Commanders Week 1 Game 'Something to Look Forward To' Says Buccaneers CB

One Tampa Bay Buccaneers defender is looking forward to facing the Washington Commanders in Week 1of the NFL Season.

Aug 26, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Kaevon Merriweather (26) break up Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar (88) catch as Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum (27) reacts during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

There are players in the NFL that any team would want to avoid playing and the Washington Commanders plan on quarterback Jayden Daniels being one of them.

Until he proves himself to be one of those lethal weapons in the NFL though, the Commanders rookie is going to have some opponents who look forward to playing him, even to a disrespectful level at times.

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When Washington opens the regular season on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers there will be at least one defender looking forward to seeing Daniels, but not from a disrespectful place, rather one of competing against a worthy opponent.

"This league is starting to turn a lot to mobile quarterbacks. You have those spectacular arms, but those guys that can beat you - just move the pocket and still be able to read defenses is a big thing," Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum said on the Hear The Cannons podcast Wednesday. "I think going against the mobile quarterback early will be really, really good, especially because of the mobile quarterbacks we'll face throughout the year, but going into the Commanders game, they have Arizona's (former coach Kliff Kingsbury as their) OC, so you got to watch film of that scheme and then watch the Commanders for their personnel...(Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels) is a rookie quarterback, he still got a lot to prove as does everybody, but we'll see throughout preseason how he progresses. It's definitely something to look forward to. I mean it's really big, especially for our outside linebackers being able to contain and then us knowing that we're going to have to stay in coverage for two, three more seconds than normal."

Aug 26, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Kaevon Merriweather (26) break up Baltimore Ravens tight end Charlie Kolar (88) catch as Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum (27) reacts during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

"It's really big, especially for our outside linebackers being able to contain and then us knowing that we're going to have to stay in coverage for two, three more seconds than normal."

- Zyon McCollum, Bucs Cornerback

McCollum is entering his third season in the NFL and is expected to win the starting cornerback job opposite Jamel Dean for the upcoming season.

That means he'd draw the duty of guarding either Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin or Jahan Dotson for the majority of their Week 1 contest, and given Dean's established reputation it's likely McCollum would also get more designed targets headed his way.

For Daniels, heading to Tampa for his first NFL start - assuming he's named the starter by then - is a challenge he'll likely look forward to facing as well.

Bucs coach Todd Bowles is known for his aggressive style of defense, the same style that bottled up Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl at the end of the 2020 NFL season.

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A win over the Buccaneers, a playoff team last year, would give a big boost to Daniels' stock as an NFL quarterback, and provide the Commanders a huge Week 1 road win in a season where they have one fewer away contest than they do at home.

No matter the outcome, it's clearly a matchup both sides will be looking forward to.

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Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.