While Frankie Luvu recovered from a groin injury, Sonny Styles and Kain Medrano proved to be more than just helpful defensive pieces. Here is how Daronte Jones will deploy them in London. | Philip Hughes | HTTR4LIFE LLC
Commanders linebacker and team captain Frankie Luvu injured his groin in the season opener in Philadelphia. The injury caused Luvu to miss both the Dallas and Seattle games while recovering. In his absence, the team had to redistribute not only his snaps but also his defensive responsibilities, including the green dot worn by the defensive signal-caller. On Friday, Commanders HC Dan Quinn said both Luvu and TE Chig Okonkwo had good weeks and were "ready to roll."
While Luvu was out, Sonny Styles' role changed quickly
. He went from playing 48 of 55 defensive snaps in Philadelphia to handling the green dot and playing all 67 against Seattle. The rookie finished that game with five tackles, two passes defended, an interception and a forced fumble, but the bigger development may have been everything the Commanders were asking him to handle before the snap
.
Commanders DC Daronte Jones pointed directly to that when discussing Styles this week. "I would say his game prep. You know, he's constantly in our offices. He's constantly watching tape," Jones said. "And then also just his communication, that doesn't show up on the stats." He continued by explaining how Styles has learned to overcommunicate calls, where pressure could be coming from and which coverage tools Washington is using. Those are veteran responsibilities being handed to a rookie three games into his career.
Then came another change nobody wanted, or saw coming.
Leo Chenal suffered a neck fracture against Seattle that required surgery and ended his season. Suddenly, Kain Medrano was needed for 44 defensive snaps
after entering the game without a defensive snap on his NFL resume. He responded by taking an interception 50 yards for a touchdown
in the fourth quarter. So while Washington lost another piece of the linebacker room, it also found out Medrano could handle being thrown directly into the fire.
Now Luvu returns, and Jones doesn't sound like someone interested in taking anything away from Styles because of it. When asked Thursday how Luvu's return could affect the rookie's growing responsibilities, Jones said the plan hasn't really changed. "It's kind of the same course, you know, whether it's Frankie or not. That was the plan in terms of his growth and maturity. He hasn't arrived yet. Obviously, he still has a lot to learn and a lot of room for growth."
If anything, getting Luvu back may allow Washington
to keep pushing Styles without asking him to carry everything at once. "I think having a veteran like a Frankie, having some guys around him that can kind of nurture that a little bit so that he doesn't become bogged down by some of the pressures or the weight that comes with the responsibility that he's trying to carry," Jones said.
The timing couldn't be much better. Indianapolis comes into Sunday with Jonathan Taylor carrying the football 66 times
through three games for 258 yards and four touchdowns. Washington has been one of the better teams in football against the run so far, but Taylor presents another level of challenge
.
That's a much different linebacker room than the one Luvu left in Philadelphia. Two games without him forced Washington to speed up the development of its younger players, and now he returns without Washington having to turn the clock back.
Follow us on Facebook
for the latest Washington Commanders news, updates, and analysis.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/commanders/onsi as Washington's Linebacker Room Changed While Frankie Luvu Was Gone - Commanders Daily .
