What we learned about Commanders from Week 1

The Not Dan Snyder era is officially underway in Washington. The Burgundy and Gold won a game Sunday that won’t award the team many style points but it was educational.

What did we learn about the Commanders?

The following things stood out in the 20-16 win over Arizona.

1. Quarterback Sam Howell passed the Week 1 eye test.

Looking at the numbers (19 for 31, 202 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) it would be hard to give Howell a grade higher than a C minus. His fumble was picked up for a Cardinals touchdown, he nearly threw a pick-six interception, held the ball too long, and missed a wide-open Dyami Brown early in the game for an easy touchdown.

Numbers and grades can be deceiving, however. The fact is, Howell looked like a starting quarterback. His pocket presence was good. The moment (his second-ever NFL start) didn’t look too big for him and he responded to adversity well.

He was hit with a cheap shot early in the first quarter by the Cardinals’ linebacker Kizer White. Howell kept his composure and responded with a six-play 91-yard drive that was capped with an acrobatic touchdown pass to Brian Robinson Jr.

When his fumble deep in Washington territory resulted in Arizona’s only touchdown, Howell came back out on the field and got the offense close enough for Joey Sly to kick a 33-yard field goal as the first-half clock ran out.

He didn’t get rattled and the moment didn’t look too big for him. There will be more ups and downs this season, but the Commanders may finally have a quarterback.

2. Defensive End Montez Sweat Needs a New Contract….Now

The 4th year edge rusher from Mississippi State was the defensive star of the game. On the day, Sweat had five tackles, two for a loss, one quarterback hit, and one and a half sacks.

Montez Sweat has been a one man wrecking crew today. #httc #NFL

— Lake Lewis Jr (@LakeLewis) September 10, 2023

Right now, he has the early lead in the race to see which defensive end gets a new deal. One can only imagine what the front four (or five) will look like when Chase Young returns.

3. Defensive Tackle’s Daron Payne and Jon Allen are unstoppable

The duo from Alabama made life miserable for Arizona’s offense all afternoon. Payne had a strong first half largely because Arizona was double-teaming Allen. In the second half, it flipped and Allen owned the 3rd and 4th quarters.

Combined, the two had 5 tackles, 4 TFLs and a sack. It’s becoming obvious that teams just don’t have enough people to block everyone on the defensive line, which was the point when the club invested so much draft capital in the unit.

4. Punter Tress Way is an All-Pro and still undervalued

Forget the fact Way put three of his punts inside the 20-yard line and none went for touchbacks, it was his holding on field goals that may have won the game.

His handling of a low snap on a short field goal at the end of the first half gave the Commanders a boost they desperately needed after an Arizona touchdown. Way also made a save on a high snap on Joey Sly’s second field goal late in the game. It’s the little things that come up big in crunch time.

5. Our Long National Nightmare is Over

The sense of relief, that Dan Snyder is gone, was palpable Sunday. The stands were packed with Burgundy and Gold. While it’s true Cardinal fans don’t travel well, this was the feel-good scene Josh Harris and his partners were hoping for when they finally closed the deal this summer to purchase the franchise. The future may be murky but for one day, it seemed like old times in Washington.