Chase Young made it to the start of the Washington Commanders’ three-day mandatory minicamp after opting out of over a month of the voluntary workout sessions. He was working out with teammate Montez Sweat in Colorado. Young only played three games last season after blowing out his right ACL and patellar tendon on November 14, 2021, and he says that there is a “night and day” difference between how he felt at the end of last year and the way he feels now. The fact that the Commanders did not pick up his fifth-year option means that, going into 2024, Young will be a free agent, a bit of a tumble for the 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. That season, he notched 7 ½ sacks, forced four fumbles and snagged three of them, including a scoop-and-score. In 2021, though, he only had 1 ½ sacks in nine games before going down to injury. In 2022, he did not have any sacks in those three games. Will his return boost the Washington defense? This is just part of our NFL betting analysis of the Commanders’ chances in 2023.
NFL Betting News: Washington Commanders 2023 Season Analysis
Some of the most important moves that the Commanders made in the off-season may have come off the field. Eric Bieniemy joins the team as offensive coordinator after building a high-octane attack that has made the Kansas City Chiefs the best team in the AFC. With the Chiefs, head coach Andy Reid called most of the plays, but now Bieniemy will get to call most of them. He brings energy and a focus on details to the job, and he should improve an offense that has ranked 28th in points and 27th in yards over the last three seasons combined.
A question for the team remains at quarterback. Sam Howell, who played well in a Week 18 win over the Dallas Cowboys, entered 2023 as the top signal-caller on the depth chart, but since then, veteran Jacoby Brissett has gained ground on them. Howell went 11 of 19 for 169 yards with a touchdown and an interception in that win, while Brissett started 11 games for the Cleveland Browns last season as Deshaun Watson served a suspension. Brissett only led the Browns to four wins in those games, but he completed 64 percent of his passes and threw for 2,608 yards in a run-heavy attack. His 12:6 TD:INT ratio was respectable, as was his 89.1 passer rating. Many of the issues that the Browns faced had to do with inconsistent defense.
Let’s break down the Commanders’ 2023 schedule. In addition to six divisional games, they play the NFC West, the AFC East, and (on the basis of their finish) the Denver Broncos, the Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons.
In the division, the Commanders rank behind just about every other team in terms of contender status. The Giants are also in rebuild mode, but they have a more proven starting quarterback, at least in terms of proven with that team, in Daniel Jones. The Eagles and the Cowboys are likely to head to the postseason again. With that in mind, I see the Commanders going 1-5 in NFC East play.
Against the NFC West, the Commanders should be able to beat Arizona at home. However, a home game against San Francisco and trips to Seattle and the Rams are far from certain. By the time December rolls around, the Rams may have given up on another season, but they do have a Super Bowl champion quarterback in Matthew Stafford. I see Washington going 1-3 in those games.
Against the AFC East, there really aren’t any easy games, and the road opponents are the Jets (with Aaron Rodgers) and the Patriots. I think that Miami and New England will likely regress this year, so I’m picking the Commanders to go 2-2 against this division.
Chicago seems a little bit ahead of Washington on the rebuild curve, having committed to Justin Fields and added some talent around him. The Falcons seem like they’re in a similar place to Washington, although they appear to have picked Desmond Ridder to run the offense, at least over the short term. Denver fell off the table last year after adding Russell Wilson. Will adding Sean Payton make a meaningful difference? I see the Commanders going 2-1 in these games, for a record of 6-11.
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2023 Washington Commanders Regular Season Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| All times ET | |||
| 1 | Sep. 10 | Arizona Cardinals | 1:00pm ET |
| 2 | Sep. 17 | at Denver Broncos | 4:25pm ET |
| 3 | Sep. 24 | Buffalo Bills | 1:00pm ET |
| 4 | Oct. 1 | at Philadelphia Eagles | 1:00pm ET |
| 5 | Oct. 5 | Chicago Bears | 8:15pm ET |
| 6 | Oct. 15 | at Atlanta Falcons | 1:00pm ET |
| 7 | Oct. 22 | at New York Giants | 1:00pm ET |
| 8 | Oct. 29 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1:00pm ET |
| 9 | Nov. 5 | at New England Patriots | 1:00pm ET |
| 10 | Nov. 12 | at Seattle Seahawks | 4:25pm ET |
| 11 | Nov. 19 | New York Giants | 1:00pm ET |
| 12 | Nov. 23 | at Dallas Cowboys | 4:30pm ET |
| 13 | Dec. 3 | Miami Dolphins | 1:00pm ET |
| 14 | Dec. 10 | BYE Week | |
| 15 | Dec. 17 | at Los Angeles Rams | 4:05pm ET |
| 16 | Dec. 24 | at New York Jets | 1:00pm ET |
| 17 | Dec. 31 | San Francisco 49ers | 1:00pm ET |
| 18 | Jan. 7 | Dallas Cowboys | TBA ET |
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Love betting NFL football? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date NFL lines for Regular Season | Take advantage this 2023 NFL Season betting on your favorite Team to Win it All! Check out the NFL analysis of the next Teams: Indianapolis Colts | Cleveland Browns | Cincinnati Bengals | Detroit Lions | Atlanta Falcons | San Francisco 49ers | Washington Commanders | Chicago Bears
