The Commanders’ cornerbacks have faced notable challenges this season, especially early on when they struggled in man coverage against teams like the Buccaneers and Bengals, allowing an average of over 300 passing yards in those games. As a result, head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. had to adjust their defensive approach. Ideally, they aim to play man coverage, which would let them commit more players to the pass rush and pressure opposing quarterbacks into hurried, short throws that their defensive backs could attempt to intercept.
This clip highlights two nearly identical reps of Lattimore in press coverage against receivers running fade routes. The first example features Falcons’ speedy receiver Darnell Mooney. Lattimore isn’t overly aggressive at the line—he avoids jamming Mooney since his speed allows him to comfortably stay with the receiver downfield. Instead, Lattimore shows patience, keeping his feet calm at the snap as he waits for Mooney to commit to a route. Once Mooney takes an outside release, Lattimore opens his hips to match him stride for stride. He stays on top of the route, gently placing his hand on Mooney’s shoulder to guide him toward the sideline. This positioning forces Mooney wider, shrinking any potential throwing window as he nears the boundary.
The second play mirrors the first, with the Bucs’ Sterling Shepard attempting a fade on Lattimore’s side. Lattimore remains patient at the line, waiting for Shepard to commit to a route. As Shepard moves outside, Lattimore once again opens his hips, stays over the top, and guides the receiver to the sideline, effectively closing the throwing lane.
Lattimore’s press coverage skills aren’t limited to fades. Often left one-on-one with a single receiver opposite a three-receiver side, he’s familiar with defending standard cross routes, where the receiver gains 10-15 yards of depth before breaking across the field as a back-side option. Lattimore’s experience allows him to consistently disrupt these routes.
Adding Lattimore should help improve coverage overall. While the other corners need to keep progressing in this area, Lattimore has a proven record of effective man coverage against a variety of receivers and routes, and this season has been no exception.
Here are two examples of Lattimore effectively defending back-side basic cross routes. The first example shows him covering Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Lattimore lines up in press coverage, displaying his characteristic patience at the snap. Rather than jamming the receiver right away, he waits for Smith-Schuster to commit to his release direction. Once the receiver moves inside, Lattimore gets physical, using both hands to disrupt the release and push him further inside than intended. This maneuver throws Smith-Schuster off his path, disrupting the timing of the play.
Lattimore then stays tight to the receiver’s outside hip as he moves vertically. At around 15 yards, Smith-Schuster tries to cut inside and create separation, but Lattimore anticipates this and stays on his hip, effectively locking down the route. Even though Patrick Mahomes was looking to take a deep shot on the opposite side, Lattimore completely neutralized the back-side cross.
The second example is similar, this time against Mooney, who brings a bit more speed than Smith-Schuster. Mooney tries a stutter-step release, faking an outside move. While some corners might bite and panic about getting beat down the sideline, Lattimore stays calm, relying on his speed to recover if needed. When Mooney shifts back inside, Lattimore attaches tightly to the route, using physicality to stay close through the break, effectively eliminating any throwing window.
Lattimore’s press coverage skills, along with his patience at the line, allow him to force receivers to declare their routes before he commits to his defense. This combination of patience and speed makes him an asset Washington hasn’t had in its secondary for years and a significant boost to the Commanders’ pass coverage.
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