Commander Country

NFL Schedule: Commanders Dealt Tough Start to New Season

The Washington Commanders now know who they will play and when next season, but Ron Rivera's team has been dealt a difficult start.

Adam Schultz

In this story:

There is an air of positivity around the Washington Commanders right now. The impending sale, the hiring of Eric Bieniemy, and the franchise's draft class have most fans excited about the upcoming season.

And...

The NFL has released the full schedules for all 32 NFL teams, and the Commanders have been dealt a rather difficult start to the new season.

Washington plays Arizona, @Denver, Buffalo, @Philadelphia, and Chicago in the first five games.

Let's dissect that, shall we?

The Arizona Cardinals are going through a rebuild right now and will not have Kyler Murray, and, depending on things pan out, no DeAndre Hopkins either. So, Washington could get off to a winning start.

But then it gets tricky.

Bieniemy's offense and Jack Del Rio's defense will get a stern test against the Broncos, who many believe will be vastly improved with Sean Payton taking over from Nathaniel Hackett. Then two of the strongest teams in the NFL in Buffalo and the Eagles to follow.

The Commanders then round out their first five games with a home matchup against the Bears. Chicago could be anything with Justin Fields, and with the Bears signing Tremaine Edmunds, LB T.J. Edwards, OL Nate Davis, DL DeMarcus Walker, TE Robert Tonyan, RB D'Onta Foreman, and WR D.J. Moore, they could be a serious unit come Week 5 if it all clicks.

Second-year quarterback Sam Howell will get a baptism of fire as he beings his starting career in Washington. While the Commanders have made moves to strengthen the offensive line with Nick Gates and Andrew Wylie coming in via free agency and C Ricky Stromberg and OL Braeden Daniels via the draft, it still looks like a challenging task for Washington.

Fans will get a good understanding early on of what the Commanders could be capable of this season, and with the NFC East now much improved, there is a little margin for error for Washington. 

But, as we know, the game isn't played on paper, and with their additions this offseason, coupled with the excitement over several changes, the Commanders may surprise a few teams this season.

But...

They have to navigate a tricky start to their campaign.

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Adam Schultz
ADAM SCHULTZ

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