The Washington Commanders have nowhere to go but up following their Week 1 loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It's a long campaign and miracles weren't going to happen overnight after a complete teardown throughout the offseason, but it's obvious that there is a lot of hard work ahead before this team can contend.
Dan Quinn and his staff got a gut check. They saw the same defensive problems that caused Jack Del Rio and Ron Rivera to be fired rear their ugly head. It was a solid enough offensive performance, but getting into a hole early made things more difficult than needed.
Fortunately, the games come thick and fast. Attention has already turned to Washington's home opener against the New York Giants. This looks like a winnable game and a good chance to lay down a marker within the NFC East. However, this can only be achieved by raised performance levels and improved execution in all phases.
With this in mind, here are five Commanders players who must thrive in Week 2 at Northwest Stadium.
Commanders players who must thrive in Week 2 against the NY Giants
Benjamin St-Juste - Commanders CB
There wasn't much Benjamin St-Juste could do in Week 1. The cornerback tried admirably to counteract the supreme threat posed by Mike Evans, but it wasn't enough to prevent the future Pro Football Hall of Fame pass-catcher from bringing in five receptions for 61 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
St-Juste didn't get much help from others in the Washington Commanders' cornerback room after Mike Sainristil and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. struggled mightily. The former third-round selection cannot dwell on this performance for too long, especially with first-round wide receiver Malik Nabers representing another stern challenge in Week 2.
Nabers is no stranger to Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. The duo formed a prolific partnership at LSU and were among the first names taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. St-Juste's physical scope means he'll likely be tasked with keeping the dynamic pass-catcher quiet. Much will also depend on whether much-maligned signal-caller Daniel Jones can get him the football.
Either way, a big performance is needed from St-Juste. Something that would alleviate some concerns about his prospects along the way.
Dorance Armstrong Jr. - Commanders DE
The Washington Commanders weren't able to get many sacks on quarterback Baker Mayfield in Week 1. But upon further examination of the game film, the pressure generated at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was largely pleasing.
Converting opportunities into sacks was the tricky part. Mayfield's outstanding pocket awareness and elusiveness in tight windows made him a slippery proposition to overcome. The Commanders face someone very similar this weekend when former first-round pick Daniel Jones comes to town.
Jones is going through some real confidence issues and was booed out of the building after Week 1. He's getting the starting job again this weekend despite calls to remove him from the equation. It's an opportunity, but the Commanders cannot take things lightly versus a signal-caller who's been a constant thorn in the team's side since being drafted No. 7 overall.
The Commanders have to keep Jones in the pocket. Dorance Armstrong Jr. has more responsibility on his shoulders than most. He needs to wrap up the quarterback and keep him contained by setting the edge. If Washington can do this, then mistakes are guaranteed to arrive in some capacity.
Terry McLaurin - Commanders WR
Terry McLaurin is one of the league's best pass-catchers. He's comfortably the most prolific performer in the passing game available to the Commanders. That's why it was so strange to see him become a non-factor in Week 1 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
McLaurin couldn't get anything going, bringing in two receptions from four targets for 17 receiving yards. He got open on a deep shot but Jayden Daniels missed him. The rookie quarterback also got out on the move frequently rather than going through his progressions. This was a first-game jitter and should enhance as the campaign goes on.
Daniels and McLaurin developed some encouraging chemistry throughout the offseason. That should result in improved production moving forward, starting against a New York Giants secondary that gave up more than 200 passing yards to Sam Darnold before the Minnesota Vikings started running the football to close out a one-sided affair.
This is something the Commanders can exploit if things are schemed effectively by Kliff Kingsbury. If McLaurin gets more targets and Daniels develops some additional comfort in the pocket, they should flourish.
Tyler Biadasz - Commanders C
For all the New York Giants' faults, and they have plenty of them, Dexter Lawrence II is someone who could potentially wreck the Washington Commanders' plans for an immediate bounce-back during their regular-season home debut. Unless the offensive line interior is up for the challenge, they are going to struggle.
Lawrence is one of the league's best at what he does. Tyler Biadasz will be the main primarily tasked with keeping the defensive lineman in check. The veteran free-agent signing performed well in their Week 1 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers going up against formidable presence Vita Vea. Another stern test of his credentials awaits this weekend.
The Commanders need Nick Allegretti and Sam Cosmi to be on high alert and give Biadasz all the help he needs to counteract the imposing physical gifts Lawrence brings to the table. It's a fine balancing act for the offensive guards, who also need to ensure Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux don't get chances to build momentum on the edge.
That puts the onus on Biadasz. He must impose himself en route to another encouraging performance. Anything less could make things extremely difficult for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Frankie Luvu - Commanders LB
The Commanders are expecting big things from Frankie Luvu this season. They identified him as a primary target in free agency and he turned down a contract extension from the Carolina Panthers to join this ambitious project. However, it was only a solid if not spectacular debut from the second-level enforcer in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Very few on the defensive side covered themselves in glory. Luvu and Bobby Wagner needed to set the tone a little more effectively, especially against the run. It's just one game, but much more is needed moving forward if the Commanders want to start shifting their cornering narrative in 2024.
Luvu's lack of outstanding production isn't anything to get overly concerned about. He's got enough of that over the last two seasons to suggest better days are ahead. How the coaching staff utilizes him might also change versus a New York Giants offensive line that isn't the best aside from stud left tackle Andrew Thomas.
If Luvu can return to the explosive presence we saw with the Panthers this weekend, it won't be much longer before defensive improvements come to fruition.
