What were some big disappointments from the Washington Commanders' close-fought win over the Arizona Cardinals to begin their 2023 season?
For the first time since Week 14 of the 2020 season, the Washington Commanders won a game entirely on account of their dominant defense. Specifically, the defensive line, headed by Daron Payne and Montez Sweat, overwhelmed the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1.
Every member of the two-deep line made at least one big play at a crucial moment to help secure the first win under new owner Josh Harris and his team of wealthy investors.
But as euphoric as 1-0 may be, there were several very troubling parts of the Commanders' victory. Some of these things will simply take time to work out, but others could pose longer-term problems as Washington takes on better competition down the road.
Here, then, are the five biggest disappointments from Week 1.
Commanders penalties
Arizona’s chances of winning were severely hampered by their own penalties. But the Washington Commanders did not play a very disciplined game either.
How many times do you see a holding call go against the punt coverage team? That’s exactly what was given against Christian Holmes on Washington's first punt. They followed it up with a more traditional holding call on the next punt – against Quan Martin - when the Commanders were the return team.
A few of the calls – especially an offensive pass interference against John Bates at the end of the first quarter – were ludicrous. But the Commanders have to cut out the penalties, particularly on offense and special teams.
The Commanders committed eight on the day, and they will not always be playing against a team like Arizona, who bailed them out several times with their own bad infringements. The Cardinals committed nine, for more than 100 yards.
Speed of Commanders offense
We have heard it all throughout the Summer. Eric Bieniemy wants this offense to do everything fast. He wants to establish a rhythm that will put opposing defenses on their heels from the opening whistle. We didn’t really see that from the Commanders in Week 1.
This showed up on a quick screen to Curtis Samuel from midfield on the opening drive. Sam Howell was just a hair late with the ball and the throw caused his playmaker to turn back toward his quarterback.
The result was that he could not escape safety Jalen Thompson and the play went for just one yard. A quicker throw may have sprung Samuel for a much bigger gain.
Speed was a factor in the run game as well. Washington ran a lot of counter and trap action with Brian Robinson Jr. Again at midfield on the second drive, they tried that counteraction and the dynamic running back was stopped behind the line.
None of the Commanders' three backs are particularly quick into a hole. They are powerful runners, but they are not explosive. So those plays that take a half-second longer to develop can allow a good defensive front to close in before the back can really get started.
If Washington continues running that type of action up front, they need to get the back to line faster.
Commanders OL breakdowns
I thought that on many plays, especially early on, the Washington Commanders offensive line blocked rather well. But they clearly had both physical and mental miscues that almost cost their team.
Veteran right tackle Andrew Wylie could prove to be the biggest liability as the campaign goes on. He was awful in the first preseason contest but seemed to settle down in the second, but watching him in a competitive setting provided a broader indication of what to expect.
Against the Arizona Cardinals, Wylie had a lot of trouble with the speed of Dennis Garbeck. If he struggles against this caliber of edge rusher, the prospect of the offensive tackle lining up against Kayvon Thibodeaux and Micah Parsons is terrifying.
There were some mental breakdowns as well. For example, when center Nick Gates was slow to slide over to pick up pressure coming from his left, or when linebacker Cameron Thomas came in untouched from Sam Howell’s right and deflected his throw.
Those kinds of issues should be resolved in time. But the Commanders clearly cannot continue to allow six sacks - to five different defenders - if they hope to have success this season.
Commanders turnovers
This is fairly obvious. You usually do not win in the NFL when you allow six sacks, commit eight penalties, and turn the ball over three times. Sam Howell had a ball tipped on his pick, and he failed to secure it when being pressured and sacked late in the second quarter. As with the offensive rhythm, I expect that will improve as the signal-caller plays more.
Antonio Gibson, on the other hand, is a different matter. He seemed to bounce back from his disastrous 2021 season with a solid year in support of Brian Robinson Jr. in 2022. But he does have a history of fumbles, so to see him cough one up against the Arizona Cardinals is worrisome.
For the game, Gibson had just four touches - five if you count his ill-advised kickoff return. When Robinson needed a rest late in the game, the Washington Commanders turned to rookie Chris Rodriguez Jr. instead.
Gibson figures to be a vital part of this offense going forward. But he may have to earn the coaches’ trust in order for that to happen.
On a positive note, I just want to point out Jahan Dotson’s textbook recovery of what looked to be a Robinson fumble during the winning touchdown drive. The fact that it actually was not a fumble shouldn’t detract from how well the wideout handled the moment. He does a lot of things right.
Commanders LB tackling
Jamin Davis made some good plays. Cody Barton was pretty good in coverage. But you can’t expect to have a great defense when safeties Kamren Curl and Darrick Forest out-tackle the two aforementioned linebackers 15-10, as they did against the Arizona Cardinals.
I’ve been harping on this since last year. Both Davis and Barton are making the majority of their tackles at least five yards downfield, and often seven or eight.
Against an anemic offense like Arizona, that may not cost you. And when the defensive line was as overpowering as it was on Sunday, you can get away with mediocre linebacking play. But versus better offenses – especially against better lines that can stand up to the Washington Commanders front four – those linebackers will have to step up their game.
So the bottom line is that Washington got a much-needed win. They made clutch plays when they had to. Sam Howell certainly made mistakes, but he also moved very well and made a lot of good throws.
When faced with adversity, the team found ways to overcome it. That’s the main takeaway for opening day. But they cannot ignore the areas that still need work if they intend to challenge for the NFC East and the playoffs this year.