2025
2025 season · Weeks 1 to 22 · 5-12
Commanders defense
Every snap the Commanders defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good+0.14 EPA a play allowed, 30th of 32, and 0.14 above what the offenses they faced usually manage (31st).
- How they playThey blitz on 27% of dropbacks, the 21st-most in the league, and get pressure on 21%.
- Where offenses find roomThrough the air: +0.22 EPA a dropback, 30th, softest deep middle (+2.43 a throw).
- Who hurt themTre Tucker (LV): 149 yards and +15.4 EPA on 10 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | +0.14 | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.22 | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | +0.03 | 28th of 32 | 14th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 48% | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 11% | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Yards per play | 6.1 | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| Yards per carry | 4.7 | 28th of 32 | 14th | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 42% | 23rd of 32 | 30th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 6.8% | 13th of 32 | 63rd | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 21% | 24th of 32 | 27th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 14% | 19th of 32 | 42nd | |
| INT rateper dropback | 1.3% | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 69% | 31st of 32 | 5th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.61 | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 0.6 | 31st of 32 | 6th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | +0.14 | 31st of 32 | 5th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Commanders. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 4 of 17 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 1 against the Giants, 0.27 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.01 a play elsewhere, the 16th-toughest schedule of offenses.
vs NYGW 21-6-0.24usual +0.03
at GBL 18-27+0.16usual +0.11
vs LVW 41-24+0.04usual -0.23
at ATLL 27-34+0.27usual -0.04
at LACW 27-10-0.14usual -0.02
vs CHIL 24-25+0.18usual +0.07
at DALL 22-44+0.10usual +0.10
at KCL 7-28+0.25usual +0.02
vs SEAL 14-38+0.45usual +0.01
vs DETL 22-44+0.48usual +0.05
at MIAL 13-16-0.02usual -0.02
vs DENL 26-27+0.18usual +0.04
at MINL 0-31+0.31usual -0.14at NYGW 29-21+0.02usual +0.01
vs PHIL 18-29+0.28usual +0.01vs DALL 23-30+0.21usual +0.09at PHIW 24-17-0.10usual +0.04Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is deep middle: +2.43 EPA a throw against a league +0.73. The lockdown zone is intermediate left, +0.11 a throw (league +0.35). Completions against them run 2.2 points over expected, 22nd-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 4.7 yards a carry against them, 28th of 32. The leak is outside right: 6.9 a carry and +0.27 EPA (league 5.2, +0.07).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 18.624th | 162.727th | +0.3628th-toughest | 22.86th-most28.98th-most34.98th-most |
| Tight ends | 6.710th | 61.226th | +0.5331st-toughest | 10.82nd-most13.44th-most15.95th-most |
| Backs, receiving | 4.87th | 33.221st | +0.0922nd-toughest | 22.24th-most23.94th-most25.66th-most |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 19.63rd-most19.63rd-most19.63rd-most |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tre Tucker | LV | 10 | 149 | 3 | +15.4 |
| D'Andre Swift | CHI | 17 | 175 | 1 | +12.3 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | DET | 19 | 172 | 3 | +12.1 |
| George Pickens | DAL | 11 | 160 | +10.8 | |
| Tucker Kraft | GB | 7 | 124 | 1 | +10.7 |
| Jameson Williams | DET | 7 | 119 | 1 | +10.3 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Their biggest third-down edge is third-and-short (1 to 3): offenses convert 55% against a league 60%. They are stingiest in the two-minute drill (-0.09 a play, league +0.03) and weakest in 2nd down (+0.22, league +0.02).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 474 | +0.10 | +0.01 | +0.08 |
| 2nd down | 351 | +0.22 | +0.02 | +0.19 |
| 3rd down | 211 | +0.08 | -0.05 | +0.14 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 66 | 55% | 60% | −6 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 49 | 51% | 44% | +7 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 96 | 29% | 26% | +3 pts |
| Red zone | 188 | +0.11 | 0.00 | +0.11 |
| Two-minute drill | 111 | -0.09 | +0.03 | -0.12 |
| When they lead | 342 | +0.03 | -0.01 | +0.04 |
| One-score game | 692 | +0.18 | +0.02 | +0.16 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 241 | +0.15 | +0.04 | +0.11 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 27% of dropbacks and average 4.3 rushers; 73% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.21 EPA when they blitz and +0.23 when they do not.
They put 6.4 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 2%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 5.1 a carry; into eight or more, 1.5.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 0 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains +0.21 EPA against them on 28% of throws; screens -0.08.
47 defensive penalties for 399 yards, 30 of them first downs, the 16th-fewest. They miss 12% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 31st-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Jacob Martin leads the pass rush with 26 pressures and 5.5 sacks on 62% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99Javon KinlawDT | 64% | 5 | 3 | 5 | 43 | 1 | |
| 55Jacob MartinDE | 62% | 26 | 5.5 | 18 | 3 | 39 | 1 |
| 94Daron PayneNT | 54% | 9 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 45 | 1 |
| 95Jer'Zhan NewtonDT | 37% | 11 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 37 | 1 |
| 24Von MillerOLB | 37% | 19 | 9 | 15 | 6 | 26 | |
| 97Eddie GoldmanNT | 29% | 2 | 1 | 4 | 24 | ||
| 52Preston SmithDE | 25% | 7 | 0.5 | 6 | 2 | 24 | |
| 96Jalyn HolmesDT | 22% | 1 | 1 | 21 | |||
| 92Dorance ArmstrongDE | 21% | 10 | 5.5 | 7 | 7 | 23 | |
| 98Sheldon DayDT | 18% | 3 | 1 | 13 |
Bobby Wagner plays 99% of the snaps with 158 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54Bobby WagnerMLB | 99% | 158 | 8 | 4.5 | 11 | 56 | 81.8 | 7 |
| 4Frankie LuvuLB | 97% | 84 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 40 | 101.7 | 18 |
| 58Jordan MageeLB | 32% | 54 | 3 | 21 | 85.2 | 8 | ||
| 90Javontae Jean-BaptisteLB | 5% | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 39.6 | |
| 57Nick BelloreLB | 1% | 12 | ||||||
| 56Kain MedranoLB | 0% | 5 | ||||||
| 51Ale KahoLB | 0% | 4 |
Jonathan Jones is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 83.0 passer rating on 43 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0Mike SainristilCB | 89% | 89 | 61 of 89 | 733 | 9 | 100.9 | 4 | 12 |
| 20Quan MartinSAF | 82% | 49 | 35 of 49 | 722 | 6 | 106.5 | 3 | |
| 39Jeremy ReavesDB | 63% | 41 | 29 of 41 | 334 | 1 | 86.3 | 1 | 7 |
| 3Will HarrisSAF | 47% | 20 | 12 of 20 | 152 | 2 | 100.0 | 3 | |
| 2Marshon LattimoreCB | 47% | 37 | 22 of 37 | 307 | 2 | 94.5 | 1 | 7 |
| 23Trey AmosCB | 46% | 38 | 27 of 38 | 315 | 1 | 96.3 | 6 | |
| 31Jonathan JonesDB | 42% | 43 | 26 of 43 | 359 | 83.0 | 5 | ||
| 6Noah IgbinogheneCB | 32% | 28 | 18 of 28 | 253 | 92.3 | 5 | ||
| 25Darnell SavageSAF | 16% | 14 | 11 of 14 | 104 | 3 | 107.0 | 1 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.