Commanders must adjust strategy to counteract Malik Nabers in Week 9

The Washington Commanders already know how much damage Malik Nabers can inflict. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft gave an ample demonstration when he caught 10 passes for 127 receiving yards and a touchdown during the first meeting between the two clubs in Week 2.

Although the Commanders ultimately prevailed at Northwest Stadium, they can't risk letting Nabers be as active again in Week 9. Shutting him down will require head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. to take a cue from how the rest of the NFL has begun trying to deal with Jayden Daniels' former teammate at LSU.

It starts with acknowledging that the first-year pass-catcher has already earned a lofty status usually reserved for the league's elite wideouts.

Commanders need to double Malik Nabers

If you'll forgive a visit from Captain Obvious, this week's game plan has to start with recognizing the need to double Nabers. The Commanders must pay extra attention to the former Tigers' star on every play.

Regular bracket coverage is something the 21-year-old is starting to see. And he doesn't like it, according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan.

What's interesting here is Raanan's description of defenses putting "somebody underneath or safety over the top." There's more than one way to double a talented wideout, beyond rolling a cornerback up in press coverage and positioning a safety behind it.

That's an effective ploy, but it's just as important to mix up the looks Nabers sees. The mixture can involve having a corner play off, while a safety or linebacker undercuts his initial release.

Assigning all three players responsibility for Nabers in a half-field coverage scheme would also work well for the Commanders. Particularly since the Saquon Barkley-less Giants still pack a punch on the ground thanks to sudden and swift rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr.

You get the idea. The Commanders must show Nabers a changing picture, a smorgasbord of coverages all revolving around one immutable principle: doubling the Giants' best weapon.

Putting numbers around Nabers is just one part of the story, though. The next involves dictating the areas of the field he's allowed to target.

Commanders must redirect Malik Nabers away from the middle

Nabers has been prolific in underneath areas and between the numbers. He's averaging 6.9 yards before catch per reception and has amassed 179 yards after catch this season.

Those stats show Nabers knows how to feast across the middle. Part of the reason he has to is that inconsistent Giants quarterback Daniels Jones struggles to throw outside the numbers.

Pushing Nabers to the perimeter should therefore be the priority for the Commanders. Cornerbacks Benjamin St-Juste, Noah Igbinoghene, and rookie Mike Sainristil, who can be an asset in this scheme, must play with inside leverage and force the receiver to run at their outside shoulders out of his breaks.

Having a safety hover over the top and press the sideline will give Jones a tiny throwing window to hit. The same thing can work with an inverted bracket where the corner plays deep and a safety rotates down to Nabers.

Deterring Jones from chancing those outside throws will limit how often he looks for Nabers early in the game. That's important when ESPN shows the rookie has made 17 of his 46 receptions on first down.

Making Nabers wait for his targets will lead to frustration and make the Giants try to force the ball to their primary playmaker. Those things add up to a matchup win for the Commanders.