{"id":116494,"date":"2021-06-16T07:49:24","date_gmt":"2021-06-16T11:49:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=116494"},"modified":"2022-02-02T18:28:50","modified_gmt":"2022-02-02T23:28:50","slug":"faces-of-the-2021-washington-football-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/06\/16\/faces-of-the-2021-washington-football-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Faces of the 2021 Washington Football Team"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After an eventful off-season, the Washington Football Team enters the 2021 NFL season as the reigning NFC East Division Champions and holds expectations that may be at their highest in the past decade. Washington added <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/F\/FitzRy00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ryan Fitzpatrick<\/a> to man their offense, despite Taylor Heincke\u2019s unbelievable game against the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/nfl-teams2\/buccaneers\/\" target=\"_self\">Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a> in the Wild Card game. Ron Rivera and company also added weapons for Fitzpatrick by signing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/SamuCu00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Curtis Samuel<\/a> to a three-year contract and adding speedster Dyami Brown in the third round of the NFL Draft. They also added Kentucky star Jamin Davis to bolster a front seven that led the burgundy and gold to the fourth-best scoring defense in the league. With these moves, Washington arguably has its most talented roster in the Daniel Snyder era. Here are the three faces of the 2021 Washington Football Team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>2021 Washington Football Team: Faces of the Team<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3>Chase Young<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There aren\u2019t that many second-year players across the NFL that will headline their team\u2019s list, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/Y\/YounCh04.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chase Young<\/a>\u2019s playmaking ability and leadership make him a prime candidate to do just that. As a rookie, the Ohio State product notched 7.5 sacks and recovered three fumbles, including a touchdown against the<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/nfl-teams2\/49ers\/\" target=\"_self\"> San Francisco 49ers<\/a> that reminded some fans of Sean Taylor. Young was also named to the pro bowl as a rookie as his case was bolstered with 10 tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hits in 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Chase Young&#39;s touchdown call&#8230; <\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udd25 EN ESPA\u00d1OL \ud83d\udd25 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Qj8ZkAwbFS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/Qj8ZkAwbFS<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Washington Commanders (@Commanders) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Commanders\/status\/1339936879534346241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 18, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Young\u2019s skillset is transcendent, a trait that Washington has lacked on their roster in recent years, especially on the defensive side. Pro Football Focus<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pff.com\/news\/nfl-edge-defender-rankings-the-32-best-players-entering-the-2021-nfl-season\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> ranked <\/a>Young as the eighth-best edge rusher in the NFL with a grade of 87.1 He is truly a blue-chip player who could not only be a perennial Pro Bowler, but also a perennial All-Pro. In addition to his pass-rushing ability, Young was a force against the run in his rookie season. He remained disciplined on the edge, a rare trait for a rookie. This is exemplified by his excellence against various read options throughout the season where he was responsible for both options.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Chase Young will read your read option better than you <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rAnv9T5ouZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/rAnv9T5ouZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Pete Hailey (@PeteHaileyNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PeteHaileyNBCS\/status\/1345913486463922179?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 4, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, Chase Young has stepped into a significant leadership role on a relatively young defense in just his second year. After <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/H\/HaskDw00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dwayne Haskins<\/a> was stripped of his captaincy in 2020, Ron Rivera named Young as another defense captain, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/football-team\/chase-youngs-attitude-and-performance-led-ron-rivera-name-him-captain\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">citing<\/a>, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cthe way he brings this energy to us as a football team, the way he handles who he is, there is an infectiousness to it and his teammates feed off of it.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This trait has carried into the 2021 season as head coach Ron Rivera has continued to praise Young regarding his leadership.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ron Rivera says Chase Young&#39;s natural leadership is showing, but so is his pass rush feel. He looked fluid today for sure<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JPFinlayNBCS\/status\/1402636947756138496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 9, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Terry McLaurin<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From one Ohio State standout to the other, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/McLaTe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Terry McLaurin<\/a> is the second face of the Washington Football Team. Initially, McLaurin was thought to be an ace special teams player, but he has turned into a much more valuable piece for Washington. for The 25-year old wide receiver is heading into his third professional season after being sensational in his first two.