2026
2026 season · Weeks 1 to 8 · 2-4-1
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+0.03 EPA a play allowed, 21st of 32, and 0.06 above what the offenses they faced usually manage (23rd).
- How they playThey blitz on 46% of dropbacks, the 2nd-most in the league, and get pressure on 21%.
- Where offenses find roomThrough the air: +0.09 EPA a dropback, 21st, softest deep right (+1.13 a throw).
- Who hurt themCeeDee Lamb (DAL): 153 yards and +11.4 EPA on 9 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
- Next upWeek 9 against the Rams, whose offense ranks 9th in EPA a play.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | +0.03 | 21st of 32 | 36th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.09 | 21st of 32 | 36th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | -0.08 | 16th of 32 | 52nd | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 46% | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 8% | 8th of 32 | 77th | |
| Yards per play | 5.4 | 17th of 32 | 48th | |
| Yards per carry | 3.5 | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 44% | 26th of 32 | 20th |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 5.5% | 23rd of 32 | 30th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 21% | 18th of 32 | 45th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 14% | 22nd of 32 | 33rd | |
| INT rateper dropback | 1.4% | 22nd of 32 | 33rd | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 79% | 31st of 32 | 5th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.29 | 23rd of 32 | 30th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.4 | 12th of 32 | 66th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | +0.06 | 23rd of 32 | 30th |
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 2 of 7 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 8 against the Eagles, 0.07 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average -0.03 a play elsewhere, the 25th-toughest schedule of offenses.
at PHIL 22-24+0.07usual -0.15
at DALL 20-37+0.23usual +0.08
vs SEAW 33-31-0.05usual -0.04
vs INDL 13-30-0.09usual -0.12
vs NYGT 27-27+0.07usual +0.00
at SFL 17-23+0.21usual +0.17vs PHIW 27-10-0.19usual -0.12Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is deep right: +1.13 EPA a throw against a league +0.33. The lockdown zone is deep left, -0.61 a throw (league +0.34). Completions against them run 4.1 points over expected, 29th-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 3.5 yards a carry against them, 5th of 32. The leak is off left tackle: 5.3 a carry and +0.23 EPA (league 4.6, -0.03).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 19.122nd | 149.018th | +0.1913th-toughest | 21.014th-most27.313th-most33.612th-most |
| Tight ends | 8.022nd | 74.930th | +0.4730th-toughest | 14.42nd-most17.52nd-most20.72nd-most |
| Backs, receiving | 7.128th | 36.122nd | -0.089th-toughest | 14.66th-fewest17.27th-fewest19.89th-fewest |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 20.14th-most20.14th-most20.14th-most |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CeeDee Lamb | DAL | 9 | 153 | 2 | +11.4 |
| Dallas Goedert | PHI | 10 | 109 | 2 | +10.7 |
| Isaiah Likely | NYG | 13 | 94 | 2 | +10.4 |
| Jake Ferguson | DAL | 4 | 43 | 2 | +6.5 |
| Mike Evans | SF | 5 | 94 | +5.7 | |
| Dontayvion Wicks | PHI | 4 | 73 | 1 | +3.8 |
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-7+: offenses convert 26% against a league 27%. They are stingiest in the two-minute drill (-0.09 a play, league 0.00) and weakest in the red zone (+0.39, league +0.03).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 196 | +0.00 | +0.02 | -0.01 |
| 2nd down | 145 | -0.07 | +0.00 | -0.08 |
| 3rd down | 95 | +0.12 | -0.04 | +0.16 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 32 | 66% | 61% | +5 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 21 | 48% | 44% | +3 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 42 | 26% | 27% | −0 pts |
| Red zone | 67 | +0.39 | +0.03 | +0.36 |
| Two-minute drill | 52 | -0.09 | 0.00 | -0.09 |
| When they lead | 206 | -0.01 | +0.01 | -0.01 |
| One-score game | 325 | -0.03 | -0.01 | -0.03 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 59 | +0.12 | +0.03 | +0.08 |
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 46% of dropbacks and average 4.6 rushers; 54% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow -0.03 EPA when they blitz and +0.27 when they do not.
They put 6.7 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 6%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.2 a carry; into eight or more, 1.9.
Offenses throw more than usual against them: 2 points over their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains -0.07 EPA against them on 26% of throws; screens -0.17.
17 defensive penalties for 165 yards, 12 of them first downs, the 6th-fewest. They miss 8% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 12th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
K'Lavon Chaisson leads the pass rush with 12 pressures and 3.5 sacks on 69% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45K'Lavon ChaissonLB | 69% | 12 | 3.5 | 10 | 4 | 19 | 2 |
| 98Odafe OwehLB | 65% | 9 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 16 | 1 |
| 94Daron PayneNT | 63% | 9 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 14 | 1 |
| 99Javon KinlawDT | 52% | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 13 | |
| 92Dorance ArmstrongDE | 42% | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 1 |
| 97Tim SettleDT | 41% | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 11 | |
| 96Shy TuttleDT | 36% | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 13 | |
| 90Charles OmenihuDE | 36% | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | |
| 91Deatrich WiseDE | 17% | 4 |
Sonny Styles plays 92% of the snaps with 52 tackles and 1 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52Sonny StylesLB | 92% | 52 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 82.8 | 6 |
| 4Frankie LuvuLB | 64% | 34 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 64.8 | |
| 54Leo ChenalLB | 21% | 18 | 1 | 6 | 77.8 | 2 | ||
| 48Joshua JosephsLB | 21% | 8 | 1 | 6 | 95.9 | |||
| 56Kain MedranoLB | 17% | 12 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 73.8 | 3 | |
| 41Javontae Jean-BaptisteLB | 6% | 5 | 1 | 95.8 | ||||
| 58Jordan MageeLB | 2% | 3 |
Rasul Douglas is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 71.7 passer rating on 33 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2Amik RobertsonCB | 99% | 44 | 29 of 44 | 355 | 1 | 91.9 | 8 | |
| 39Jeremy ReavesDB | 91% | 21 | 11 of 21 | 204 | 3 | 88.2 | 3 | |
| 20Quan MartinSAF | 63% | 11 | 6 of 11 | 109 | 81.4 | |||
| 29Rasul DouglasCB | 61% | 33 | 18 of 33 | 253 | 71.7 | 2 | 6 | |
| 25Nick CrossSAF | 55% | 7 | 5 of 7 | 57 | 2 | 130.6 | ||
| 0Mike SainristilCB | 41% | 20 | 14 of 20 | 193 | 5 | 128.6 | ||
| 23Trey AmosCB | 21% | 3 | 2 of 3 | 25 | 92.4 | 2 | ||
| 24Fabian MoreauCB | 14% | 7 | 6 of 7 | 40 | 1 | 97.3 | 1 | |
| 35Percy ButlerSAF | 7% | 1 | 0 of 1 | 12 | 77.1 |
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.