'Very Talented' Washington Commanders D-Line Praised by Atlanta Falcons' Arthur Smith
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The Washington Commanders have struggled on defense all year long, but they are still commanding respect from their opponents.
This week, the Commanders travel to the Peach State to face the Atlanta Falcons, who have been undefeated at home this season. A big point of emphasis for the Falcons to keep that unblemished record at home is to limit the defensive line.
“[They have a] Great front,” Smith said. “They’ve invested a lot in it, four first-rounders. They’ve doubled down on the interior two guys in [Daron] Payne and [Jonathan] Allen. Very talented football team. When you come off a loss like that, we know they had more time to prepare; they’ve had to sit with it. We’ll get their best shot here Sunday.”
The Washington Commanders defensive line remains as one of the team's strengths.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Commanders enter this game after a 40-20 loss to the Chicago Bears last Thursday and will be hungry for a win as they look to bounce back with a win.
Despite all the talent Washington has in the trenches, they have given up the ninth-most rushing yards in the league so far, which means running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier could have some room to get the Falcons run game more involved than it was a week ago.
Last week, the Falcons bounced back with a win against the Houston Texans thanks to quarterback Desmond Ridder stepping up as a passer and throwing for over 300 yards for the first time this season.
The Commanders' focus will likely be to make Ridder try to beat them, considering his play has been up to down to begin the season, with many feeling that he still hasn’t proven himself as Atlanta’s long-term starter.
The Falcons and Commanders are set to kick off at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
