The commanders will take on against a Cowboys team which is currently at 2-0 without Dak Prescott following winning 23-16 against The New York Giants on Monday Night Football.
In truth, it’s difficult to be a fan of Washington after the way they were this weekend, especially in the road. Dallas isn’t perfect and, of course, the team’s attack seems to be in good shape with Rush as their head coach and their defense allows only 17.3 score per game. This is the eighth-lowest in NFL.
In that light We have four predictions on our team, the Washington Commanders in their Week 4 match in the clash with the Cowboys.
4. The offensive line of the Commanders allows five sacks
In a loss against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 in the season opener, the Commanders had a variety of problems. The biggest one was likely due to the offensive line. Washington’s offensive line was able to allow 20 pressures, 9 sacks as well as eight quarterback throws to an extremely hard Eagles offensive line. Also, they had the lowest Pass block Efficiency Rating (74.5) according to Pro Football Focus.
Not surprising, it had a huge impact on how quarterback Carson Wentz played against his old team. He was able to complete only 25 of 43 attempts and finished with an 11.4 QB rating. And his one touchdown run occurred in the midst of garbage time. Dallas however, on the other on the other hand, has just completed an impressive game on Tuesday Night Football in which their defense produced 25 pressures and 12 quarterback hits as well as five tackles.
It’s an extremely difficult test for Washington’s front 5 in Week 4. In the area of pass protection Samuel Cosmi has proven very inconsistent, giving up the equivalent of three pressures during his two previous games, as well as six in Week 3. Trai Turner isn’t doing much better as a right-guard and the brightest spot in this group lies in left tackle Charles Leno Jr. If Washington cannot improve its pass defense particularly at the back, Wentz needs to be prepared for more tackles over the next few days.
3. Terry McLaurin hauls in 4 catch for more than 80 yards
Think about the feats Trevon Diggs did in his two games against Washington in the last season. As per Pro Football Focus, Diggs had only four catches during the 79 attempts to cover passes. This could be a challenging to draw Terry McLaurin particularly since Diggs seems to be playing more disciplined style this season. In the past, McLaurin had three receptions for 40 yards in the Cowboys defense in two games, and it’s reasonable to expect the player to be struggling on Sunday.
Washington on the contrary has a more diverse receiving team. Curtis Samuel is back and appears to be the offensive force Ron Rivera depended on during his time with the Carolina Panthers. In the meantime, rookie Jahan Dotson continues to impress on a regular basis. This should aid the offense passing for the Commanders in the event that Wentz is able to throw, however, our attention remains focused on McLaurin in the battle against Diggs.
The diversity of weapons within the Commanders’ Receiving Corps can also make it necessary for Dallas safety officers to perform zones of coverage, which could be a possibility of opening the field to McLaurin. We believe to see that McLaurin will be consistent but not great. He’s likely to make around four catches and get more than 80 yards.
2. Commanders secondary will be able to allow 250+ passing yards as well as 3 TDs
The Washington secondary boasts the 59.5 percent completion rate when compared to opposing quarterbacks as of Week 4. This is an impressive number, however it becomes meaningless in light of the fact that the secondary has allowed the fourth highest ratings for the quarterback (104.6) as well as the third-highest number of yards per attempt (7.8) as well as the third-highest percentage of touchdowns (7.2 percent) to date.
On Sunday on Sunday, the Cowboys may also be welcoming the return of Michael Gallup, giving QB Cooper Rush a trustworthy receiving combination of Gallup, CeeDee Lamb, and Noah Brown. The thing that worries Washington more than anything else is the fact that Kendall Fuller (134.7 QB rating permitted when targetted) as well as William Jackson III (152.1 QB rating permitted in coverage) were both a liability in the past month.
If the Commanders aren’t able to stop Rush from rushing for 250 yards while scoring scores, it could be the end of defense coach Jack Del Rio this season. To be honest, it seems very likely.
1. Carson Wentz rebounds with 270+ yards and 2 passing touchdowns
Carson Wentz did not have the best performance in the NFL on Sunday. He went 25-for-43 for 221 yards, and he also had one mishap. We’ve discussed his disgraceful number of sacks, too.
However, the head trainer Ron Rivera is unconcerned by Wentz’s performance while they prepare for their game against the Cowboys in Week 4.
“I’m not worried about Carson,” Rivera said to NBC Sports Washington. “Carson’s likely to rebound. He’s a very strong young man. I was impressed by his press conference. He accepted the responsibility. He blamed himself, and he made sure to let everyone know that this was an inter-generational game, and we all have a part to play. And I agree with his assertion. We all have a responsibility me included.”
Naturally, Wentz has had some pleasant moments this season however, he was unable to stop the Eagles passing rush. As for the future in the near future, the Cowboys are also adamant on their front, which means things could be a bit more tense this weekend.
In addition to the way He played in the game against his fellow Eagles, Wentz had 337 yards, three touchdowns and one interception against Lions as well as 275 yards one touchdown and an interception with the Jaguars. He was also repeatedly sacked in 3 games. This puts his record for the most sacks in the NFL together with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
We are expecting him to throw more than 270 yards during this game with two passing touchdowns. But, of course, they’re going to also be several times sacked. It’s not going to be a pleasant experience I’m sure of it.