The Washington Commanders are already in must-win mode.
If Washington is to post its first winning season under third-year coach Ron Rivera and avoid perhaps another franchise upheaval over the offseason, it needs a strong start. The Commanders need to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Oh, there will be another must-win versus Detroit the following week and perhaps many others along the 17-game schedule, But, it all begins against the hapless Jags, who have been the NFL's worst team for much of the past decade and certainly the last two seasons.
But, is this a trap game. After all, being just 3.5-point favorites at home is a pretty lukewarm endorsement by oddsmakers. Washington has long fell into traps over the past three decades as part of its perennial malaise, so an upset loss wouldn't be completely unexpected.
Jacksonville should be better this season, maybe a near-.500 team. It hired coach Doug Pederson, who won Super Bowl LII with Philadelphia. Jacksonville has the last two No. 1 overall picks in Trevor Lawrence and Travon Walker and gained several free agents like former Washington first-round guard Brandon Scherff.
Still, Washington needs to win this game to avoid another losing season. It has the NFL's easiest schedule, but there are no easy games in the NFL.
The Commanders are missing three prominent players to injuries. Defensive end Chase Young and running back Brian Robinson will miss at least the first month while tight end Logan Thomas seems at least a week away.
Washington's defense appeared lackluster over the preseason, giving up four scoring drives in the first two games. The same problems that haunted the unit last season – including third-down failures – don't appear corrected. Nor has secondary communication in zone coverage improved.
After building the defense for two seasons, though, Washington pivoted to offensive improvement over the offseason. It traded for quarterback Carson Wentz and drafted receiver Jahan Dotson in the first round.
If Washington is to win regularly, it will likely be the offense leading the way. That means Wentz must produce after a one-year stint in Indianapolis following five years with Philadelphia where injuries undermined his success.
And, Washington needs to win these first two games before facing Philadelphia and Dallas respectively the following two weeks. Anything less than 2-2 means chasing the wind all season. Given Washington has been more of a second-half team in two seasons under Rivera, it may be asking a lot for the Commanders to start well given so many uncertainties.
"Well, I think missed opportunities more so than anything else," said Rivera of the past two seasons. "And, hopefully, we don't miss these opportunities. Hopefully, you go out and play to our abilities, play the way we're capable of. But remember, it's never about how you start. It's gonna be about how you finish, where you end up. And that's what our goal is, to end up in the right place."
Rick Snider has covered Washington sports since 1978. Follow him on Twitter: @Snide_Remarks.
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