After previous owner Daniel Snyder took over the Washington football franchise in 1999, off-seasons for the Washington football franchise typically had more excitement than the actual regular season. Such was the case last year when Josh Harris purchased the franchise from Snyder and brought new hope and optimism for the team.
This year, after a new GM, a new head coach and coaching staff, a demotion of the team president who helped pave the way for the name “Commanders” and a complete overhaul of the back office and the players from last season, reality is about to hit home this Sunday in Raymond James Stadium for the opening game of the Commanders 2024 regular season.
Fan speculation on players kept and waived, on the decisions by GM Adam Peters on player personnel, people who never coached professional football, scouted or spoke with any of the players chosen in the draft, or never watched one OTA in person, or could talk to players following a training camp practice. All of those useless opinions on meaningless preseason games are over. On Sunday, it gets real.
Now, fans will see if there’s any proof in the pudding. Jayden Daniels will play a full speed game for four quarters with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive line that wants to win as much as Daniels wants to prove that there’s a new star in D.C. looking as dazzling in the opening game as he did for few drives he played in the preseason.
Fan expectations need to be low for nearly all new players on the team who will play four full quarters together for the first time at regular season speed. Washington fans, however, don’t have much of a history of low expectations or patience for that matter.
If Washington is going to win its first game, it will require head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt, Jr., opening with defensive line pressure that will cause mistakes and turnovers from Bucs QB Baker Mayfield. Coverage on Mike Evans and Chris Godwin is certainly going to be a challenge so Mayfield can’t have time to throw.
Thinking of time, Commanders QB Daniels will also need time from an untested offensive line. Running backs Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler will need to step and Daniels will need to look off defensive backs like veteran safety Antoine Winfield, Jr.
The wide receivers will also be under the microscope like Luke McCaffrey, son of NY Giants receiver Ed McCaffrey, and Noah Brown, no relation to Dyami Brown.
Has the coaching staff prepared this Commanders team for the Buccaneers? We’ll find out because it’s all going to be there on the field this Sunday for the fans to see. And then the Monday morning quarterbacks will really show up!
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