A Relentless Capacity Crowd Beats the Cardinals

It's a good thing the Football Players play the game and the fans do not. 

Because this game against the Arizona Cardinals would be an Arizona beatdown of the Washington Commanders. The fans were like the "Washington Waterboys could pound the pathetic Cardinals. Let's play the Waterboys and we'll still win 62-0".

The Cardinals are going to bring the heat. They are going to pound the rock. Jack Del Rio thinks he can skimp on linebackers and stop a raging bull running back with just two LBs. Let's see it. Really, he plays only one real linebacker in that 4-2-5 set. The other one is a hybrid. A safety who can bench press.

They get their running game going Josh Dobbs can dull that edge and take a couple bootlegs to the House.  I'm pretty sure he will do just that.

This Washington Defense, if it played relentlessly, can destroy everybody they play. I've never seen them play a game relentlessly every play. It is going to take a relentless effort to beat the Cardinals. They have to stop the run. They have to harden the edge. It would be nice to get the turnovers Del Rio talks about.

I don't think Dobbs will turn the ball over. I'm betting the goals Del Rio has set will not happen because Arizona has probably had it up to here with hearing had badly they suck. This is a team of world-class athletes who have absolutely nothing to lose. They can pin their ears back and throw everything at you. They can swing all haymakers and some of those are going to land. And that is just their offense.

Arizona is set up to play the most effective way you can play in the NFL: All Out. That is the best way to train. They will be dangerous THIS YEAR and LETHAL NEXT YEAR. Because they are going to know what it takes to win.

And their defense is better than their offense. 

If the Commanders play the way Arizona is going to play, they're in the Super Bowl. Hands down. A relentless Commanders football team, on offense and defense, would make the Super Bowl.

Let's say that again: If the Commanders could play ALL OUT, they would win the Super Bowl.

But I would agree with some of the veteran commentators that the Washington QB would not last the season with the offensive line they have IF they had Johnny Unitas or Bill Kilmer or Mark Rypien or some easy to hit pocket passer playing quarterback and IF they had a purely pocket passing offense. 

They don't. 

Sam Howell has a good chance to play the whole season. Because of the way they play. The style of play alone should keep Sam going. It isn't official yet but the Offensive Line is rumored to be better than people think. 

And it is Sam and the Offense who will pull this one out. Even though at halftime it will look like Arizona is going to take it.

Sam has his first game-winning drive. Joey Slye misses the game winning kick but the Cardinals are off side. Slye makes the reboot and the Commanders win.

Commanders 31, Cardinals 30. 

Arizona beats the spread easily. Washington wins the game with considerable difficulty, carried over the top by a crazed capacity crowd.