It’s no surprise that Washington Commanders have opened up as 5.5-point underdogs to the Green Bay Packers in Week 7. Ignore the fact that the Packers have lost two in a row and looked completely inept on offense in a Week 6 home loss to the New York Jets.
Have you seen the Commanders recently? Washington is coming off a 12-7 win over the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football, where it looked like the worst two NFL teams were on the field. In the game, Washington’s struggling quarterback, Carson Wentz, fractured a finger on his throwing hand and could miss up to six weeks.
That means it’s Taylor Heinicke time again for the Commanders.
Heinicke started 15 games in 2021, finishing with a record of 7-8 while completing 65% of his passes for 3,419 yards with 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
No, Heinicke isn’t going to come in and save the Commanders, but he has plenty of experience within this offense and much more mobility than Wentz, which can help with the pass protection issues. His teammates also trust and believe in him. That’s not a slight toward Wentz. Washington players appreciate Heinicke’s grit and will to win.
Meanwhile, the Packers are having problems keeping legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers upright. Rodgers was hit nine times in the loss to the Jets and sacked four times.
The Commanders are coming off a game in which they hit Chicago quarterback Justin Fields 12 times and sacked him five times. In both cases, it was the interior of the defensive line that created the majority of the pressure.
Washington defensive tackles Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen have been outstanding thus far this season and defensive end Montez Sweat has been a nightmare to block over the past two weeks. While many Green Bay fans will see the Commanders as a “get-right” game for the Packers, Rodgers is likely not looking forward to seeing Washington’s defensive line.
The key for the Packers will be running the football. The Commanders allowed the Bears to rush for over 200 yards last week.
Green Bay, which is already struggling to find capable wide receivers in 2022, lost veteran Randall Cobb in the loss to the Jets.
Could Washington be playing the Packers at the perfect time?
It’s never easy to face Aaron Rodgers, regardless of how much the team around him is struggling. However, Green Bay’s current issues seem to align perfectly with some of Washington’s strengths, and the addition of Heinicke should bring some energy to the Commanders.