Ron Rivera on Washington's struggling defense: 'We are so close'

ASHBURN, Va. -- The reason the Washington Football Team thinks its defense is close to playing well stems from a play against Atlanta in Week 4 that also highlights the unit's frustration.

As Washington (2-2) prepares to host the New Orleans Saints (2-2) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), mistakes on these basic plays need to be fixed to prevent bigger plays. Until that happens this defense will always feel close, but with no cigar.

The play against Atlanta didn't lead to disaster, but set up an easy third-down conversion. On Atlanta's second play from scrimmage in Washington's 34-30 win, the Falcons emptied the backfield. That alone triggered the need for a quick reaction, knowing it would be a…