ASHBURN, Va. — The NFL righted a wrong Wednesday. Johnny Newton couldn’t have been happier.
The Washington Commanders’ rookie defensive tackle dropped quarterback Caleb Williams for an obvious sack in Sunday’s Hail Mary win over the Chicago Bears. Only, the play initially counted as a tackle for loss. Cool, but the second-round pick wanted that first career sack. “I couldn’t even think of an explanation for it,” he said.
News of the statistical fix came three days later.
“Finally!” the smiling Newton exclaimed following Wednesday’s practice.
Credited with a sack or not, Newton’s performance “jumped out” to head coach Dan Quinn and anyone else watching. Now starting after Jonathan Allen’s season-ending pectoral injury, Newton had three solo tackles, three quarterback hits, a fumble recovery — and that coveted sack.
From Newton’s perspective, after “a long journey since January,” including surgery on both feet, using “finally” could also cover his feelings about the breakout showcase.
“I felt like my old self, how I played in college,” said the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. “Take it, bottle it and just remember (the feeling).”
This was the type of performance a gobsmacked general manager Adam Peters imagined when the lineman remained on the board in the second round for Washington with the No. 36 pick. University of Illinois head coach Bret Bielema, hired before the 2021 season, witnessed the havoc-causing plays during Newton’s final three college seasons.
Having the physical interior presence with a “big personality” already in the program aided Bielema’s transition on and off the field for a team coming off a two-win season.
“Very good player, but just an awesome person to coach and an awesome person to be around,” Bielema told The Athletic following April’s NFL Draft. “He’s a mismatch because he’s so powerful. He’s got a really good explosive first two or three steps that separates him from the rest of the crowd.”
Tack on impressive strength and speed — Bielema believes the 6-foot-2, 295-pound Newton would have run a sub-4.8 40 time at the NFL Scouting Combine if not recovering from surgery — and the first-round buzz made obvious sense, unlike learning Newton required surgery.
Neither the coach nor the lineman had any clue Newton played his final season with a Jones fracture in his right foot. His 7 1/2 sacks, nine tackles for loss and 52 tackles pained opposing offenses and led to his All-American honors. Surgery occurred in January, wrecking the pre-draft cycle, and his draft stock likely took a minor dip accordingly.
The next setback came immediately after the draft. Washington’s medical staff found a Jones fracture in the left foot, leading to another surgery. Newton missed the Commanders’ spring practices, most of training camp and Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Limited snaps were available as the backup to starters Allen and Daron Payne. Practice reps were plentiful and important for Newton’s psyche and the coaching staff’s peace of mind.
“When you have setbacks with injuries, that’s not something that you’re prepared for,” Quinn said. “But I knew the player, and I knew days like Sunday were coming.”
So did Newton. Feeling like his college self meant “more explosive, more violent with my hands and much better play recognition,” the rookie said. “Everything started to slow down for me.”
we’ll take that
📺 #CHIvsWAS CBS pic.twitter.com/CgWMfZeCOS
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 27, 2024
Another of Newton’s gifts is his ability to recognize the points of entry to the backfield at a high level. Bielema said, “He’s probably one of the more intelligent players I’ve ever been around. I love how he can set things up within the game.”
Newton’s mind doesn’t stop thinking football when he steps off the field. Bielema was on a recruiting trip in Provo, Utah, while Newton was glued to “Monday Night Football.” The coach’s phone buzzed as a text arrived from an excited player about a pass rush in the game.
“Coach, did you see that club move,” the text read. “I want to do that.”
Fast-forward to Newton’s final college season. The Big Ten suspended him for the first half of Illinois’ meeting with Minnesota after he was ejected for a targeting penalty the previous week against Wisconsin. Newton spent that sideline time watching the line of scrimmage and patiently waiting for his entrance.
On the first third down of the second half, Newton used a club swing on the left tackle and beat a double-team off the edge.
“And then he ran the quarterback down,” an impressed Bielema said.
More insight comes from playing alongside and asking questions of Payne, a seven-year veteran with a Pro Bowl selection on his resume.
“I’m trying to get to that level,” the talkative rookie said, “and it starts with communication.”
Newton might become Payne’s permanent tag-team partner if Allen becomes a salary-cap casualty this offseason and his play continues ramping up. Quinn found strength in Newton’s three-technique performance as the lineman created pressure “from the inside over the guard and over the center.”
The 6-2 Commanders are riding high heading into Sunday’s rematch at the Giants. Newton’s debut came in Washington’s 21-18 Week 2 win over New York. He played 12 snaps in that victory. That number jumped to 35 versus the Bears for a season-high 56 percent. His production increased as well.
“I just had a great game, as everyone saw,” the confident Newton said Wednesday. Still, he acknowledged that his first sack was “a big stress reliever. And once you get that away, you just start rolling.”
Newton knows one strong game could be a blip. That’s why his next step is seeking consistency. Nothing wrong with that goal.
“That’s how the greats go. Being consistently good is how you become great,” Newton said. “I want to be a great player.”
(Top photo: G Fiume / Getty Images)
