Could Tim Settle Be Vital To Stopping Saquon Barkley, Eagles In Week 1?

There has been plenty of discussion around Washington’s new defensive additions getting after Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts on Sunday, as Sean Mannion works to install his new Eagles offense. Unfortunately, that aspect of the matchup won’t matter if Washington can’t first stop Saquon Barkley and the Eagles’ rushing attack.

In recent seasons, the Commanders’ defense has not been up to the task.

While there have been a number of reasons for Barkley’s success over the last couple of years, including poor tackling and inferior speed in Washington’s linebacker room, the key to stopping Saquon is fairly simple.

Gap control.

While maintaining gap integrity in the run game is a basic concept, it is far from an easy to achieve versus one of the best running backs in the league, running behind a stout offensive line. Several players currently on Washington’s roster have been known to contribute to lapses and big plays in the past, but one big change to the front seven this season is free agent Tim Settle.

The 6-foot, 315-pounder has flown under the radar after spending a good portion of camp and the preseason sidelined by injury, but he represents an upgrade to the interior defense Washington fans haven’t seen in quite some time.

The Commanders defense has gone through a series of additions on the interior alongside Daron Payne since Settle left in 2022, including Phidarian Mathis, Johnny Newton, Sheldon Day, Javon Kinlaw and Eddie Goldman. Previous groups failed to make much of an impact in the rush defense, as evidenced by the team’s poor ranking versus the run over the last few years. Washington’s defense ranked 30th in run defense last season, 29th in 2024, and 27th in 2023. Meanwhile, Settle was refining his technique and working in a rotational role for the Buffalo Bills before finally becoming a regular part of the Texans’ defensive line in 2024. He started in 29 games at defensive tackle throughout the past two years, recording nearly 50 combined tackles and 6.0 sacks before going down with a season-ending foot injury in 2025. In 2024, he had the fifth-best run stop win rate in the NFL. The free agent defensive tackle agreed to a 3-year, $24 million agreement with the Commanders this offseason.

So what has changed since Settle’s first tenure in Washington? For one, Settle has learned to keep his pad level low and use his hands to generate leverage and maintain gap integrity. While Settle has always been disruptive in the middle, here you can see the difference between Settle’s play style in 2020 compared to last season’s work with the Texans.

The refinement in his technique has improved his consistency in the run game and ability to maintain gap integrity. Film analyst Mark Bullock also reviewed Settle’s play following his signing, and noted that the defensive tackle demonstrated increased discipline in his game.

Having spent some years away and developing, Settle returns to Washington with the ability to play much more disciplined with his assignment and technique. I’m expecting the Commanders to switch to a 3-4 base front under Daronte Jones, and to do that, they need a nose tackle. Settle wouldn’t have been disciplined enough to play that role consistently when he left Washington, but now he’s very much capable of doing the dirty work inside.

This “dirty work” includes the ability to not only take on double-teams but also to disrupt running lanes by fighting through them. That is not to say that he can’t penetrate and get into the backfield either, as Settle still possesses the quickness and agility that made him a fifth-round selection by Washington in the 2018 NFL draft. Importantly, he now has the experience to determine which situation calls for each technique and by reading the offensive line he could play a key role in Sunday’s matchup with Philadelphia.

Brian Flores has traditionally had his defensive linemen play a one-gap scheme, but current Commanders defensive coordinator and former Flores assistant Daronte Jones could opt for Settle to play more of a two-gap role to clog the interior and prevent offensive linemen from moving to the second level. This would keep the linebackers and hybrid safeties clean in order to provide the necessary run fits. Like his Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough, Mannion is also expected to implement a heavy outside-zone scheme for the Eagles rushing attack this season, so Settle could also penetrate the backfield at either the nose tackle or three-technique if he reads the play moving to the outside. This could disrupt pulling linemen, prevent reach blocks and clog cutback lanes if Barkley tries to bend the run back inside. Quick, effective penetration can be devastating to the timing of an outside zone run.

Jones clearly understands that limiting Barkley requires the entire defense to carry out their assignments, play with discipline, and make the necessary tackles. He said as much in his Thursday presser, stating “It’s not a one man job. It’s a team effort.”

However, Tim Settle was brought in to win on the interior of the defensive line, and while there have been plenty of other players tasked with this same assignment, Settle looks to have the game to actually do it. Jones may be planning on using his skill set to provide an anchor point for an number of new players on the second level of the defense as they work to identify and complete their assignments in their first game in the system. Increased speed in the linebacker room will be a huge part of Washington’s defensive plan, but good run defense starts up front by controlling gaps and winning at the line of scrimmage. On Sunday afternoon, Settle will be called on to prove that he can be that player as he takes the field as a Washington Commander for the first time.