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Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen left early against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6 due to a pectoral injury. He was later ruled out and did not return, per NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
It's been a quiet and disappointing year for Allen. He has just a 55.5 PFF grade to start this season. He also graded 59.7 in 2023 after grading 80.1 in 2022 and 84.9 in 2021.
The 2017 first-round pick fared well under the leadership of defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, who was with Washington from 2020 to 2023.
Commanders are still a work in progress on defense
Allen hasn't seemed to find his footing with new defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. You should also listen when franchises speak with their draft picks and they must be seeing something to use a second-round pick on DT Jer'Zhan Newton when on paper, the Commanders should be seen as strong at defensive tackle between Allen and Daron Payne.
The Ravens were happy to control the football and pick when they took their shots downfield. RB Derrick Henry ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Baltimore accumulated 28 first downs, leading to a 36:08 time of possession. Both season-highs, not including the Ravens' overtime matchup against the Bengals in Week 5.
LB Frankie Luvu believes he's playing at his best with head coach Dan Quinn, per NFL insider Ari Meirov.
“I wish I was playing for Dan Quinn my entire seven years in the league. … He's all energy but there's nothing fake about it. The dude is legit.”
That said, Luvu had his best PFF grades over his last three seasons while with the Carolina Panthers. The reason why he was a coveted linebacker in free agency is because of how he played in recent seasons.
So far, when we've seen the Commanders overperform, it's smoke and mirrors. How much of their dominating 34-13 win against the Cleveland Browns boil down to their ineptitude rather than the Commanders' talent? Dan Quinn said he believed the defensive line played great in that game.
“I was pleased to see the big guys inside, in the run game to stay square and play on blocks,” Quinn said. “What it does is create advantages. When (the opponent) has to call some third downs that are longer ones. That’s a big deal. It was good to see us finishing. The early part of the year we were able to do that. We had gotten pressure and didnt finish. Tampa comes to mind.”
Washington is beating who they are supposed to (Giants, Bengals, Cardinals and Browns) and losing to the NFL's best (Buccaneers and Ravens).
The Commanders should be able to handle the Carolina Panthers in Week 7, but their next test will come in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears.
