“I think I played pretty good this game, but at the end of the day, we didn’t make the plays we needed to make, to win the game, and that’s what ultimately matters.”
That was how Jonathan Allen opened his weekly appearance on the “Sports Junkies” of 106.7 The Fan.
The Commanders recorded nine quarterback sacks Sunday against the Giants. Allen quickly praised his defensive coordinator.
“I’m gonna give Coach Del Rio a lot of credit with some great blitzes to give (Tommy) Devito a lot of different looks to confuse him a little bit, make him unsure what he was seeing at times.”
Del Rio had the defensive unit focused on stopping the run, and indeed the Commanders at halftime held a 72-0 advantage in rushing yards. It continued through the third quarter as Washington rushed for 145 yards limiting the Giants to only 36.
“Our main goal was to stop the run, put the ball in his (Devito’s) hands, and when he does have the ball in his hands, you get after him and try to make him uncomfortable.”
But Saquon Barkley did get loose a few times late, finishing with 83 yards on 14 carries. “You give a guy like Saquon an inch of room; he is going to take advantage of it,” confirmed Allen.
When Allen was asked regarding the secondary giving up many big pass plays Sunday, he responded, “I would assume it’s miscommunication. To be honest, I try to stay out of it. The thing that’s tough about a defensive back is when they make a mistake, it is a touchdown, or it is 40 yards. When a defensive lineman makes a mistake, there is a 50-50 chance nobody will ever know.”
Now 4-7 and losers of four of their last five games, Allen was very openly honest when he said, “Some guys might pack it in. It’s a real fact that we are all human. Obviously, we are not eliminated from the playoffs, but we aren’t going to worry about that right now. We’re going to try to take it one game at a time.”
“We’re playing for our pride; we’re playing for our jobs. For a lot of guys, legacy is a big thing that they’re playing for. For me, I know the record we have is not going to change my approach to the game. It’s not going to change my outlook in what I’m trying to do week in and week out.”
The Commanders fly to Dallas on Wednesday for the annual NFL home game that Dallas always gets to play on Thanksgiving Day.
