The football team ranks ninth or better in each of the following categories: Yards allowed per game, passing yards allowed per game, intercept rate, bags per attempted pass. They also ranked in the top-10 in points allowed per game, third-down percentage, and red-zone percentage. The last of these categories is Washington's best because no other football team in the league is as good at stopping the run in the red zone.
They are also allowing the seventh-lowest passer rating in the league while holding a higher-than-expected completion percentage of -1.4, which is equal to the sixth-lowest rate in the NFL. Meanwhile, Rookie Chase Young out of Ohio State made a case for Defensive Player of the Year. The second pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, he finished the 2020-21 campaign with 7.5 sacks, 32 solo tackles, and four forced fumbles.
His play did not go unnoticed, as he caught the attention of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. After calling him out before their wild-card game.
"I want Tom Brady... I play ball," Young told ESPN earlier this month. "I'm excited to go against the best. The media, their job is to stir it up. If you know me, I'm excited about every game. Tom Brady, you think I'm not excited to play against the GOAT? You trippin'. I'm not going to apologize for saying I want Tom. No, I want every quarterback I play against."
Brady replied, "he is obviously a great young player…He went to Ohio State, so I think that Ohio State-Michigan thing wears off on him a little bit," according to Fox Sports’ Paulina Dedaj.
After the Buccaneers beat Washington 31 to 23 on the road, Young asked Brady for his jersey.