of those plays, resulting in a 35% pass-rush win rate. He was double-teamed on 63% of his 20 pass-rush plays. Only two other defensive tackles had more than Allen’s 20 plays, and he still won a higher number of his opportunities.
Top 10 players in pass rush win rate at defensive tackle in Week 1 thus far.
(ESPN / NFL Next Gen Stats) pic.twitter.com/VrhtOHPtAs
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) September 11, 2023
To put things in perspective for Allen, he is also dealing with a case of plantar fasciitis, making his Week 1 effort even more impressive.
