Washington Commanders Coach Reveals Plan Against Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Washington Commanders hope to start the season well against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

The team is dealing with an injury to second-round pick Johnny Newton, who is not expected to play against the Bucs as he recovers from a foot injury he underwent surgery on in May.

But beyond that, Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. wants everyone on defense to hit the ground running for the season opener.

“It’s going to be hot out there, so we’re going to try to play a lot of players and keep the guys fresh in the fourth quarter,” Whitt said. “And so the game will really determine the rotation. But I want to keep one of, you know, (DT) Jon (Allen) and (DT Daron) Payne as much as possible at some point. I don’t want them both on the sidelines at the same time, but that could happen, you know? And then when (DT Jer’Zhan) “Johnny” (Netwon) comes back, he comes back and he’s ready to rock and roll. He’s a really good player.”

READ MORE: Commanders Coach Speaks Out About Jayden Daniels Debut

The Commanders are likely the healthiest they’ll be all season, so they should take advantage of the body count while they have it. It’ll also allow everyone to fully shake off some of the rust they’ve built up over the offseason.

The Commanders and Buccaneers kick off on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.

READ MORE: Commanders prepare for tough test against Buccaneers in Week 1

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