Commanders roundtable: Awards, record predictions and potential surprises in 2023
By Dean Jones
There is a lot at stake for the Washington Commanders this season, but how could things genuinely unfold for the franchise in 2023?
The Washington Commanders are about to embark on one of the most highly-anticipated seasons in franchise history. No longer is this organization under suspect ownership - there is now legitimate hope for the future and hopefully, the newfound positivity can have a positive impact on the team when it counts.
There is a fantastic chance to get off on the right foot in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals. Things get much tougher after that, but the Commanders have more than enough talent to thrive if everyone stays clear on the injury front.
Looking ahead to the season, the Riggo's Rag team of Dean Jones, Jonathan Eig, and Hirdesh Matta got together to make some predictions heading into the campaign.
Commanders MVP
Hirdesh: If I could choose a non-player, it would have to be Eric Bieniemy. For a player, I will go with Jahan Dotson.
He will have a breakout second year and show that he is a star, filling in the gap for Terry as he recovers from his pre-season injury.
Jon: The most likely choices for MVP are either the best players on the team – Terry McLaurin and Jonathan Allen – or the quarterback – Sam Howell. But I don’t think it will be any of them. I think the MVP of 2023 will be rookie Emmanuel Forbes.
He could have the same impact Sauce Gardner had for the New York Jets last season, in which he won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Forbes is a turnover-producing machine who has proven in his brief preseason appearances that he is equally adept at stepping up and making plays against the run. This team needs turnovers and he will produce them.
Dean: This is a quarterback league and the Washington Commanders will go as far as Sam Howell takes them this season. Ron Rivera is taking a big risk by putting him front and center with just one NFL start, but it's been encouraging to see so much growth from the player in recent weeks.
If Howell can provide stability and everything clicks under Eric Bieniemy, the Commanders will be right in the thick of things.