"The play that prompted Olsen's comment was a microcosm of the issue. It was 2nd-and-10 from Washington's 18-yard line. Despite being in the red zone and having a compressed field, cornerback Jonathan Jones was playing a full 10 yards off wide receiver A.J. Brown. Therefore, Brown had no problem running a short slant and catching the quick throw from quarterback Jalen Hurts."
"There is a sound logic to playing this style of defense, especially against a big, talented receiver like Brown, who has four inches and 40 pounds on Jones. It prevents an easy fade in the end zone. But the strategy only works if the corner - or anyone else on the defense - closes immediately and gets the receiver on the ground as soon as he makes the catch. That's not what happened."
The Commanders have given up almost 1,000 yards after missed tackles in 2025. Missed tackles and poor tackling in the red zone repeatedly allow big gains after catches. Jonathan Jones was playing 10 yards off A.J. Brown on 2nd-and-10 from the 18, enabling a short slant and an easy catch from Jalen Hurts. Zone coverage has become predominant after injuries to Marshon Lattimore and Trey Amos. Undersized defenders like Jones and Mike Sainristil struggle in man coverage against larger perimeter receivers. Failure to close immediately and bring receivers to the ground has led to consistent defensive breakdowns. Earlier on the same drive, Brown found a soft spot between linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu for a 15-yard gain and a first down.
Read at Riggo's Rag
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