Commanders vs. Buccaneers Preview (9-8-24)
By: Jaden Golding
Headline Photo Credit: USA Today
The Washington Commanders play their first regular season game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tomorrow afternoon at Raymond James Stadium. The game starts at 4:25 p.m. on FOX.
Tampa Bay, FL – The Washington Commanders enter the 2024 season as a new team with many different faces on and off the field. The offseason saw a lot of changes starting out with Ron Rivera & Company, and in comes Dan Quinn.
The Commanders saw most of last year’s roster exit through free agency, trades, or roster cuts.
At the key position of quarterback, enters 2023 Heisman Trophy Winner Jayden Daniels. New general manager Adam Peters and Quinn knew they needed stability at the position, that Washington has now seen 36 quarterbacks in 32 years. The hope is Daniels can use his explosive mobility that can extend plays but also cause chaos for defense, and display his arm talent to distribute the ball anywhere across the field.
Washington brought in new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to help the young quarterback out, Kingsbury came off stints with USC (2023) helping now Bears quarterback Caleb Williams shine at the collegiate level, and his last head coaching stint with the Arizona Cardinals (2019-2023) guiding Kyler Murray.
The Commanders brought in guard Nick Allegretti, and center Tyler Biadasz, and drafted left tackle Brandon Coleman to bolster an offensive line that allowed 65 sacks last season, which ranked second worst in the league. They also signed running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Zach Ertz to give Daniels some weapons.
The offensive line will have to make sure they do a good job protecting their young quarterback, against a strong defensive unit under Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles. 10 out of 11 Tampa Bay starters return this season.
On the defensive side for Washington, the big additions were future Hall of Famer linebacker Bobby Wagner, safety Jeremy Chinn, defensive end Dorance Armstrong, and linebacker Frankie Luvu. They join the likes of defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, the anchors of this defensive unit. After ranking as the league’s worst defensive group last year, Joe Whitt Jr. knows how important it is for this group to improve to get victories. Whitt Jr. wants his group to be physical and attack the ball every play.
Injury Report:
Washington- DT Jer’Zhan Newton (foot) doubtful
Tampa Bay- DL Calijah Kancey (calf) out, Logan Hall (foot) out, and WR Trey Palmer (concussion) questionable
Player Battles To Watch:
Quarterback Baker Mayfield vs. Jayden Daniels:
● Mayfield is looking to show that his 2023 season revival that led Tampa Bay to the second round of the playoffs was no fluke and that he can consistently play as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Daniels will be making his NFL debut, hoping to get off to a good start as the new franchise QB of the Commanders and show why he was the number two overall pick. The Washington fanbase has immense hope in the kid and all eyes will be on him Sunday afternoon.
Wide Receivers Mike Evans & Chris Goodwin vs. Cornerbacks Emmanuel Forbes & Benjamin St-Juste:
● Both receivers are coming off 1000-yard seasons, with Evans coming off the 10th straight year of 1000 yards received. We all know what these two guys bring to the table, both are some of the best receivers in the league who produce each game. Forbes is coming off a down rookie year where his play struggled, but the positions he was put in and the coaching decisions were questionable. St-Juste also had an up-and-down 2023 year he’d like to forget especially entering his contract year, both defensive backs will want to get off to a fast start tomorrow and show why defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. trusts them as the starting pair. They’ll both need to stay disciplined with their eyes and hands and make sure to play physically while the ball is in the air.
Todd Bowles vs. Dan Quinn:
● These two head coaches are both experienced guys who know what it takes to succeed in this league. Opening Day you always want to start off with a victory. It’ll come down to who puts their squads in the best positions and can adjust throughout the game. The littlest mistakes can cause you to lose a game in the NFL so who will break first?
Head-To-Head History
● The Commanders and Bucs have played 25 times all-time, with Washington leading 13-12 (including 3 postseason battles).
● The last meeting came back on November 14, 2021, at NorthWest Stadium with the Commanders winning 29-19.
Final Verdict
● Tampa Bay has continuity within their roster which gives them familiarity and chemistry that they have already built from years before. Washington must be able to generate stops on defense and prohibit the Bucs from getting to their playmakers. The defensive line needs to make Baker Mayfield uncomfortable to help the secondary out. Finally, Terry McLaurin! Daniels knows to get his star the ball early, it’ll make things easier for this offense. Also, Brian Robinson the physical running back will want to get going early as well.
