Washington fans have been waiting a while for its defensive line to dominate games. The Commanders invested four first-round picks in four consecutive years on the D-line in defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne and defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young.
Allen had a dominant year in 2021, earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl. So far in 2022, Allen is again having an outstanding season, but he isn’t the only one.
According to Next Gen Stats, the Commanders “have generated a league-high 37.4% pressure rate with 4-or-fewer pass rushers this season.”
That is some elite defensive line play. The team behind Washington on this list is Dallas Cowboys, and we know all about how good their pass rush is.
The Washington Commanders have generated a league-high 37.4% pressure rate with 4-or-fewer pass rushers this season.
WAS Pressure Leaders (2022)
🥇 Montez Sweat: 21 (T-4th in NFL)
🥈 Jonathan Allen: 18 (2nd among IDL)
🥉 Daron Payne: 14 (5th among IDL)#WASvsCHI #HTTC pic.twitter.com/MXYOo0z31A— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 13, 2022
Sweat has been playing at a different level the last two weeks after a quiet two-week period. Allen and Payne have dominated all season long. And all of this without Young.
As head coach Ron Rivera said Friday, the team should have an answer on Young’s return soon. When Washington gets Young back, it could finally have the defensive line it expected. Unfortunately, the back seven remains an issue.
