3 pivotal players the Commanders must keep quiet vs. Cardinals in Week 1

Commanders must keep Hollywood Brown quiet

Jack Del Rio can trust his top rookie to lock down the Arizona Cardinals' other primary receiving threat. Hollywood Brown is a burner who can stretch the field - attributes that first-rounder Emmanuel Forbes Jr. can take away on his competitive NFL debut.

Like Quan Martin, Forbes also fared well in single coverage in 2022 at Mississippi State. Something that was shown by numbers from Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus.

Forbes' ball skills could deter quarterback Joshua Dobbs from looking Brown's way. But it's not the only option Del Rio can deploy for shrinking the field.

He could feel more confident about Forbes matching up with Cardinals' rookie wide receiver Michael Wilson, allowing the Washington Commanders to double Brown more often than not.

The latter isn't the most physical wideout, so a bigger-bodied cornerback like 6-foot-3 Benjamin St-Juste could press Brown underneath while safety Darrick Forrest plays over the top. Eliminating the deep ball, while also denying Zach Ertz room across the middle, would slow an already injury-hit Cardinals offense to a proverbial crawl.