Commanders responds to poll: Win with one of the two QBs; best defensive player

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. All year long, we ask questions of the Washington Commanders' most dedicated fans and fans across the country. Register here to participate in regular email surveys.

This week we have three questions Reacts Opinion poll.

Question 1

Our first question this week is the one we ask every week: Are you confident about the direction of the franchise? We will monitor the results of this question as the season progresses. With the team matching its 4-2 record before the Panthers game, fan confidence fell below 92% only once – after the loss to the Buccaneers in Week 1. In the last four weeks it has been at 98% or 99% – the highest of any fan base in the NFL. After the loss Washington suffered last Sunday behind its backup quarterback, can it go up any further?

Question 2

This question is intended to measure two things:

• Your confidence in the team's ability to beat the Bears on Sunday
• Your assessment of the influence of Washington's starting quarterback on this outcome

Basically, we give you five outcome options, including an element of quarterback dependency, but it's really just a question about predicting the winner.

Question 3

In our final question of the week, we'll name five defensive players and ask you to find out which of them is having the best season. It can be difficult to decide. Of course, your pick for best player may not be on the list of five names. If so, please let me know in the comments who you would have chosen (I think I know which player not on my list I'll be reading about the most).

Mikey Sainristil

It's fair to say that the rookie has been a fan favorite since the day he was drafted in the 2nd round by the National Champion Michigan Wolverines. He was praised early and often in OTAs and training camps for his work ethic, leadership skills and football IQ.

While Sainristil was selected to play slot corner, circumstances have led to the Washington coaching staff primarily asking him to play boundary or field corner so far this season, with Noah Igbinoghene holding the nickel back position. According to PFF, Sainristil was in the slot 116 times while out wide in 202 snaps. However, he has only been used in the slot a total of 15 times in the last four games (Weeks 3, 5, 6, 7).

Despite being asked to play slightly out of position, Sainristil has improved each week, with most observers noting that his Week 7 performance against the Panthers was his best of the year, as he was all over the field and constantly on the ball and the team took the lead with 7 tackles.

He is also one of three Commanders to record an interception this season, catching Lamar Jackson early in the Week 6 game.

While PFF grades aren't always the best way to judge a player, Sainristil's grades for the first seven games of his career appear to match the eye test:

Clelin Ferrell

Ferrell missed three games (Weeks 3-5) due to knee problems. In the four games he played, he was effective, generating 5 pressures and 2 sacks and collecting 10 tackles (with no missed throws).

Both of his sacks came in the first two weeks, and while he hasn't increased that total since returning from injury, Ferrell was never expected to be a significant factor in the team's pass rush; After all, he only managed 9 sacks in the four seasons from 2020 to 2023, with a season-high of 3.5 last year.

Ferrell is stronger in run support and tackling. His PFF run defense grades were above 64.2 in three of his four games this season, and his tackling grades were 72 or higher in those same games.

Significantly, Dan Quinn named Clelin Ferrell the team's defensive captain for its first regular season game under Quinn's leadership. This decision was reported on the team's website at the time:

Ferrell, the No. 4 overall pick in 2019, started a full season in 2023 for the first time in his career. He signed with Washington in the offseason and has been in the starting lineup since the OTAs. Although he didn't draw as much attention as some of the other free agent acquisitions, Ferrell was reliable in practice, helping to close run gaps and fill the pocket.

“That's when it occurred to me that this guy is a warrior and everyone knows what the tape is going to look like when he's out there,” Quinn said of Ferrell. “It’s hard, it’s all out.”

Dante Fowler Jr

Dante Fowler just played his best two games as Washington Commander. Here is the report of his performance against the Ravens in Week 6:

Fowler had his biggest day yet as a Commander, collecting 2 sacks, 3 total pressures, 4 tackles, with 3 TFL for a total of 5 defensive stops (team lead). He generated pressure on 15% of pass rush attempts.

Against the Panthers last Sunday, Fowler stepped up. Read this summary from this week's Studs & (no) Duds article:

Fowler opened the scoring with a pick-six on Commander's first defensive series of the game. He then added a sack, tackled a loss on a fourth-and-1 play and applied multiple pressures throughout the afternoon.

This season, Fowler leads the team in sacks (4.5) and is one of three players to record an interception (his pick-6 in the first quarter against the Panthers), accounting for the team's only defensive stat . Only Dorance Armstrong has a better pass rushing pressure rate (17.1% vs. 16.1%), and the two edge rushers rank 6th and 9th in the NFL in that particular metric. He was awarded a match ball for his game last Sunday.

For the current season, PFF gave him an overall defense grade of 71.1 and – for his 12 coverage snaps – a coverage grade of 89.0.

Frankie Luvu

To appreciate Frankie Luvu, you probably have to see him play. It's almost impossible to talk or write about the veteran linebacker without using the words “energy” and “excitement,” although those traits don't always show up in the stats.

Dan Quinn named Luvu defensive captain before the Giants game in Week 2. Here's what the team's website reported:

Luvu, who the team acquired in the offseason, established himself as one of the most exciting additions to the defense during training camp. His energy and ability to play in multiple spots on the field earned the respect of his teammates and he began his Washington career against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with five tackles.

“Some of the words I used to describe him were just relentless,” Quinn said. “The energy he brings to our team and the building is great.”

While off-the-ball linebackers are typically judged by their tackles, it's important to note that part of Luvu's value to the team lies in his ability to do much more than just close run gaps and covering tight ends. According to PFF, Luvu was part of the defensive line (basically a pass rusher) 72 times in his 392 defensive snaps this season.

And he was successful in that role, finishing tied with Dorance Armstrong for 2nd in sacks (4).

Luvu's best game of the season came against the Browns when he was awarded a game ball in the locker room:

Against the Browns, Luvu… delivered outstanding plays, including a team-high 2.5 sacks.

To go along with the numerous sacks and seven tackles, Luvu also added a fumble recovery to his tally by picking up a loose ball that Wagner helped clear in the third. Overall, it was a career day for the 28-year-old and a defensive performance that Washington fans haven't seen in a while. Luvu became the first player since Ryan Kerrigan in 2020 to record at least two sacks and a fumble recovery in a game.

Daron Payne

Many fans were negative about Daron Payne's contributions to the team this season, but according to a recent article here on Hogs Haven prior to the Week 7 game, Payne was ranked 9th^Th in the top 80 iDL in pressures on the QB, with 19 pressures on 150 pass-rush snaps.

With Washington playing well and often winning games by large margins, Payne hasn't had to be on the field as much as in the past. According to Pro Football Reference, Payne played just 63% of defensive snaps in 2024; his previous low was 72% in 2019, and he has typically played between 77 and 87% of the team's snaps since being drafted.

When defensive coordinator Joe Whitt was asked about Payne's performance last week, he responded:

He has given us what we want. He is one of our leaders and he does the things he needs to do.

Whitt asked Payne to play differently than he has in the past. Consider this pass rush from last Sunday:

Dan Quinn named Payne defensive captain for Week 6. When Quinn announced the captains for this game, he described Payne by saying, “He's got a real edge and that focus, and we love that he brings that.”

On Dante Fowler's pick-6, he was accompanied downfield by Daron Payne, who made sure Fowler scored by fending off the only potential tackler in a Panthers uniform.

Comments and results

Of course, we invite you to answer the following survey questions, but you are also welcome to expand and nuance your answers in the comments section. I will rely on these comments as I discuss the survey results, which will be published in a separate article in the next few days.

SURVEY QUESTIONS