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;6324&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a rookie, McLaurin caught 58 passes for 919 yards and seven touchdowns, including a 125-yard affair in his NFL debut against the division-rival <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/nfl-teams2\/eagles\/\" target=\"_self\">Philadelphia Eagles<\/a>. To add on, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McLaurin <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hogshaven.com\/2021\/6\/13\/22529179\/3rd-year-receiver-terry-mclaurin-just-keeps-getting-better\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">led the league<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in contested catch percentage, at 68.4%<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. He was even better last season, catching 87 passes for 1118 yards. However, these statistics do not take into account the quarterback play and lack of receiving options that Washington has battled over the first two seasons. Washington has had six quarterbacks start games the past two seasons and they <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teamrankings.com\/nfl\/stat\/average-team-passer-rating\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ranked<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">28th in passer rating in 2020, while ranking 25th in 2019. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm and Taylor Heinicke as the backup, McLaurin could see his best season to date in 2021.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like Young, Terry McLaurin has had an impact on Washington that is much greater than his numbers on the field. McLaurin was also voted as a team captain last year and has had a few leadership moments that were open to the public, including this speech following a win against Dallas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Terry McLaurin is turning into a leader for this Washington team. Passionate post-game speech after today&#39;s win over Dallas.<\/p>\n<p>(\ud83c\udfa5 @WashingtonNFL)<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/y9fkLum1OO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/y9fkLum1OO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MySportsUpdate\/status\/1320482833505394695?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">October 25, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Jonathan Allen<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many possible options for the third face, such as Brandon Scherff, Montez Sweat, and even punter Tress Way, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/A\/AlleJo01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jonathan Allen<\/a> is an intricate piece of the \u201cculture\u201d change that has occurred in the Washington Football Team organization. Drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Allen has been a consistent contributor on the defensive side as he began as a 3-4 defensive end before transitioning to a 4-3 interior linemen. After having six quarterback hits in his first five games, Allen had his rookie season come to an end after just five games following a Lisfranc injury. Then, in 2018, Allen had his most productive season for his hometown Washington Football Team, notching eight sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and 15 quarterback hits. Over the last two seasons, Allen has posted eight sacks and 131 tackles combined.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Whew <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/OYY6KL8uI8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/OYY6KL8uI8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BrandonThornNFL\/status\/1403127746637746176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 10, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just like the previous two players, Allen has cemented his footprint as an \u201call business\u201d leader for the team. From a military family, Allen has been an incredible presence in the Washington community as <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">he has been <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/sports\/2021\/05\/11\/jonathan-allen-washington-homeless-youth\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">active in addressing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> homeless youth in the Washington D.C. area. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This contributed to him being named the Walter Payton Man of the Year Nominee for the Washington Football Team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allen, a two-time captain, has also displayed this personality on the field and in the locker room.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It&#39;s just the start! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5T9KMKs0H9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/5T9KMKs0H9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Washington Commanders (@Commanders) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Commanders\/status\/1345969948544405505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 4, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nfl\/washingtonfootball\/news\/washington-football-news-talking-contract-jonathan-allen\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contract talks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are underway between Allen and Washington<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, there is no question that Allen\u2019s well-rounded game as a defensive lineman and leadership make him a prime candidate to spend a good portion of his career in Washington.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"D-WuxrpXQ51RfxEEIUQt1A\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1279907247\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'D-WuxrpXQ51RfxEEIUQt1A',sig:'d0m4j7qB5z7Z2Z_punZZEsCWYpNDa-jynKIffROimuE=',w:'594px',h:'393px',items:'1279907247',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Heading into the 2021 season, the Washington Football Team has a few blue-chip players. Here are the faces for the Washington Football Team. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3369,"featured_media":116599,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54,8896,22],"tags":[5718,1532,7916,4687,7385],"class_list":["post-116494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorials","category-washington-commanders","category-washington-football-team","tag-chase-young","tag-jonathan-allen","tag-team-featured","tag-terry-mclaurin","tag-washington-football-team-roster"],"modified_by":"Al Preziosi","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3369"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116494"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116494\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}