LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Frankie Luvu sacked Deshaun Watson twice by himself, shared another sack and recovered a fumble. After he and the Washington Commanders’ revamped defense had by far their best game of the season, he was not taking a victory lap.
“There’s still a lot of plays left out there that we could improve on,” Luvu said. “Always room for improvement, and us as a defense, we’re just getting started. The arrow’s pointed up, and that’s the direction we want to go.”
Defense delivered a fourth consecutive victory to get the Commanders to 4-1 with a rout of the Cleveland Browns, who gained just 149 yards through three quarters before the teams went through the motions to finish a 34-13 blowout. The difficulty level ratchets up big time this week against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, so Luvu and his teammates are right to say there is still plenty to work on after a rough start.
“We’re trying to get better,” said six-time All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner, who forced the fumble by Watson that Luvu recovered. “There’s still stuff that I feel like we can fix. Each week we just want to get better, and I feel like we’re doing that.”
The signs of improvement are there.
The Commanders had the worst third-down defense in the NFL through the first four weeks of the season. They held Cleveland to 0 for 12 on third down with Watson in the game and 1 for 13 overall counting garbage time when the outcome already was decided.
They also made Watson’s life difficult with the seven sacks, thanks to blanket coverage and more pressure than he expected.
“We executed really well,” said defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, who had a sack among his four tackles. “Whenever you get that amount of sacks, the (defensive backs) should get a lot of credit because they played really well. And they made it tough for him.”
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels flashed more brilliance, made one mistake and acknowledged his play was not the biggest reason for the latest win.
“Shout out to the defense,” Daniels said. “They gave us opportunities, even when we weren’t clicking at first, to get back on the field and get into a groove, get into a rhythm. Without them, we would not have been in this position.”
What’s working
Daniels has had some rookie moments, like his interception just before the goal line against Cleveland, but many more in which he looks like he has been in the league much longer than five games.
Washington’s offense surpassed 400 yards for the fourth time in five games, and Daniels & Co. are clicking on all cylinders running and throwing the ball.
“You can kind of see, the tempo’s been getting to the defenses, for sure,” right guard Sam Cosmi said. “They’ve been tired, which is just allowing us to make explosive plays.”
What needs help
Red zone play on offense, which was excellent at Arizona, has hit another lull. Daniels’ interception and a couple of other drives stalling cost Washington some points along the way.
“We left stuff out there on the table a lot,” Daniels said. “It’s a long game. You’ve got to keep battling.”
Stock up
Daniels found top receiver Terry McLaurin for four completions, 112 yards and real evidence their rapport is improving as the season goes on.
“Him and I are growing each and every week,” McLaurin said. “You can definitely tell that our connection is growing.”
Stock down
Veteran tight end Zach Ertz was targeted eight times and finished with just two catches for 10 yards. He remains a valuable leader but may not be the reliable option for Daniels that the Commanders thought when they signed him.
Injuries
Receiver Noah Brown’s groin injury bears monitoring, along with defensive end Clelin Ferrell’s knee problem that has knocked him out of the past three games.
Key number
1997 — The last time Washington won back-to-back games by 20-plus points until beating the Browns and Cardinals by a combined score of 76-27.
Next steps
The focus immediately shifted to the Ravens, who opened as 6 1/2-point favorites on BetMGM Sportsbook. The run defense will be tested in a big way by Jackson, Derrick Henry and Justice Hill.
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