3 reasons the Commanders must dominate Cardinals in Week 1

Commanders schedule

There aren’t many guaranteed wins on the Washington Commanders' schedule in 2023. While we all know anything can happen on any given Sunday, this is the easiest game Ron Rivera will face by a considerable margin.

The Commanders will be without Chase Young, who was cleared for contact and isn't being risked. Multiple reports also suggest that he could be out until Week 3, but the coaching staff should feel confident that they have enough to blow by the Arizona Cardinals in front of a jam-packed FedEx Field.

If Washington can put together a dominating performance over a clearly weaker team, it will provide confidence heading into Week 2. The Commanders have another winnable game at the Denver Broncos providing they cope with the obvious altitude difficulties.

Expectations are high. If the Commanders are going to make the playoffs, they need to beat the teams they are supposed to while upsetting a few opponents along the way. I truly believe starting 2-0 is crucial to this team’s success in 2023, and that begins with a commanding win over the Cardinals in Week 1.

Obviously, what can go wrong normally does for the Commanders. But with Snyder gone and Josh Harris' ownership group bringing hope back to the organization, anything is possible.