ASHBURN, Va. — There’s an old football saying that games are won in the trenches, the offense and defensive line. This year, Washington has gone all in on that, bringing in big, physical linemen on both sides of the ball, including veteran defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw. Through three games, he's had defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. feeling good.

Whitt says he’s had his eye on Kinlaw for a while.

“I begged for the young man last year when he went to the Jets, and I sort of chuckled when people were saying negative things about him," said Whitt. "He is what we needed at that position. He’s a penetrative, disruptive man.”

Kinlaw grew up in Northeast Washington, but he's now found a home in the middle of the Commanders' defensive line and always keeps a piece of his personality close by.

See Full Page