Commanders dealing with injuries on the defensive line ahead of matchup with Rams

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The injuries for the Commanders keep on coming.

Defensive linemen Javon Kinlaw and Daron Payne were both placed on injured reserve, with their seasons likely both over, coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday. Kinlaw had knee surgery, while Payne has a foot injury.

And yet, Washington's defensive line has been a mostly consistent unit so far this year, even as the defense has had issues elsewhere through the course of two months.

“I just think the mentality and tenacity that we set as a defensive unit in general, I think that’s been helping us a lot and that’s going to continue to carry us a long way," outside linebacker K'Lavon Chiasson said. "Continue to fight that fight, stop the run and find a way to get the ball off the ballcarrier. That’s going to carry us.”

The Commanders rank tied for 12th in the NFL in yards-per-carry allowed (3.9), but have kept other team's top running backs mostly in check through the season — and especially of late.

Through seven games, just one opponent (Saquon Barkley and the Eagles in Week 1) had their No. 1 running back average more than five yards per carry. Three times, against the Cowboys, Seahawks and Eagles in Week 8, the Commanders have held the other side's top running back to three or fewer yards per carry.

“The ability to stay square and then the outside linebackers — we call it setting the edge — trying to push the ball back into the big guys,” Quinn said. “That’s the challenge, and this team (the Rams), like Philadelphia, has good inside, outside, the running back in here and then end up outside. Having that type of discipline and patience in the front seven, that’s gonna be an important part of it.”

While the team is now down Payne and Kinlaw, they're hopeful to get defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton back into the mix this week. He has not played this season due to a torn pectoral muscle.

“The arrow is going up for sure and I’m very optimistic for it,” Quinn said. “But it’s important to stack another good week of him and practice and movements. The conditioning part, he has pushed it.”

Washington's pass rush, while tied for 19th in the NFL with 16 sacks, has shown signs of improvement lately, too.

The Commanders sacked Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee five times last Sunday and was incredibly effective when calling blitzes. The Commanders have now tallied nine sacks in their last three games, certainly due in part to the return of cornerback Trey Amos.

“There were things in the four-man rush that I thought were better in this game than some of the previous games,” Quinn said. "The quarterback got out one time on a pressure, but I thought they just had a better four-man rush coordination of working together when one guy too high, one guy too low, and that’s an important piece to it...But I think more than anything, I was pleased with the four-man rush and their ability to collapse. And if you can do that, and then you add the blitz package, now you’re cooking.”

Against the Rams, the Commanders will face one of the game's most talented and veteran quarterbacks, Matthew Stafford. Los Angeles, the fourth-best team in yards per game, has the ability to both run and pass the ball effectively.

And despite being down some of its top defensive linemen, the Commanders are hopeful they'll be able to put Stafford and the Rams' offense off their game.

“Just giving him as (many) different looks as possible, but man, he's seen everything," Chiasson said. "You got to limit as much as possible and dirty up. Creating as much havoc as possible and dirtying up the spot. I think that's going to be key.”

—-

See AP’s full NFL coverage here