Washington Commanders Whiteboard: Notes and observations from Week 1

Before the advent of media devices, football coaches at all levels used simple whiteboards to outline plays, map out player positions and explain schemes in real time. Nowadays digital playbooks and tablets have taken over, but coaches still use whiteboards on occasion to impart information quickly and effectively. The following are some quick notes and observations from the Washington Commanders' heartbreaking 22-24 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Commanders' defense has been upgraded

There was plenty of speculation this offseason about what exactly Daronte Jones' defense would look like and if Adam Peters' offseason additions would make a difference. The early returns weren't perfect, but the defense looks to have taken a massive step forward from what we have seen from Dan Quinn's first two years at the helm. Jones' defense is fast and aggressive. The Commanders defensive coordinator didn't look like a rookie in in his first game at the controls. Jones did a nice job of rotating Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, and Charles Omenihu along the defensive line. As expected, Daronte called plenty of blitzes in front of zone coverage and, for the most part, the pressures were effective when they were dialed up. The front seven played fast and disciplined, and aside from one long run, they bottled up Eagles running back Saquon Barkley for most of the game.