Commanders DC Joe Whitt Jr. Aims to Lock Down Nabers and Giants Offense

The Washington Commanders are preparing to face the New York Giants for the second time this season. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. is laser-focused on addressing the challenges the Giants offense presents. Despite the Giants struggle to win this season, Whitt sees they’ve still got a solid scheme and talented playmakers that can’t be overlooked.

“Once again, they’re a team that has a really good scheme. I know they might be a little bit frustrated with the numbers or the output, but the scheme is really good,” said the Commanders defensive coordinator, acknowledging the Giants tactical strength. “They have outstanding players that we’re going to have to make sure that we account for.”

One player Whitt has his eye on is Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers. The last time these two teams met, Nabers had a standout performance, and Whitt is determined to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Whitt plans to tighten Washington defensive plans to prevent Nabers from repeating a similar performance.

“[Malik] Nabers, he had a really good day on us last time. So, I have to do a better job of making sure that we have a plan for him that doesn’t allow him to just get loose like he did last time,” Whitt said.

But the defensive coordinator isn’t just keyed in on Nabers. For Whitt, the threat starts with New York’s quarterback. His throw and run capability makes him another challenge for the Commanders defense.

“It really starts with the quarterback. The quarterback is a guy that has arm talent and can beat you with his feet, and they’re not afraid to run him,” Whitt said. “And so, that opens up a whole bunch of things that they can do.”

Whitt is all about strong communication and being ready to adapt on the fly to tackle these challenges. The goal is to anticipate what the Giants will throw at them and execute their game plan to keep the Giants in check this time around.

“We just have to make sure that we communicate at a high level. We understand what we [are] anticipating them to do and we go execute our plan,” Whitt emphasized.

As the Commanders aim for a win over their division rival, Whitt’s defense will be laser-focused on containing the Giants’ threats. This time, Washington defense is determined to prove it can lock down Naber and keep New York from finding their rhythm.

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