The Washington Commanders defense was frustrated last year after they let Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley run all over them in the NFC Championship game. In the three games vs. Washington, Barkley rushed for 414 yards, seven touchdowns, and he is averaging 5.9 yards a carry. For a team that faces him twice a year, you can see why they are frustrated. And Barkley is showing no signs of slowing down.
In an ESPN article, Commanders DE Dorance Armstrong said, "If you can't stop the run, you can't win games."
Armstrong knows that the main focus this season is to stop the run. Last year, the Washington defense was in the bottom 10 in defense against the run. Obviously, they want to seek improvement if they want to beat the Eagles nasty rushing attack.
Who is on the Commanders defensive line to help them improve?
The Commanders have a few guys that beef up that defensive line. They have Daron Payne who is listed at 320 pounds. When Payne went down with an injury, Jer'Zhan Newton stepped in and he weighs in at 295 pounds. And of course, they have Johnathan Allen, who weighs in at 285. The Commanders main focus is to beef up the line and create a massive wall for the RB. They clearly have the guys for it.
But, they also got bigger up front by signing bigger guys this offseason. They signed tackle Javon Kinlaw who is (6-foot-5 and 319 pounds). Signed Eddie Goldman (6-foot-3, 320). Finally, they signed Deatrich Wise Jr. (6-foot-5, 280). Looks like the Commanders completed their goal of building up the trenches.
It looks like Saquon Barkley will be facing a massive wall when he runs against the Commanders this season. However, Saquon is Saquon. It will be challenging, but the Commanders look like they have found the recipe to stop Barkley this season. We will see if the Commanders have what it takes. It's going to be a fun one.