After the Washington Commanders’ 35-33 win over the Denver Broncos Sunday, head coach Ron Rivera said he couldn’t wait to watch the tape and focus on defensive end Chase Young.
Young returned to the lineup Sunday, played 47 snaps, and impacted the game multiple times. Young recorded three tackles, including one for loss, 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hits.
Buy Commanders TicketsYoung said after the game that it was a blessing to be back on the field with his teammates.
So what did Rivera think one day after Young’s triumphant return?
“He was so excited to get back out on the field, we had to really kind of try to temp him the best we could,” Rivera said.
“A couple of times, he popped out there when it wasn’t his time to rotate in. But we tried to maintain that with him as good as we can. Secondly, I thought he did show his explosiveness. There were some times where you saw him just flat-out win on his own, and the quarterback [Russell Wilson] just barely got the ball out on time, and then you saw his persistence in terms of countering, coming back underneath, and then getting his first sack. That was good to see. Then there were a couple of times, especially in the red zone when we needed him, and Montez came through together where they met at the quarterback; that was a lot of fun.”
Throughout the entire time he talked about Young, Rivera had a smile on his face. It was clear he and Young were relieved his injuries were behind him and he was back on the field.
Young’s 1.5 sacks in the game matched his total from 2021 and 2022 combined, where he missed 22 games. Rivera was asked if matching that total was important for Young in moving forward.
“I think it was kind of probably on his mind,” Rivera said. “Once he got it and got that sack out of the way, his first play, now there’s no pressure, there’s no expectation or anticipation. Now he just goes out and plays, and that’s what I thought he did in the second half.”
Moving forward for Young, he doesn’t need to worry about the past two lost seasons. It’s all about wreaking havoc in the backfield, and if Sunday was any indication, it could be a special year for Washington’s defensive line.
