Chase Young leads the way in pushing the Washington NFL News playoff

Chase Young, the overall pick at No. 2 in the 2020 NFL Draft, is a key contender for the Rookie defensive honor of the Year; Watch the Seattle Seahawks at the Washington Football Team, live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm, Sunday

When you look at the Washington Football Team and their turnaround that saw them surrender from 2-7 to the top of the Eastern NFC with a four-straight win, it’s centered around the defense – and especially one.

Chase Young has put together an incredibly impressive rookie campaign. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft appears to be a top contender for the defensive title of the year, collecting 35 deals in total, three forced fines and 5.5 sacks already this season. .

But can his strong performances inspire Washington into the postseason as they look to take control of the East – starting with a goal from the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm.

High expectations from Ron Rivera

After being drafted by Washington, the Ohio State stand received high praise from head coach Ron Rivera, who is like Von Miller and Julius Peppers, who have both collected over 100 sacks in their respective positions.

The defensive end is easy to classify just as pass rushes but it is much more than that. Young looks more like Aaron Donald’s top defensive lineman, but just lining up at the end of the line, than Von Miller does.

Young is just plain destructive and affects every level of the game. And those who just look at Young’s stats may see what JJ Watt’s three-time defensive player of the year looks like, finishing his rookie year with 48 total tackles and five-and-a-half pockets.

Similarly, in his rookie year, Watt was able to inspire the Houston Texans to their first ever playoff appearance. Young is on course to see Washington enter the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Great plays from the No. 2 selection

Young’s numbers so far this season are a bit mediocre, but his reel plays are impressive. Against the Cincinnati Bengals earlier in the season, Young blocked down the scrimmage line and hit Joe Burrow at the goal line, forcing a fumble and stopping a potential sucker.

He had the 2019 All-American unanimity again just two games later. This time he slipped a block of effort by Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Eric Ebron and, flying into the backfield, caught Benny Snell’s running back while trying to dive into the backfield. endzone on the fourth-and-target from the single-rod line.

But Young saved his best game in the NFL against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 14. He picked up six tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.

His greatest moment came when he picked up a loose ball around the middle of the pitch and brought out more than everyone else to mark his first round of life. The athleticism of the defensive end is pretty amazing and it was evident here.

Young’s introduction has inspired change

When Washington Young added to a defensive line that already had drafts of the first round Montez Sweat, Da’Ron Payne, Jonathan Allen and Ryan Kerrigan, it was clear they were building something on the defensive side of the ball to add their youth offensive talents.

But it was hard to anticipate the kind of turnaround that ensued: last season, Washington was ranked 27th in passing defense and overall defense. Very far from where they are now this year.

Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio with the unit plays at a much higher level. They are now ranked 10th in all major defensive divisions, including fourth overall yards and third in passing yards allowed.

Putting Young on the other hand to last year’s 26th election, Sweat has left offensive coordinators with a ‘pick your poison’ position. They can’t slide their offensive line to either side so Sweat or Young end up in a one-on-one situation. With Young getting most of the attention, he has helped build his team’s play. Both defensive heads lead the team in sacks, with Sweat picking up an impressive nine and a half so far.

The improved pre-attendance has also had a significant impact on the secondary school. Rookie Kamren Curl has received some attention recently and rightly so – he added a second round of defense against the 49ers when he returned a 76-yard interception to the home.

Young has gained a number of viewers this season, and it ‘s clear to see why. The defensive end was the only major addition to Washington’s defense in due course, with his introduction they suddenly made a leap into those top 10 defensive divisions.

If they make the playoffs, that will be because of their defensive development. He may not be all young, but it’s easy to see the impact he had on the Washington Football Team.

Next up is a test of their playoff credentials in the form of the Seattle Seahawks ’number two scoring offense – live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm, Sunday.

Russell Wilson and co will certainly push this impressive defense to its limits. But it gives Young, Sweat and Curl a good chance to show, if they make the playoffs, that they will be a handful for any opponent.