The Washington Commanders defeated the Denver Broncos 35-33 on Sunday to improve to 2-0 on the season. It’s the first time since 2011 that Washington has began a season with two consecutive wins.
It wasn’t easy as the Broncos opened up a 21-3 lead over the Commanders into the second quarter. However, Washington linebacker Jamin Davis chased down Denver quarterback Russell Wilson to force a fumble near midfield, giving the Commanders some momentum to turn the game around.
Buy Commanders TicketsThe Commanders rallied behind quarterback Sam Howell and the defensive line to hold a late Denver rally.
Here are some things we learned from Washington’s second win of the season.
Sam Howell continues to impress
What’s the rule for when you can start believing in a young quarterback? It’s certainly not one game, or two, or even three. However, it’s certainly clear the Washington Commanders have something in quarterback Sam Howell. In each of his three NFL starts, Howell has done some good things. He’s also played like a young quarterback at times. That’s to be expected. However, he is now 3-0 as a starting NFL quarterback.
On Sunday, Howell had his best game yet. He faced pressure, kept his eyes downfield and delivered multiple big-time throws. Washington fans are accustomed to its quarterbacks failing in big moments. Howell seems to have a knack for those big moments. Negative plays do not impact him. That’s a trait you can’t coach. While it’s still a bit early to declare him as the Commanders’ quarterback of the future, Howell is trending in the right direction.
Howell is a reason the Commanders are succeeding on offense and winning games. That’s not often been the case.
Eric Bieniemy is a difference-maker
For years, Eric Bieniemy has been told — directly or indirectly — that he wasn’t good enough to be an NFL head coach. It didn’t matter that Bieniemy was the offensive coordinator of the NFL’s best team over the last five years. It was always because of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. Fair or not, Bieniemy deserved more respect for his role in KC’s success. So Bieniemy came to Washington with something to prove. This was his offense. All of it. Outside of the offensive being in his image, he was named as Washington’s assistant head coach. He’s changed how the Commanders have practiced and received rave reviews.
However, nothing mattered until the games began. Through two games, Bieniemy’s show is making believers around the NFL. Nothing is perfect on offense; it rarely is, but Bieniemy deserves credit for Howell’s continued development. He deserves praise for showing the Commanders what an actual NFL offense looks like, not one stuck in the early 1990s.
It will be interesting to follow how Bieniemy adapts to other teams adapting to Washington. But, so far, so good.
Chase Young is back
Chase Young was back on the field for the Commanders Sunday, and he played a lot more than expected. He impacted the game. Young had multiple pressures on Russell Wilson. On the play that turned around the game — Jamin Davis’ forced fumble when he sacked Wilson — it was Young who flushed Wilson from the pocket. Young finished the game with three tackles, 1.5 sacks and two QB hits.
He did have two penalties, one of which was a 15-yarder. I’m sure there was a lot of adrenaline involved with Young having his first game back, but he needs to be careful there. But how can you not be encouraged by that performance? He looked as healthy as he did during his rookie season. He played fast and confidently. It’s going to be fun watching this defensive line over the course of the next few months.
Commanders need a new long snapper
We aren’t picking on Camaron Cheeseman, we promise. But he has one job. To snap the ball. Since early in training camp, his snaps have been an issue. In last week’s win over Arizona, he had a bad snap on a field goal. Fortunately for him, punter Tress Way did a great job of getting the ball down for kicker Joey Slye.
Against Denver, the Commanders failed to score a touchdown on their first drive. They had to settle for a field goal. Cheeseman’s snap issues popped up again, and this time, it cost Washington three points. Head coach Ron Rivera said last week Cheeseman’s snaps were a concern but not an issue yet. Are they an issue after Sunday?
Rivera can’t allow Washington’s win to overshadow another snapping mistake. Will the Commanders make a move this week? Or, at least, hold tryouts?
Cheeseman is a good, fun-loving guy, popular with his teammates, but when you’re hurting the team on the field, all options must be considered.
Interior offensive line doing its job
We can debate the struggles of Washington’s offensive tackles, Charles Leno Jr. and Andrew Wylie. However, the new interior is taking care of business. Left guard Saahdiq Charles, center Nick Gates and right guard Sam Cosmi are looking downright dominant at times. All three can move in space, which makes a difference in the screen game. And did you see some of those runs from Brian Robinson Jr? Check out the work of Charles and Cosmi. Health has always been a problem for Charles and Cosmi. If they can remain healthy Washington has found its guards. It’s amazing, just through two games, how much better the Commanders are at guard compared to one year ago.
