One frustration for fans is the lack of development of some of the team’s younger players. Some of Washington’s young players have shined when given the opportunity; The only problem is that they have lacked opportunities.
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We’re at the point in the season where the Commanders have no choice but to turn to some of their younger players. We’ve seen it at tight end with Zach Ertz’s injury opening the door for Ben Sinnott. Chris Rodriguez missed Thursday’s game against Dallas, opening the door for Jacory Croskey-Merritt to see the bulk of the load, and he delivered with 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Another young player who shined against the Cowboys was second-year defensive tackle Johnny Newton. Newton set career highs across the board in place of Daron Payne, recording nine tackles, including two for loss, three sacks and five quarterback hits. Sure, Washington’s run defense was horrible, with Newton playing a role, but overall it was an encouraging performance.
To put things in perspective, Washington’s starting defensive tackles, Payne and Javon Kinlaw, have combined for two sacks all season.
While it’s exciting to see Newton have such a big game, there is concern that it will be a one-time thing. Does head coach Dan Quinn believe Newton’s success will continue?
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“I think the disruption, the quickness, those are the skills he has,” Quinn said. “And so, listening to him put all the pieces together, anticipation of plays, how to execute them to go, I felt that. And that’s an instinctive thing about going, it’s passing, it’s running, where can I go? And so, it takes some time to learn that. And when you do that as a player, the game slows down because now you can anticipate a little better. I know the defensive decision, I understood it. Now, how can I apply my skills in this? Call? What you don’t want, we had some of this at the beginning of the year, ‘I’ll go make a play, I’ll try one.’ And that’s part of the instincts, knowing when and when not to do it, much like a quarterback.”
Washington felt Newton was one of the biggest steals of the 2024 NFL draft when he fell to 36th overall. The reason was that he needed surgery on his foot. He would later undergo surgical procedures on both feet and had limited impact during his rookie season. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that Newton was a dominant college player, earning All-American honors and being the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
The Commanders have a lot of holes to fill this offseason. It would be nice to know they could count on Newton for a larger role in 2026. Washington is expected to have a new defensive coordinator in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Is Johnny Newton’s Breakout Play a Sign of the Future?