5 Commanders players on the hot seat entering Week 2 vs. NY Giants
By Dean Jones
The Washington Commanders need to stamp their mark on the NFC East at some stage during the 2023 season. What better time than their first divisional matchup against the New York Giants in Week 2?
Dan Quinn won't get a better chance, in all honesty. The Giants put together an embarrassing performance en route to a demoralizing home loss to the Minnesota Vikings to start their regular-season engagements. They'll see this as the perfect bounce-back opportunity, so the Commanders need to show resolve and feed off the vibrant atmosphere expected at Northwest Stadium for their home opener.
The Commanders don't want to be getting themselves into an early hole after just two games. Optimism remains despite things not going their way at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It won't take long for that to change if they cannot galvanize themselves versus a team suffering from some real confidence issues based on last weekend's showing.
It's a high-stakes situation and the pressure is on almost everyone With that in mind, here are five Commanders players firmly on the hot seat entering Week 2 against the Giants.
Commanders players on the hot seat entering Week 2 vs. NY Giants
Dyami Brown - Commanders WR
One pleasing factor occurred for Dyami Brown in Week 1. The wide receiver got plenty of reps after impressing considerably during the offseason. Unfortunately for the former third-round selection out of North Carolina, he failed to register a single target.
Whether this was down to Jayden Daniels' eagerness to get out on the move or Brown's inability to create separation remains to be seen. Either way, the wideout cannot afford to be such a non-factor in Week 2 against the New York Giants with Noah Brown waiting in the wings for prominent involvement.
Brown's got the physical tools needed to be impactful. It hasn't come together in a competitive setting as yet, but the Commanders will open the passing game up more as Daniels gains additional comfort in the pocket with experience.
This is a mental thing for Brown more than anything else. The Giants' secondary is vulnerable after getting carved open by Sam Darnold during their loss to the Minnesota Vikings. It would be a major disappointment if he didn't get targets vertically in this one.