Washington Commanders Risk Early 2022 Hole Without Chase Young

The Washington Commanders want a bounce-back 12 months from their protection to contend within the NFC East in 2022, sadly, they might have to begin their quest to rebound with out one among their cornerstones on that aspect of the ball.

ESPN’s John Keim wrote earlier this week that it’s doable Younger, the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Yr, will begin the 2022 season on injured reserve. That will routinely rule Younger out for the primary 4 video games of the brand new marketing campaign.

Younger tore his ACL in Week 10 of the 2021 season, one by which Washington missed the playoffs with their protection unable to raise a staff pressured to play Taylor Heinicke at quarterback into rivalry for the postseason.

Even earlier than Younger’s damage, Washington struggled mightily on protection in 2021. Certainly, between Weeks 1 and 10, Washington ranked thirty first on Anticipated Factors Added per play on protection, occurring to complete the 12 months twenty ninth in that metric. Washington was barely higher in Soccer Outsiders DVOA, by which its protection ranked twenty seventh. In weighted DVOA, it was 18th.

No part of the Washington protection got here away from 2021 with a lot credit score, however its struggles to create stress had been an enormous think about its failings final season. Washington was seventeenth within the NFL with a stress charge of 24.2 p.c, in line with Professional Soccer Reference. That was barely larger than that of the San Francisco 49ers (24.1) and superior to the likes of the Chicago Bears (23.1) and Los Angeles Rams (22.8).

Nevertheless, the 49ers, Rams and Bears all did a significantly better job of changing their pressures. The Niners completed the season with 48 sacks whereas the Bears registered 49 and the Rams 50. Washington, against this, ended the 12 months with 38.

Move-rush manufacturing will not be solely about sack numbers however the actuality is that—with Washington’s stress and sack charges each within the backside half of the league—the defensive entrance merely didn’t do sufficient to stress the quarterback in 2021.

The Commanders retain the expertise to vary that even when Younger is on the sidelines for the primary 4 video games in 2022. Montez Sweat has 21 sacks in three seasons off the sting whereas on the inside, Washington added second-round choose Phidarian Mathis to an already deep inside group led by Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

However, when Washington made the playoffs two seasons in the past, it was clear Younger was the engine. Taking part in with out him for the opening 4 video games—which come towards groups within the Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys who all have expertise on the offensive line—dangers shortly placing the Commanders behind the 8-ball in 2022.

Washington could hope the adjustments on offense, together with the commerce for Carson Wentz and the choice of Jahan Dotson within the first spherical, will enable the offense to attenuate the influence of any defensive struggles.

But, with the constantly unreliable Wentz at quarterback and Younger doubtlessly absent for a key opening stretch of winnable video games, the Commanders might discover themselves in a gap they don’t have the expertise to climb out of.