3 mistakes Commanders cannot repeat in Week 2 vs the Lions

The Washington Commanders’ season-opening win over the Jacksonville Jaguars represented everything fans missed about football during the offseason.

From thumping hits, big-time throws in the clutch, the game script flipping on its head in the second half, untimely turnovers and a stadium going crazy after the home team scored a late go-ahead touchdown, the game had everything.

While the Commanders left fans with more positives than negatives in the game, the negatives were pretty alarming and need to be cleaned up moving forward if the team is to reach its ultimate goal — making the playoffs — this season.

Heading into a tricky road matchup against the Detroit Lions, here are three mistakes from the Week 1 victory that cannot be repeated.

3 mistakes Commanders cannot repeat in Week 2 vs the Lions

3. Penalties/Allowing Big Plays

The Commanders won the penalty battle pretty comfortably, as the Jaguars committed 13 penalties for 90 yards compared to Washington’s six penalties for 63 yards. While that’s great and definitely contributed to the win, there’s no sense celebrating being more discipline (or not as poorly disciplined) than a team that continuously shot itself in the foot.

Of those six penalties, five generated Jaguars first downs. It’s not like they were committing insignificant fouls. From defensive pass interference, illegal contact and illegal hands to the face (looking at you, Andrew Norwell), Washington let a stagnant Jaguars offense off the hook one too many times.

Not only was FedEx Field’s grass littered with yellow laundry, but the Commanders’ were victimized by the big play multiple times against Jacksonville.

Christian Kirk beat Kendall Fuller for a 49-yard gain and averaged a whopping19.5 yards per reception. In total, Washington allowed three completions of 20 or more yards. That stat is inexcusable and they’ll face a Lions team in Week 2 that just hung 35 points on the Eagles’ stacked defense in Week 1.

Time to fix up.