Game Preview, Week 1: Jaguars at Washington
September 10, 2022
by Steve Thomas
Welcome to the 2022 season, Redskins fans! Washington Football Team fans! Washington Commanders fans! Washington fans! Washington, the proud owners of what has been preliminarily evaluated as one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, has a great opportunity to start the season on a high note for once, the moribund Jacksonville Jaguars come to town for their week 1 matchup. The highly touted top overall pick from 2021, Trevor Lawrence, was mostly terrible last season, which was hardly surprising that the Jacksonville franchise was even more of a flaming trainwreck than usual last season. He, along with the rest of his team, doubtlessly wants to try to erase last season’s disaster and sees Washington as a good opportunity begin the process. Which team can rise from the depths? The entire football world will no doubt be on pins and needles waiting to find out on Sunday afternoon.
Game time & location: Sunday, September 11, 2021, 1:00 p.m. ET, Fed Ex Field, Raljon, Maryland; Gates open 11:00 a.m. ET; Red Zone parking lots open 8:00 a.m.; all other parking lots 9:00 a.m.
Television: FOX
Television announcers: Chris Myers, Robert Smith
TV broadcast map: click here
DC-area radio: Big 100, WBIG-FM
Washington radio network: click here
Jaguars radio network: click here
Satellite radio: Sirius: 121 Sirius (Wash. broad.); XM: 233 (Wash. broad.); internet: 831 (Wash. broad.)
Washington roster: click here
Washington depth chart: click here
Jaguars roster: click here
Jaguars depth chart: click here
All-time head-to-head record vs Jaguars: 6 – 1 (last 5: 4 – 1; streak: 4 – 0)
Last meeting: W, December 16, 2018, 16 – 13
Early odds: Washington, -3
3 KEYS TO THE GAME
Start strong
Washington is 3 – 7 in week 1 over the last 10 years, including the prior Redskins franchise, the Washington Football Team, and the new expansion Commanders. So . . . yeah. The team has a golden opportunity to change the pattern and start the season out on a good note against what was the worst team in the NFL last year. For the most part, Washington’s starters looks bad to mediocre at varying times over the course of the preseason, particularly the offense, so coming out of the gate at peak efficiency may be a tall order. Regardless, if Washington wants to have a strong season, losing to the 3 – 13 Jaguars won’t be a positive harbinger of things to come. Offensive efficiency and the ability of the defense to get off the field quickly is a major key to both this game and the season.
Slow down Jacksonville’s run game
Trevor Lawrence was one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL last year, and while its reasonable to assume that he’ll make improvements in year 2, Jacksonville relies on its run game to succeed. Running back James Robinson averaged 4.7 yards per carry last season on 164 carries, so he’s the principal running back to watch out for. If Washington’s run defense can’t succeed, that will put Lawrence in the position of having to drive the offense, which isn’t what they want. Watch for whether Robinson can establish the run game early in this contest.
Carson Wentz needs to open up the offense
Washington needs Wentz to play like a guy worthy of a $28M cap hit. He was okay in the preseason, but not at that level. Washington’s offense is going to need the passing game to succeed early in the year while their best running back, Brian Robinson, is recoverin from his injuries. From a big picture perspective, Washington is now paying elite quarterback money to a guy who most objective observers rate as being ranked somewhere between 15 and 20 in the NFL. Wentz needs to exceed that in order for the team to be successful this year, and there’s no better place to start than in week 1 against one of the worst teams in the NFL.
3 KEY MATCHUPS
Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson vs. Darious Williams and Tyson Campbell
Both remaining fans of the team would be ecstatic if the duo of McLaurin and Dotson immediately demonstrate the dominance the team expects. This obviously relates to Carson Wentz’s ability to play well, but at the end of the day, McLaurin and Dotson need to take advantage of what is at first glance a pretty favorable matchup. Keep and eye out for how open McLaurin and Dotson are throughout the game.
One major key to the game is to make second year quarterback Trevor Lawrence uncomfortable, and with Chase Young out, that duty falls primarily to Montez Sweat. Jawaan Taylor is a legitimate starter, so this matchup isn’t a cakewalk, but regardless, Sweat needs to get to the quarterback early and often. Will we see a disruptive Montez Sweat who gets to Lawrence and puts him on the ground, or will we see the 2021 Montez Sweat who disappeared for long stretches of the season?
Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne vs. Brandon Scherff
This is Redskins legend Brandon Scherff’s first return to Fed Ex Field. Scherff is a guy who probably would’ve been a Redskin for life Washington Football Team player for life Commander for life Washington player for life if the injury bug hadn’t infected his play. This continued last year in Jacksonville, too, as he only played in 11 games. Allen and Payne will have their hands full against Scherff, who is still one of the best guards in the NFL when he’s healthy. Not only will it be great to see Scherff again, this matchup is critical to Washington’s ability to slow down the Jaguars’ run game.
OFFICIAL INJURY REPORT (active roster only) (starters in bold)
LP – limited practice FP – full practice DNP – did not practice
NIR – not injury related Q – questionable O – out
D – doubtful NL – not listed
| Washington | Jaguars |
| S K. Curl, thumb; Wed: DNP; Thurs: DNP; Fri: DNP; game:: O | DL F. Fatukasi, calf; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q |
| WR C. Sims, concussion; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | OL C. Robinson; ankle; Wed: NL; Thurs: NL; Fri: LP |
| TE L. Thomas, knee; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP; game: Q | |
| TE C. Turner, hamstring; Wed: LP; Thurs: LP; Fri: LP | |
| TE J. Bates, calf; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| DT P. Mathis, ankle; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP | |
| G T. Turner, quad; Wed: FP; Thurs: FP; Fri: FP |
Inactives
QB Sam Howell
S Kam Curl
CB Tariq Castro-Fields
G Chris Paul
TE Cole Turner
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