It’s never nice to root for a coach’s firing, but based on the tape and the metrics, the Washington Commanders had to do something about their pass defense. They did just that on Friday, sending defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio packing.
A shakeup in Washington:#Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has been fired following another crushing loss, sources say, this time to the #Cowboys.
Ron Rivera presumably will call the D now. pic.twitter.com/dz991tj4P2
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 24, 2023
This less than 24 hours after Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys blew up Del Rio’s defense — in Prescott’s case, and in a 45-10 Dallas win, that meant 22 completions in 32 attempts for 331 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 142.1.
That’s been par for the course for the Commanders this season — through Week 11, they’d allowed a league-high 24 passing touchdowns to just six interceptions, and a league-high opponent passer rating of 101.0.
Washington’s defense came into Thanksgiving ranked 30th in DVOA, and dead last in the league against the pass. Tape study has shown SEVERAL examples of the issues with Del Rio’s defenses in recent times.
My tape piece from last month analyzing the @Commanders' pass defense. https://t.co/R9F1Ni5zkh
A few notes for the next guy:
1. Don't play man if you can't play man.
2. Don't sell out in coverage if you can't back it up.
3. Try to encourage your linebackers to NOT get sucked… https://t.co/kTVDQMS964— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) November 24, 2023
The absolute nadir of Del Rio’s defense may have been in Week 11, when Washington sacked New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito nine times… and still allowed the undrafted rookie to go off against more bad coverage.
After a 2-0 start to the season, head coach Ron Rivera’s team now stands at 4-8, and Rivera might be next on the block.
