Commanders interior defensive linemen
- Matchup: Josh Jacobs
Arguably, the biggest positive from the Washington Commanders' perspective in Week 1 was their defensive front. It was a huge concern for fans over the summer, but this unit raised urgency and completely overwhelmed the New York Giants throughout a one-sided contest at Northwest Stadium.
Javon Kinlaw and Daron Payne were relentless on the interior. Dorance Armstrong Jr. caused havoc on the edge en route to nine pressures. Deatrich Wise Jr.'s hand placement wasn't entirely consistent, but he provided a sound base against the run that didn't go unnoticed.
This represents an exceptional platform from which to build. But the need to maintain or perhaps even enhance these standards against the Green Bay Packers cannot be overstated.
The Packers have a high-octane passing attack, but this is all predicated on establishing matters on the ground first. Josh Jacobs is their bell-cow backfield threat, who battled his way to 66 rushing yards and one touchdown from 19 touches versus the Detroit Lions.
Jacobs is a patient runner capable of gaining hard yards in between the tackles or bouncing off the edges for bigger gains. It's a difficult task for the Commanders, but if they can restrict his influence, their chances will improve exponentially.
Josh Conerly Jr. - Commanders OT
- Matchup: Rashan Gary, Micah Parsons, and Lukas Van Ness
Most fans expected some growing pains from rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. against the Giants. The Commanders gave him the chance to start — something he'd earned over training camp and the preseason — but the vaunted New York pass-rush represented a challenge of epic proportions.
It was a rollercoaster debut for Conerly. He flashed enormous promise, although he gave up one sack and two pressures during the clash. The No. 29 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft also struggled to provide the push needed on running plays, which was a concern coming out of college.
There were more positives than negatives. However, that won't stop the Packers from targeting Conerly as a potential weak link with Laremy Tunsil offering so much accomplished assurance on the blindside.
It's out of the frying pan and into the fire for Conerly. Rashan Gary, Micah Parsons, and Lukas Van Ness will be testing him right to the limit. Last weekend's experience should serve him well. Coping with a supreme pass-rushing trio with the national spotlight glaring is a much stiffer obstacle to overcome.
The Commanders believe in Conerly. They are giving him all he can handle early on, but he'll need a lot of help from blocking tight end John Bates once again.
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