Commanders vs. Cardinals Preview (9-29-24)
By: Jaden Golding
Headline Photo Credit: Washington Commanders
Glendale, AZ- The Washington Commanders are in Arizona for a week three matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Washington (2-1) is coming off an upset week two victory over the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona (1-2) dropped their last game 20-13, in a closely contested matchup.
Arizona has surprised many of the media this year with how competitive they’ve been through the early part of this season. Nearly upsetting Buffalo in week one, and almost defeating the Lions last week. The Cardinals’ offense looks dynamic, and they are finding success on the ground with running back James Conner and first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels lit up the field last week, completing 91.3% of his passes and accounting for three touchdowns. Daniels was named Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for the second time this year. Star wide-receiver Terry McLaurin had his best game this season catching four balls for 100 yards and a touchdown. When talking to the media after the match, McLaurin discussed his mentality even with the slow start to the season “I think it was just a matter of continuing to be patient. Trusting the process. I knew Jayden and I and our offense had clicked in camp and it was just a matter of doing it when it mattered most.” Spoken like a true leader and backed it up on the field when his team needed him.
Keys To Victory For Washington:
● Contain Kyler Murray: With Washington’s defense struggling through the first three weeks, they must find a way to get into a groove. Sunday’s matchup with the Cardinals is a good test for them, as it is their first contest against a mobile quarterback who is elite using his feet. Murray has rushed for 161 yards so far this year. But it’s not just his ability to gain yards with his feet, extending plays, and making big plays down the field that can cause problems. Washington must contain the edges and prevent Murray from moving up the pocket. Listen out for defensive ends Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler, and Javonate Jean-Baptiste to be on the counter.
● Get Off The Field On Third-Downs: Still sticking with the defense, Washington must find ways to end opponents’ drives early and get off the field. The Commanders’ defense ranks dead last in the league giving up third-down conversions at a 61.3% rate. That must improve to make life easier on the defense.
● Continue To Feed Your Playmakers: Last week, the reason why Washington found success on the offense was because Daniels spread the ball around. He found Scary-Terry, tight end Zach Ertz, receivers Noah Brown, Luke McCaffery, and Dyami Brown. The key to a successful offense is not having a one-dimensional offense but being able to be versatile. In the second half of the Giants game and last week’s game, Kliff Kingsbury has displayed a good job of allowing Daniels to take more shots at pushing the ball down the field and creating big plays.
Arizona and Washington Player To Watch:
RB James Conner: Conner didn’t have a good week three due to Detroit neutralizing the run game. In weeks one through two he accounted for 172 rushing yards, two touchdowns, and 35 receiving yards. He is a speedy back who excels at getting to the outside and in-between tackles. With the Commanders’ defensive line struggling at the moment, look for Arizona to exploit that weakness.
RB Brian Robinson Jr.: Yep, I’m sticking with running back for Washington too. Austin Ekeler will miss today’s game with a concussion, meaning Brian Robinson Jr. will take on a larger role on all three-downs today. Robinson Jr is running against a defense that surrenders 123.3 yards a game, he’ll have the majority of the carries today so I’ll be expecting a heavy dose of running. Not to mention, B-Rob can catch out of the backfield as well, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see maybe some half-back screens or some check-downs to him.
All-Time Head-To-Head Series:
Washington leads the Cardinals in all-time matchups with a record of 77-47-2. The most recent matchup was last year’s 2023 season opener, in which the Commanders won 20-16.
Final Verdict:
Washington needs the defense to step up and limit the big plays. The overreliance on the Commanders’ offense to score 30+ points again is not a realistic expectation week in and out. The Commanders have a chance to move to 3-1 in a winnable game, these are the ones where you can show fans and media that this isn’t the same old Washington team.
