Commanders coaches, defensive backs see optimism forming with revamped secondary

Washington’s defensive pass game coordinator Jason Simmons started with watch-and-study homework on Emmanuel Forbes Jr. before arriving to the Burgundy and Gold.

Simmons also needs no introduction as he is entrenched as the Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator where he scrutinized the players that the franchise would be getting after the 2023 draft. Forbes was also play making at Mississippi State where he set an NCAA record of scoring six of his 14 career interceptions on those returns.

Simmons also pointed out the likes of the playmaking capability of the team everyone loved depending on.

The Commanders’ previous regime considered Forbes good enough to be selected as the 16th overall last year. After intense training, Forbes begun two games in the year for Washington. Such a rookie was later benched before the half of a brutal 38–20 loss in Week 5 at Chicago and did not play one week later against Atlanta. Needless to say, upon rejoining the lineup Forbes was barely recognisable and hardly played the way he used to.

Coach Joe Whitt Jr. , Simmons, and Donatell ended up joining new Falcons head coach Dan Quinn’s new coaching staff to teach the secondary. It was evident when Forbes’ game tape was turned on that a cornerback is dominated by physical receivers such as A. J. Brown of Philadelphia. The thin framed inside player also avoid contact in the ground play.

Knowing things about an opponent is important or understanding his good and bad side in the game. For Simmons to find out how he would most effectively assist, the longtime defensive backs coach first had to learn about the person.

“I just want to find out more about Forbes I just want to know how he operates,” Simmons said. “I want to know his triggers, I want to know the competitive nature of the guy That’s how you get to a point where you know how to coach guys.

Mentoring the young crop in cornerback and safety positions this season attracts some usual publicity. Washington regressed in 2023 in defense after being in the upper tier in points, passing yards allowed, and DEA in 2022. Several factors contributed. Dominic Walker took the spot of the secondary coach only that the former defensive backs coach Chris Harris left for the Tennessee Titans pass game coordinator position in the preceding off-season. Denver Broncos’ head coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio fired Harris and instead hired Brent Vieselmeyer: former NFL assistant and college coach, just hired by the team in 2020.

The players are the ones that are on the field, but negatively coaching played a big part in the problem.

Cohen adds that the Commanders’ defensive stats were the worst in the league in terms of points (30. 5), touchdown passes (39), yards allowed to pass (262. 2) and opponent quarterback rating (105. 7), data obtained from TruMedia. After Thanksgiving, Del Rio and Vieselmeyer were dismissed after a string of poor games amounting to eight by the season’s close. Players such as Kendall Fuller, who was previously the group’s top cornerback and safety, Kamren Curl also left in free agency.

Taking a defensive coordinator, Quinn, who worked with the Dallas Cowboys for three seasons, it was doubling the team’s supply of the head coach who was fond of the defensive formation of teams. Quinn has coached the much acclaimed “Legion of Boom” this was a secondary unit of the Seattle Seahawks the team that was crowned champions of the Super Bowl in 2013. He hired his defensive backs coach, Whitt, for the coordinator position in Washington after Dallas had the NFL interceptions champion in 2021 Diggs and 2023 Bland.

Fittingly, a 10-year NFL safety, Simmons entered the coaching ranks with Green Bay in ’11; the Raiders then hired him as their defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach in ’22-’23. Donatell was then serving as the passing game coordinator while also the defensive assistant coach for the 2023 Los Angeles Chargers. They will teach Forbes and safety Quan Martin, the first two Washington selections of the 2023 draft.

This rotational change meant acquiring safety and 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year raw nominee Jeremy Chinn and drafting second-round nickel’s cornerback Mike Sainristil. The only other player that will be counted on as a possible starter or a player that will log a significant number of snaps is cornerback signee Michael Davis who is a free-agent.

As last season demonstrated, however, raw talent must be correctly developed, a factor Whitt stressed when he entered the press via his introductory news conference in mid-February.

“(We) have a number of guys on that back end that are interesting,” Whitt said. “That’s why we hired Jason Simmons and Tommy Donatell, to come around and to get those guys … to buy in to the techniques we are going to instill in them and the scheme we’re going to place them in. ”

They showed a lot of enthusiasm engaging the new staff throughout the organized team activity.

“I was very excited that we hired Dan Quinn, and I like my defensive coordinator, corner coaches and all that,” Forbes said.

It is hard not to remember the secondary’s meltdown last year, but “the one thing that we can do first is put last year behind them”, Simmons added. “All files have been wiped. It is all about rivalry (now). ”

The initial teaching concerned with establishing procedures of consistency in their performance and also regarding discipline with their eyes and feet. ‘That’s what makes a good defensive back line,” Simmons went on to say. “It is not particularly the hero plays, It is about guys that can go out to the field and be productive. ”

Consistency was rarely to be sniffed in Year 1 at Forbes. He thus conceded an average of 20. It was 1 yard per catch — with 20 receptions on 27 targets — through Week 6 and; according to Pro Football Focus, ranked as the 16th worst in the league. 3. Observing the fact that 6-foot-1 corner, said to be 180-pound man, decided not to tackle ball carriers, it was understandable that coaches left him on the bench in the Week 6 at Atlanta. Nevertheless, Forbes did not give up those lows; a characteristic that can only be expected from any cornerback player. After poor outings or when the reporters wanted to talk to him after practicing, he was always standing tall and answering the questions. That idea was left for the new coaches to experience.

“He is a man’s man, he is definitely confident,” Simmons said. “It is a true confidence that I have on him, I have been equally amazed with his maturity, he knows and wants to improve”.

Whitt briefed the reporters that he has very little to say about the defensive strategy or the rotations saying “what we have as a strength currently is that people do not know and we will continue to hide until they anticipate it. ” The formal tone also encompassed details about Forbes.

“But I can tell you that the kid is working his butt off,” Whitt said, “and I’m pleased with where he is. I can tell you that 100 percent because if he wasn’t, I’ll tell you. I’m not gonna come up here and BS anybody. ”

The Colts ‘ attacking, blitzing defense that Quinn and Whitt designed for Forbes should have given him more chances to force turnovers — he recorded 11 pass deflections but just one interception in 2023.

“The first part is actually the ball skill and, at that station, the ability to spoil the ball,” Quinn said about Forbes. “So, that I would say, is his superpower. ”

Quinn said the cornerback with the desired length and speed is now “bigger than he was for sure,” which should help defend Brown and other receivers. At times this summer Forbes was more assertive and tackled receivers off the line. He also undertook to train the punt returners in camp.

“(Forbes) has put a lot of effort into that this offseason to ensure that weight going up,” Quinn said. “Just that position, man, it makes one really athletic, quick with the ball and having the height to guard some of the tall players. ”