Jamin Davis continues to improve
Breaking down the performance of Commanders' linebacker Jamin Davis against the Cowboys
Commanders’ linebacker Jamin Davis has had plenty of attention placed on him this season. He started the season poorly after a disappointing rookie campaign last year, then was publicly called out by both Head Coach Ron Rivera and Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio. Against the Eagles, he responded with a solid performance showing some encouraging signs. This week against the Cowboys, I thought Davis had probably his best game in his NFL career to date.
Davis made a number of nice plays throughout the game, both as a run defender but also in coverage. He showed improvements on areas that he had struggled with previously and generally played to a much higher standard than we’ve typically seen from Davis so far.
Run defense
Davis showed his intent as a run defender early in the game. In the past, he’s struggled to read runs quickly and to take on bigger offensive lineman once he reaches the line of scrimmage. But against the Cowboys, he was much improved in both aspects.
Here we see the Cowboys looking to run the ball inside behind some double teams to the right side of the line. One of those double teams consists of right guard Zack Martin, one of the premier guards in the league for a number of years now. Martin’s job on this play is to bump Daron Payne to help the right tackle secure the block before working up to block Jamin Davis. Martin does as required, bumping Payne before peeling off to pick up Davis. In the past, we’d have seen Davis slow to react and then get caught on the block in this situation, but here he is quick to close the gap and then engages in taking on the block. Davis gets low to take on the block and then fires both his hands to Martin’s chest, standing him up and giving Davis the ability to stack and shed. With Martin stacked up, Davis can peek into the backfield and spots the running back working towards him. Davis then drops his hands to disengage from Martin and shift inside to make the tackle on the running back.
That type of technique in taking on a blocker, stacking him up and then shedding the block before making the tackle is not something we’ve seen from Daivs before, certainly not on a consistent basis. He’s often looked unwilling to be physical at the line of scrimmage and tries to run around blocks instead of taking them on. But in this game, he consistently looked to attack blockers and be physical.
On this play, the Cowboys call a power run to their right, with the left guard pulling around to the right side to pick up the first linebacker, which happens to be Davis. A few weeks ago against the Lions, we saw Davis read a similar play incorrectly which left him completely out of position. But here, he spots the puller early and works up to the line to fill his gap. He attacks the outside shoulder of the pulling guard, trying to force the run back inside towards his fellow linebacker Cole Holcomb. However, defensive end Efe Obada reads the pull from the back side and stunts inside to penetrate and force the running back to bounce his run outside. Davis spots the back bouncing and works off his block to make the tackle and keep the gain to a minimum.
With Davis processing plays a lot quicker and willing to take on blocks and be physical, we’re starting to see his true potential. He’s starting to play with a lot more confidence and with that, he’s able to show off his athletic potential.
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