Dabs’ Digest: Week 9 conversation with Coach Brian Daboll

Q: (Defensive lineman) Dexter (Lawrence) might be the league’s defensive player of the year. He’s in the middle of the line. You have two linebackers (Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden) who have combined for 102 tackles, (Safety Tyler) Nubin is in the back. Why do you think the run defense hasn’t been better?

Daboll: “When you give up some big plays in the running game, that’s what you’ve got to eliminate. One, you’ve got to get it stopped at the line of scrimmage. But if it gets to the line of scrimmage, we’ve got to do a good job of tackling and getting the runners down. So, it’s an all-11 thing, and we’ve got to eliminate these big plays.”

Q: Okereke had a big game the other night with a season-high 14 tackles, and he made a big play when he forced and recovered a Russell Wilson fumble. Did it look like a vintage Okereke game to you?

Daboll: “I thought it was one of his better games. I thought as the game went on, he got stronger and stronger, made a huge play at the end of the game with a punch out on Russell. Was around the ball a lot, productive, and that’s what we expect from him.”

Q: When (outside linebacker) Kayvon (Thibodeaux) went down, there was much talk about the team losing one of its premier edge rushers. But Azeez (Ojulari) has stepped up with five sacks in three games. Is he playing as well as he has since you got here?

Daboll: “There’s another example of being ready when your number’s called and making the most of your opportunities. If you’re not a starter, keeping a right mindset, continuing to work, continuing to improve your craft out at practice, and when you get an opportunity, you make the most of it. I think that’s just another example of Azeez doing the right things when he wasn’t playing as much as he’s playing now. So, he’s ready when he has to play a lot, and he’s produced for us. Those people that work their tails off, that maybe aren’t the starters, that do get an opportunity to go ahead and do those things, they earn playing time and they earn opportunity because they’re producing.”

Q: In your first two years here, the turnover differential was plus-15. Now it’s minus-3. How do you start flipping that around?

Daboll: “One of the lead indicators for winning football games is taking care of the football, making good decisions with it, protecting it when you have it as a ballcarrier and then getting the ball out on defense to create a short field. It’s something that you drill every week, turnover circuits, ball security circuits, but they have to come to fruition in games because they’re one of the main indicators of determining outcomes of games.”

Q: You have one interception in eight games.

Daboll: “Take as many turnovers as we can. (Inside linebacker) Darius (Muasau) is the only one we got.”

Q: I don’t know if you heard, but the Commanders won on a Hail Mary the other day. Have you ever called a successful Hail Mary?

Daboll: “Nope. It’s a very low percentage play. I don’t have the exact numbers of how many. I know there’s been a couple this year. But it’s a tough way (to lose). I’ve been part of a team that has lost a game on a Hail Mary, but on a defensive pass interference penalty. Back in 2009, I think somewhere around there. High-scoring game, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, we ended up losing after the play, second play. Tough way to lose.” (On Nov. 22, 2009, Cleveland’s Hank Poteat was penalized for interfering with Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson in the end zone as time expired. On the untimed down, Matthew Stafford threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew and Jason Hanson kicked the extra point for a 38-37 Lions victory.)

Q: It’s a rare occurrence, but do you practice it every week?

Daboll: “Practice it every week. Those are situational things that you have to be dialed into. You never know when you’re going to need it until you need it, on both sides of the ball. Special situations that occur. Watch the league. They’re good learning lessons for everybody.”

Q: And I imagine that was a good lesson for the defense to see that too?

Daboll: “Yeah. Any time situations come up, we do that every week.”

Q: On Sunday you play Washington, which is third in the league in points, total yards and rushing yards, and fourth on third downs. You said Wednesday, (quarterback) Jayden Daniels is already one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. Safe to say you don’t see many rookies do what he’s doing?

Daboll: “This guy was a sensational college football player. He’s instinctive. He’s got vision. He’s excellent in critical situations. He’s got a great deep ball. He’s athletic. He can create. He’s a creator with his arm and with his legs. And usually, when you have someone like that who is playing at a high level, that elevates everybody else. And when you have a running game, the way they’re running it, they play complementary football. I don’t care, rookie, not rookie. This guy was a good football player. I would say he was an excellent football player. And I’m not surprised with the success that he’s had early on in his career. Because he’s pretty dynamic.”

Q: We have a very good draft class ourselves, but they have several rookies who are contributing. (Commanders Defensive Tackle Jer’Zhan) Newton has stepped in for (injured defensive tackle) Jonathan Allen. (Cornerback Mike) Sainristil, (tackle Brandon) Coleman, (wide receiver Luke) McCaffrey, (tight end Ben) Sinnott. That’s a good group.

Daboll: “I think they’re good players. They’re playing with a lot of confidence. They’re working well together. They have a mix of some veteran players, like (linebacker) Bobby (Wagner), who’s done it at the highest level for a long time. (Defensive Tackle Daron) Payne. Then they have (wide receiver Terry) McLaurin. But they have these young players that are improving every week. They’ve got a solid nucleus.”

Q: Wagner has 20 more tackles than anybody on the team. But (linebacker) Frankie Luvu seems to be the heart of that defense.

Daboll: “He is a tough player. You watch tape, you evaluate teams. Got a great respect for how he plays the game. He’s instinctive, but he is a tough finisher. Plays with great effort. But his toughness really stands out. And I think when you have guys that are extremely tough, that elevates people around them, too. They see the style in which he plays. He’s a hard guy to block.”

Q: (Linebacker) Dante Fowler (Jr.) has been productive for them.

Daboll: “He (played) for (Commanders coach) Dan Quinn at the Falcons. I’d say he’s a coach Quinn guy. High pick. Came in as an elite pass rusher coming out of the draft. He’s played with coach Quinn. Has a good feel for what he looks for. He’s been a good pass rusher and knows how to play in that system.”

Q: And lastly, we saw what (kicker Austin) Seibert can do (seven field goals vs. the Giants in Week 2). He leads the league with 88 points.

Daboll: “He’s done his job well. The job of a kicker is to make your kicks. And he’s done that (23 of 25 field goal attempts).”

Q: The two leading scorers in the league are Seibert and (Steelers kicker Chris) Boswell, who have 11 combined field goals against us.

Daboll: “Better than touchdowns, holding them to field goals. But we want to make them punt this game.”