5 winners and losers from the Commanders' win vs. Cardinals in Week 1
By Dean Jones
Winner No. 2
Commanders DL
Just when it looked like things were getting away from the Washington Commanders, their defense stepped up. More specifically, the defensive line overall was completely dominant, overriding the opposition with relative comfort to turn the outcome on its head.
The front four were missing some key names, which only made their performance more impressive. Chase Young wasn't risked and might miss next weekend's game at the Denver Broncos for good measure, with Phidarian Mathis and Efe Obada currently on injured/reserve to further complicate matters.
That didn't matter to those who were active. They approached every down with brute force mixed with elite athleticism and ruthless conviction - something that resulted in a number of key plays to stop the Arizona Cardinals' momentum dead in their tracks.
Montez Sweat was an absolute revelation flying off the edge. Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne were their typically destructive selves on the interior, with Abdullah Anderson also coming up with some nice plays to maximize increased responsibilities.
Arizona's offensive line had no answer and rookie right tackle Paris Johnson Jr. looked like a rabbit in the headlights more often than not. This was the catalyst behind Washington's win beyond all doubt, but Ron Rivera doesn't want his team to be overreliant on the defense bailing them out for another campaign.