Arguably the most disappointing feature of the Washington Football Team’s 2021 season was the abysmal performance of the defense. In 2020, the WFT’s defense finished a stout 4th in the overall defensive rankings. They were even more impressive - second in the league - if you looked at their passing yardage allowed, finishing just behind the LA Rams.
It looked like the massive draft investment in the defense was finally paying off, surely abetted by the expert defensive tutelage of Jack Del Rio and Ron Rivera.
And then 2021 hit. Washington’s overall defensive performance dropped to 25th in the league and the formerly menacing pass defense fell to fourth worst in the NFL.