- CARDINALS AT COMMANDERS
- 10 a.m. Sunday
- FedEx Field
- Line: Cardinals +7 (For more details see BetMGM.com)
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Quarterback, Man Of Mystery
The Cardinals aren't officially saying who the quarterback will be on Sunday, although there is one national report saying it will be Joshua Dobbs. Whether it is Dobbs or rookie Clayton Tune, there will be inexperience. Tune obviously has yet to play in a regular-season game, and Dobbs, despite being in the league since 2017, has only started two games and only thrown 85 passes. To say predictions can be made about what that means for an offense that already hasn't played yet is impossible. The Cardinals aren't the only ones with a curiosity quotient at QB. Commanders starter Sam Howell is only in his second year and has only started one game himself, throwing just 19 passes. There isn't a QB in this game who won't have something to prove.
Edge Of Tomorrow
Pressure off the edge is paramount in today's NFL. The Cardinals are trying to figure out who that will be for them. Zaven Collins is probably OLB1, and he's a guy who hasn't really played the position before this spring. Dennis Gardeck has some elite tools, but he is undersized too. Rookie BJ Ojulari hasn't done much after knee surgery this offseason and is still making his way back. Cam Thomas, Victor Dimukeje and Jesse Luketa still are trying to show what they can do. The Cardinals have guys who will be in the mix, but the guys that can provide pressure – and someone needs to be that guy – is still TBD.
The First Chance At A Gannon Impression
And so the Jonathan Gannon era is set to begin. The story will unroll through the length of the regular season; this first game in Washington is meaningful but win or lose the arc doesn't end in Landover. Yet this is the first chance to see how Gannon and his team will operate in a game that counts, because while preseason matters on a lot of levels when it comes to prepping players and coaches, it isn't the same as a regular-season contest. The head coach has worked hard to create the culture and mindset he wants for his team. It has to translate on the field.
