Commanders vs. Jets: 5 Players to Watch

Which players are in line for big games on Christmas Eve when the Jets and Commanders face off?

The 2023 NFL season may soon be over for both the New York Jets and Washington Commanders but there's still a reason to be excited to watch when the two teams face off on Christmas Eve. 

Kind of?

Featuring the worst defense in the NFL this year, and the worst offense arguably ever assembled, the Jets offense and Commanders defense will leave many people wondering how low things could go for their respective fanbases.

Despite the hurt both fanbases will probably be feeling over the holiday break, there are still plenty of players to watch for Sunday's contest. Let's break it down here. 

Danielle Parhizkaran/USA Today

Garrett Wilson

It's crazy to think that over the last two seasons, Garrett Wilson has gone through eight different starting quarterbacks for the Jets and is well on his way to recording his second straight 1,000-yard season. 

The consistency he has shown over his first two years with New York has been staggering with everything working against him. 

With Trevor Siemian expected to get the start (more on that later) against a porous Washington secondary, this could easily be a game that sees the former Offensive Rookie of the Year reach that plateau once again. 

There's one defensive player though for the Commanders that could put a stop to that. 

Jonathan Allen

Allen has always been a force for the Washington defensive line, but he's been rather quiet in recent weeks as the Commanders season slipped away from them. 

Of course, that'll happen when a front office trades both of their top-edge rushers. Allen has not recorded a sack in his last three games and only has 5.5 on the season. 

That could change on Sunday though. 

If there's one knock on the Jets this season that has stuck it's that their offensive line might be the worst in football. The group has gone through 13 different players, 11 different combinations, and had one of the worst games in league history last week against Miami. 

It doesn't matter what side of the field he'll be on, there's a chance for Allen to have a massive game on Sunday.

Sauce Gardner

There hasn't been a more dependable lockdown cornerback in the NFL in the last two years than Sauce Gardner. 

The Jets' lockdown corner has been so dominant in man coverage that teams have just ignored his side of the field entirely. 

It would be pretty stunning if Sam Howell tried to test the Cincinnati product because of how strong he is in coverage. There's one thing that can be exploited though when it comes to Gardner and that's the fact that he does not travel with other top receivers. 

Based on their zone concept, and the fact that D.J. Reed is a quality starting corner as well, the Jets don't usually have their best guy on an opponent's best guy. They've been exploited by that against teams like the Dallas Cowboys, and Dolphins. Last week, Jaylen Waddle caught eight passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. 

None of those stats came against Gardner. 

If New York tried to use that same strategy against Washington, it could be a big day for their top target...

Terry McLaurin

I don't think it's fair to compare the Terry McLaurin-Garrett Wilson quarterback room since both left Ohio State. 

It is fair though to understand that McLaurin is on his way to his fourth straight 1,000-yard season and he hasn't had a top quarterback to play with either. 

If Reed is the primary corner on "Scary" Terry this week, I think there's a safe bet that the 28-year-old wideout could have another stellar performance like the one he had last week. 

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Trevor Siemian

As we mentioned before, journey-man quarterback Trevor Siemian is expected to get the start this week with Zach Wilson in concussion protocol. 

Outside of the fact that Siemian has had starting experience elsewhere in his eight-year NFL career, he's looked completely outmatched in the two appearances he's been in with Gang Green this year. 

In appearances against the Dolphins and Falcons, the former Bronco starter has lost four fumbles and has thrown two interceptions. 

Behind a bad offensive line, to say the least, it could be a long day for the Jets signal-caller.