A look at the Good (Hail!) and Bad (Fail!) from the Washington Commanders’ 20-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
It wasn’t pretty — let’s be honest, at times it was downright hideous — but the Commanders triumphed, coming from behind to make Josh Harris a victorious owner in his debut game. “We’re family,” Harris declared in the locker room afterward, clutching the game ball handed to him by Coach Ron Rivera. “That’s one. It’s one for the city. It’s all you. Thank you.” For the record, former owner Daniel Snyder took two games before experiencing his first win with Washington. And on a day when fellow favorites Minnesota, Seattle, and Denver all suffered home defeats against teams expected to be bottom-dwellers, Washington survived. That achievement is worth celebrating, regardless of appearances.
For the second consecutive season, Washington won their home opener despite committing three turnovers. Before last year’s Week 1 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team had lost 34 straight games when displaying such carelessness with the ball. Sam Howell was responsible for two of the Commanders’ giveaways, both occurring in the second quarter. Howell forced a throw that was tipped and intercepted by linebacker Zaven Collins, and later lost a fumble deep in his own territory, resulting in a Cardinals touchdown. In between Howell’s turnovers, running back Antonio Gibson, who has struggled with ball security throughout his career, lost a fumble in the red zone.
Forget about the aesthetics. The owner has changed, and the Commanders emerged triumphant.
Montez Sweat, the commanding defensive end, made his presence felt with five tackles, including two for loss, 1.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. Sweat, 27, surpassed Bruce Smith to claim 10th place on the franchise’s all-time sack list, sparking a turnaround for Washington late in the third quarter. His sack of Cardinals quarterback Josh Dobbs resulted in a fumble that was recovered by Daron Payne, reigniting the crowd and setting up Howell’s game-winning touchdown run. Sweat recorded two of Washington’s 11 tackles for loss, their third-highest tally in a game since 2001.
Howell, completing 19 of 31 passes, wasn’t particularly sharp, but his receivers didn’t provide much support. Veteran tight end Logan Thomas dropped a couple of passes, including one on Washington’s opening drive. Running back Brian Robinson Jr., who caught a touchdown pass to commence the scoring, let a screen pass slip through his hands in the third quarter, nearly resulting in a fourth Washington turnover. Defenders from both teams missed potential interceptions, and the increasing rain in the second half may have played a part.
The Commanders’ tagline for 2023 was prominently displayed on the new signage at FedEx Field, which underwent a $40 million renovation before the season opener. “Our entire motivation in becoming owners was to restore this franchise to its place as arguably the most important and unifying organization in our community and region,” said Mark Ein, a limited partner in Harris’s investment group. “We recognize the significance of the team and the franchise for generations of people.” Prior to the game, Joe Theismann, Dexter Manley, and Charles Mann greeted fans in Legends Plaza, while John Riggins observed the victory from Harris’s suite. Alumni greats such as Champ Bailey and Robert Griffin III also returned to the stadium after years of absence. “I think there’s a reason that a lot of alumni stayed away, and we don’t have to talk about that anymore,” Griffin told reporters. “But now it’s a fresh start.” Welcome home, indeed.
At FedEx Field, amidst full parking lots, occupied seats, and joyful hearts…
Fail: Getting conservative
First-year offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy displayed great trust in Howell after his strip-sack fumble late in the first half, and the quarterback responded by leading an impressive one-minute drive that resulted in a field goal. However, the second half was a different story. After Abdullah Anderson recovered a fumble at the Arizona 37-yard line with Washington leading by one and less than 5 minutes remaining, Bieniemy called three consecutive run plays, including on third and six. This decision enabled the Commanders to waste another 2 minutes off the clock, but after Robinson failed to convert for a first down, Washington settled for a Joey Slye field goal, extending their lead to 20-16. Although the decision was justifiable considering the strong performance of Washington’s defense, a first down or two could have sealed the game.
Hail: Tress Way and Jeremy Reaves
Washington’s special teams stalwarts were in top form. Way downed three of his six punts inside the 20-yard line, including a booming 59-yard punt. He also showcased his reliable hands, fielding a one-hopped snap by Camaron Cheeseman on Slye’s field goal before halftime. Reaves finished with three tackles and played a vital role in limiting the Cardinals to just 24 yards on four punt returns.
The Cardinals racked up 67 yards in penalties during Washington’s first touchdown drive, including two instances of dangerous helmet hits within four plays. The first infraction, a brutal hit along the sideline by Kyzir White, sent Howell to the medical tent and briefly forced backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett into action. Nevertheless, Howell did not miss a single play. The Cardinals were penalized a total of nine times for 122 yards, the most by a Commanders’ opponent since a 17-14 win against Seattle in 2017.
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