The Washington Commanders are entering their Week 11 matchup against the Miami Dolphins with a dismal 3-7 record.
Of course, injuries will be the main thing people point to as the reason for the team’s struggles. Jayden Daniels, Dorance Armstrong, Terry McLaurin, and Sam Cosmi are just some of the important players who have missed time this year. However, even without injuries, the defense has been just as big, if not more of a problem.
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Only three defenses are giving up more points per game than the Commanders, and only the Cincinnati Bengals have given up more points over the last three games. The Commanders are also 31st in passing yards allowed per game, which is a big slide from the unit’s performance last season.
As a result, head coach Dan Quinn recently announced that he would take over defensive play-calling duties from Joe Whitt Jr. On Friday, Whitt was asked about the changes and seemed understanding.
“I’ve been in this business long enough, and at the end of the day, it’s about winning,” Whitt said, via J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports. “It wasn’t anything that I was necessarily shocked by.”
Whitt was brought in to be the defensive coordinator ahead of the 2024 season. Whitt and Quinn worked together in 2020 with the Atlanta Falcons and then were in Dallas together with the Cowboys from 2021-23, so there’s plenty of familiarity here.
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Whitt was asked if the demotion was “hard to accept.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s hard to accept or not,” declared Whitt. “It’s the reality of what it is. The performance was not what it needed to be, and we’re not winning, so, doesn’t matter if it’s hard or not, it is what it is.”
Whitt knows his unit hasn’t been up to par, and the coach sounded willing to do whatever it takes to start winning games again. The next test for the Commanders will be in Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins in Spain.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: DC Joe Whitt responds to being demoted
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