To kick off the 2023 NFL season, the Arizona Cardinals will travel north to face the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field.
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Last season, the Commanders ranked last in attendance, and they held the second-to-last position in 2021. Remarkably, it has been over five years since the Commanders last found themselves ranked outside the bottom 10 in attendance.
Nonetheless, with the arrival of a new ownership group led by Josh Harris and Magic Johnson, there has been a noticeable surge in excitement and heightened expectations surrounding the Washington Commanders this season.
After wrapping up last year with a 1-3-1 finish, narrowly missing out on the playoffs, and settling for a .500 record, the Commanders are determined to lock in a winning season for the first time since 2016.
Their quest for a winning record will be led by Sam Howell as their quarterback.
Head coach Ron Rivera made the decision to hand the starting quarterback role to Sam Howell in early August. The 22-year-old, with just one start to his name, took the reins in Week 17 to close out last season for Washington.
During that start, Howell guided the Commanders to a win against the Cowboys, completing 11 out of 19 passes, throwing one touchdown, and adding another via a quarterback run.
Now, Howell will be up against an Arizona Cardinals defense that allowed the second-most points per game in 2022. The Cardinals finished ahead of just the Chicago Bears by a .1 margin.
The most recent encounter between the Commanders and the Cardinals dates back to 2020, with Arizona winning 30-15.
