It’s easy to look at Washington’s run defense rankings and say the Commanders have issues at defensive tackle. Washington finished the regular season ranked No. 30 in run defense. In two playoff games, the Commanders have allowed 302 rushing yards and face the NFL’s second-ranked rushing offense — the Philadelphia Eagles — in the NFC championship game.
And Washington will do so without defensive tackle Daron Payne. Listed as questionable on the injury report all week with a broken finger and a knee injury, the Commanders officially ruled Payne out on Saturday to make a roster move for more depth.
Washington will rely on Jonathan Allen, rookie Jer’Zhan Newton, Sheldon Day, Jalyn Holmes and Carl Davis to stop MVP candidate Saquon Barkley. In two games this season, Barkley rushed for a combined 296 yards and four touchdowns — with Payne.
Fans look at Payne’s salary cap figure and say he doesn’t do enough to justify his pay. In terms of pure statistics, it’s a fair argument. Payne’s best year came in 2022 — a contract year — earning him a four-year contract worth $90 million.
On Saturday, Bill Barnwell of ESPN produced a statistic proving Payne’s value to the Commanders’ run defense.
Big loss for the Commanders.
On first-and-10 runs this year with Payne on the field, the Commanders had a 64.4% Success Rate on defense, which was about average.
Over 97 first-and-10 carries without Payne, that dropped to 51.6%, which was last in the league. https://t.co/IA8g2tvx6c
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) January 25, 2025
Something worth pointing out is that Allen missed nine games with a torn pec this season, so those numbers are somewhat skewed. Allen and Newton will start, while Day, Davis, and Holmes will see plenty of action. Day and Holmes have been pleasant surprises for Washington this season. Both veterans were added to the 53-man roster in October.
So, while Payne’s pass-rushing numbers may be down, he still produces against the run. Payne was a first-round pick in 2018, and Sunday’s game will be just the second he’s ever missed.
Sunday’s game is an “all-hands-on-deck” situation. Washington will miss Payne.