2. The defense started out slow.
Slow starts have been a problem for the Commanders for a while now. The staff wants to get that fixed in 2023, but Monday’s game showed there is still more work to do in that area.
There was little resistance from the Commanders’ defense as Josh Johnson and the Ravens’ offense marched down the field on their opening drive. Missed tackles, like the one Emmanuel Forbes had on Zay Flowers, were abundant on the opening drive, and players took poor angles to pursue ball-carriers. As a result, Baltimore moved down the field in chunks, and the six-play, 75-yard opening drive was capped off by a 26-yard touchdown reception from Flowers.
Fortunately, the defense didn’t stay sluggish. They got a three-and-out on the following drive, and in the second half, three of the Ravens’ six drives ended in punts. All three of those drives ended with Baltimore covering less than 30 yards, and the third-down stop with three minutes left to play gave Washington a chance to win the game.
It’s important to remember that most of Washington’s starting defense did not play a single snap Monday night, so the lapses in coverage were not indicative of the entire unit. However, it’s clear that the defensive depth still has much to learn.