Joe Whitt Jr. knows the time for talking is over. His Washington Commanders defense has to get tougher in every phase.
It's a tall order, but Whitt will see the improvement he talks about so often if some of the stars of his unit deliver. Typically, the Commanders are waiting on big names at every position group to lead by example.
Leaders were in short supply when the Commanders yielded 381 yards to the Chicago Bears in Week 6. In a depressingly familiar pattern, a good chunk of those were surrendered on the ground, where Whitt's unit is still fragile, even after an offseason spent retooling the front.