Why one Commanders coordinator is doomed, but the other can thrive

Without a doubt, the head coaching reputation of the Washington Commanders’ Dan Quinn is gambled on a young offensive coordinator. It’s also built on a first-year defensive coordinator. Unfortunately for the Commanders’ 2026 season, they’ve set one guy up for success and the other for failure.

On the offensive side of the football, Quinn put his trust in the so-called wunderkind, David Blough. He’s 30 years old. And no matter the promise of his brilliance, he’s still a 30-year-old first-time coordinator.

Meanwhile, Daronte Jones is 47 years old. He has paid his dues at every level of football. His transition into the defensive coordinator role was much less meteoric.

Why Commanders DC Daronte Jones will succeed

First, it’s time for him to get his chance. How many NFL defensive coordinators can say they’ve worked at the high school, Division I, Division II, Division III, CFL, and NFL levels? It doesn’t mean Jones will do well because of that experience. But it doesn’t say he’s determined and met every challenge along the way, which allowed him to move up.

But coaching experience doesn’t win games on Sundays. Two things do: Having good enough personnel and being able to make adjustments as the games unfold. The Commanders won’t know the second part about Jones until the actual games start.

But they have given Jones enough personnel to succeed in 2026. The main reason is first-round pick Sonny Styles. Don’t jump ahead. This isn’t saying Styles is the fix that will change everything. But he is the type of linebacker who gives a coach confidence that the defense has a fighting chance, no matter the offensive play call. Run or pass, Styles has the ability to make plays.

Also, the Commanders brought in a pair of potentially impactful edge rushers. Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson will help Jones formulate game plans. The Commanders should enter each week with a reasonable chance to get after the quarterback. And that’s a big edge for a defensive coordinator.

Also, the Commanders’ secondary could be its best version in many years. Guys like Will Harris and Jeremy Reaves are now backups, where they can be effective in those roles in the NFL. Starters like cornerbacks Trey Amos and Mike Sainristil are products of the Commanders’ recent commitment to get better on defense in the draft.

All of these things give Jones the freedom to take some chances. But the unit looks solid enough to also stay conservative for big stretches of a game. The Commanders might actually be able to stop drives this season.

And that’s another reason Jones is set up for success. The Commanders don’t have a high bar for defensive success. They don’t have to be a top-five unit for Jones to be hailed as a top-notch coordinator. If he gets them in the 10-15 range, that’s big-time success for a Commanders organization that rarely fields a tough defense.

However …

Why Commanders OC David Blough will fail

To be fair to Blough, it won’t automatically be his fault. Could he become immediately overwhelmed and unable to match up tactically against the NFL’s best defensive coordinators? Absolutely. But his struggles might not be game plans, Xs, or Os.

Blough will struggle because the Commanders handed him a deck with only one ace. Yes, that weapon card is quarterback Jayden Daniels. He gives Blough an advantage that only a few OCs in the NFL have. Daniels can make Blough look good when Blough didn’t really do anything to help a given play succeed.

However, NFL teams don’t win games on those plays alone. And Blough enters this season with the following:

• An average running back group
• A decent overall offensive line with a big question at the center position
• One of the worst playmaking groups in the league

They rank No. 27 in the league in terms of playmaking ability, according to ESPN.

“If (Terry) McLaurin is not a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver, well, there isn’t a lot to get excited about elsewhere,” Bill Barnwell wrote. “Third-round pick Antonio Williams profiles as a potential playmaker in the slot. But the players around him — including Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown, and Van Jefferson — don’t have great track records of NFL production.

“The Commanders might be more of a 12- or 13-personnel team in 2026, but (tight end) Chig Okonkwo didn’t show sustained receiving ability across multiple schemes or with different quarterbacks (with the Titans), and 2024 second-rounder Ben Sinnott has 16 catches across 33 pro games so far.”

On the surface, Blough might have a puncher’s chance with the current roster. But the margins are very thin. And one injury takes it from mediocre to unsustainable.

Furthermore, Blough doesn’t get the slack afforded to Jones. Commanders fans see what Daniels did with less-than-exciting personnel in 2024. They expect an offense among the league’s best. But it’s going to be hard for Blough to deliver on that charge.

If the Commanders finish No. 15 in overall defense and No. 15 in overall offense, Jones will get the flowers, and Blough will receive the thorns.

The post Why one Commanders coordinator is doomed, but the other can thrive appeared first on ClutchPoints.