Two teams that begin 2018 with a lot to prove face off against one another in Week 1 as the Arizona Cardinals host the Washington Redskins. Kickoff is set for 4:25 EST on Sunday, September 9, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The game will be available on Fox in local markets.
The Cardinals opened as 1-point favorites in this game, but early betting has pushed it to a straight up PK. There is also an over/under of 44 points. Click here to check out all of this week’s NFL betting odds.
After the retirement of Bruce Arians and Carson Palmer, the Cardinals are starting from scratch after last year’s 8-8 season. Steve Wilks is taking over as a first-time NFL head coach while Sam Bradford has found his way to the desert to take over as Arizona’s quarterback. Of course, first-round pick Josh Rosen is waiting in the wings as the team’s quarterback of the future.
Washington’s position is a little different. Jay Gruden is entering his fifth season as the team’s head coach after leading the team to just one playoff appearance in the previous four seasons. After going 7-9 last year, the Redskins finally parted ways with Kirk Cousins in favor of veteran Alex Smith. Knowing Smith has at least led his team to the playoffs in the past means that he’ll be expected to the same in Washington this year, especially since Gruden’s job may depend on it.
This two teams met as recently as Week 15 of last season with the Redskins winning 20-15 in a game that included two touchdowns and seven field goals. Of course, you might as well wipe the slate clean for both teams heading into the new season, which may be a good idea from an entertainment standpoint after last season’s meeting.
To be honest, I don’t have high hopes for either of these teams heading into the season. However, I’m a little more intrigued by the Cardinals, who could be like a watered down version of the Jaguars. I see them having a good defense and a solid running game. As the home team against an average at best Washington team, I’ll lean toward the Cardinals to win straight up.
For Arizona, the biggest reason for optimism this year is the return of David Johnson. He was one of the best backs in the NFL a couple years ago before missing most of last season due to injury. The Cardinals had all kinds of trouble running the ball without him, but things should start to turn around with Johnson back. Part of the problem last season was Arizona’s offensive line. But the Cardinals have made an effort to improve that unit during the offseason.
Meanwhile, I see the Washington front-7 as rather unexceptional. Opponents gained 4.5 yards per carry against the Redskins last season. Even after spending a first-round pick on nose tackle Da’Ron Payne, I’m not sure Washington’s defense is set up to stop the run. I imagine they’ll have a difficult time against Johnson, which will take some of the pressure off Bradford. If Bradford has a clean pocket, he should be able to pick out receivers like Larry Fitzgerald, J.J. Nelson, and speedy rookie Christian Kirk. It’s not an overwhelming set of receivers, but they’ll be fine if Johnson and the running game can be productive.
On the flip side, I’m curious to see Arizona’s defense under Wilks. He orchestrated a strong and aggressive defense with the Panthers last season and I expect to see the same kind of defense with the Cardinals this year. Wilks figures to do a lot of blitzing even though the Cardinals already have last year’s sack leader in Chandler Jones. It’s also key to mention that the Cardinals have a lot of talent in the secondary with Patrick Peterson, Antoine Bethea, and rising star Budda Baker. That should allow them to be aggressive and challenge the Washington offense without worrying too much about coverage on the back side.
I’m not sure the Redskins will have enough answers for Arizona’s pressure. They brought in Adrian Peterson to be their starting running back, although he only gained 3.5 yards per carry last year with the Cardinals. If he can’t get it going at age 33, it’ll be even easier for the Cardinals to bring pressure. Smith will have to be on time and in sync with his new set of receivers if the Redskins expect to have a viable counterattack for Arizona’s pass rush.
To be fair, I won’t discount the possibility of Smith being able to counter Arizona’s pressure with short, quick passes. But that can be tough to do without a steady running game or a downfield passing threat. In the end, I feel a little more comfortable siding with the better defensive team, especially when they’re at home. This game could definitely go either way, but I’ll take my chances with the Cardinals.