The Washington Commanders are 1-0, folks. That’s all that matters. Like Carson Wentz eluded to in his postgame speech after Ron Rivera handed him the game ball, it’s not always going to be pretty in this league. What matters is how you respond to getting punched in the mouth and Washington fought back in the fourth quarter after they lost their stranglehold of the game coming out of halftime.
Like we said, you have to win ugly in the NFL sometimes and that’s what the Commanders did Sunday against Jacksonville. While a victory is ultimately all that matters, there were some alarming developments throughout the game that should give fans a little pause heading into Week 2 against the Lions.
3 biggest concerns for the Commanders against the Jaguars
3. Turnovers/Penalties
We’re not going to spend too much time on this, because it’s obvious. Turnovers and penalties aren’t conducive to winning football games and the Commanders had plenty of both against the Jaguars. Some rust is to be expected in Week 1 after starters play very little in preseason, but this game was tough to watch at times.
We recall two flags on the first three snaps, Kendall Fuller getting victimized at least twice, and two hands to the face penalties on Andrew Norwell. In total, the Commanders finished with six penalties that amount to 63 yards.
That needs to be cleaned up moving forward. As do the turnovers. Curtis Samuel was great, but his fumble took a lot of wind out of Washington’s sails before halftime and gave the Jaguars something to hold onto heading into the break.
It’d be easy for me to chastise Carson Wentz for his two interceptions, but he responded like a professional and led his team to a victory. That said, his first pick was telegraphed, late and underthrown near the sideline. Might as well have walked the ball over to the Jaguars DB and handed it to him.
Wentz’s second INT was on a designed screen the entire Jacksonville defensive line snuffed out. Travon Walker got the pick, but at least three Jags defenders could’ve got their hands on it. In his seventh season, Wentz should know better than to blindly attempt a pass into a swarm of defenders.
The screen had no chance of panning out. That’s going to happen. Throw the ball away and live to fight another down. It was literally first and 10.
Feel like we might be saying that a lot this year.
Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
2. Run and Pass Defense
A handful of Commanders’ defenders came to play, but the group collectively disappointed Sunday. We’ll start with the pass defense.
While Trevor Lawrence’s final stats weren’t great, it was apparent to the naked eye that the Jaguars quarterback was very comfortable and confident picking apart the opposing coverage. Long story short, Washington’s secondary had zero answers when the pass rush couldn’t generate pressure.
At the end of the day, the Commanders’ were bailed out by several missed opportunities by Jacksonville. Had Washington played a more seasoned and potent offense (the Jaguars have a ton of new faces) they truly might’ve lost this game.
You can only play who’s on your schedule, but Sunday was another worrying sign for the secondary, which struggled all preseason.
Furthermore, the Commanders’ run defense was almost as disappointing, allowing Jaguars rushers to compile 128 yards on 6.8 (!) yards per carry. That cannot happen. Luckily, Jacksonville only dialed up 18 running plays.
Game script had a lot to do with that, so if the Commanders ever find themselves trailing this season (that’s inevitable) they’re going to have to stop the run. The defensive line played its part, but Cole Holcomb and Jamin Davis, who logged 100% of the linebacker snaps, filled the wrong gap on one too many occasions.
1. Injuries in the Trenches
The Commanders offensive and defensive lies performed well Sunday. The offensive line was a revolving door and kept Carson Wentz pretty clean and the defensive line, specifically Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne and Montez Sweat, combined to produce 15 pressures and three sacks of Trevor Lawrence.
Unfortunately, both lines sustained injuries in the game, too.
The headliner is Phidarian Mathis, who suffered a potentially serious injury after his knee got rolled up on in the first half. The second-round pick will undergo further testing on Monday, and Rivera said the Commanders’ are “concerned” about the injury. That ominous quote tells you all you need to know.
(UPDATE: Mathis has suffered a torn meniscus that requires season-ending surgery).
Additionally, Allen, who recorded Washington’s first sack of the season, went down with an apparent lower body injury.
The Pro Bowl lineman walked off under his own power and team insider Ben Standig of The Athletic understands it’s not believed to be a significant injury. Let’s hope that’s the case. Doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize losing Allen would be an absolute killer, especially with Mathis facing a potentially long spell on the sidelines.
Finally, starting guard Wes Schweitzer left the game with a hamstring injury. The severity is unknown, but you have to think he’ll miss a week or two at the bare minimum. Trai Turner came in off the bench for Schweitzer.