5 Questions with Hogs Haven: The Tea on Colts vs. Commanders in London

Chris Shepherd: Based on the first three weeks of the season, if you were an offensive coordinator tasked with creating a game plan to attack the Commanders defense, what does your plan look like? What areas of the field are you attacking, what weaknesses are you targeting? How do you beat this Commanders defense?

LANDOVER, MD - AUGUST 14: Defensive coordinator Daronte Jones of the Washington Commanders looks on before the preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at Northwest Stadium on August 14, 2026 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images Andrew York: Well, I'll start by saying the defense is run by Daronte Jones (not Dan Quinn) and borrows primarily from the Brian Flores defense of the Vikings. It features lots of blitzing, lots of simulated pressures, misdirection, and a complex zone coverage that allows players from any part of the field to either blitz or drop back into coverage. You might normally expect such a defense to be best against the pass, but it is actually strongest at stopping the run, as the last-minute movements and misdirection play havoc with run-blocking keys. As a result, the Commanders are allowing the 3rd-fewest rushing yards (just ahead of the 4th-ranked Vikings) and no rushing TDs so far this season. Where the defense has been weak is against explosive passing plays. I think this is for a few reasons:. 1) the DBs are probably the team's weakest position group, 2) the complex and shifting zone responsibilities lead to coverage busts by players new to the system, and 3) the scheme just prioritizes sending more people at the QB, which leaves less help on the backend.

Due to all of this, my gameplan to attack this defense would be to air out the ball as much as possible. Play 3- or even 4-WR sets (forcing Washington's worst personnel on the field) and layer their routes to hit all areas of the field, expecting a coverage bust somewhere. I'd particularly target Mike Sainristil in coverage, who has had a rough season and has been relegated to primarily slot CB responsibility. The trick here is to protect your QB well enough to enable him to have time to throw. Dallas and Seattle had good enough pass protection that they could air out the ball to the tune of 279 passing yards and 379 passing yards against us respectively. As a primarily zone defense, the Commanders can also struggle against running QBs, as Jalen Hurts demonstrated in week 1. I know Daniel Jones can make plays with his legs, so using some read option might make sense too.