Cardinals Coach Nick Rallis Praises 'Really Good' Commanders WRs

The Washington Commanders receivers are a point of emphasis for the Arizona Cardinals in pulling out a win on Sunday.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 6, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The Arizona Cardinals secondary is expecting to have their hands full on Sunday when they take on the Washington Commanders receivers.

Even with Terry McLaurin questionable for the game with a toe injury, the Commanders boast several weapons at the receiver position.

"They have three really good receivers that to me - like Curtis Samuel, dangerous with the ball in his hand," Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said. "Terry McLaurin can run, he's strong, he's a physical player, he's an explosive play waiting to happen. Jahan Dotson is a crisp route runner, so you got to be able to cover. This is a really good receiving corps from top to bottom."

Washington Commanders receivers Terry McLaurin (17), Jahan Dotson (right), and Curtis Samuel (10) — Brad Mills, USA Today

If McLaurin cannot go on Sunday, look for Dotson to be the Commanders receiver to step up the most.

Dotson's rookie campaign was decent enough, given that he missed four games due to a hamstring injury. Against fellow rookies, he would finish the year sixth in receptions (35), tied first with Christian Watson (Green Bay Packers) for touchdowns (7), fifth in receiving yards (523), and fourth in yards per game with 43.6.

Now, as he enters his second year with Eric Bieniemy as his coordinator, Dotson is already off to a good start.

In his two preseason outings against the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, Dotson finished with seven receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown before being rested for the preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Dotson scored a pair of his seven touchdowns in last year's season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and if he plays anywhere close to how he did in Week 1 a year ago, he should be able to help the Commanders notch one in the win column.

The Cardinals and Commanders kick off at 1 p.m. Sunday at FedEx Field.

Published Sep 6, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.