This weekend, the Commanders will travel to the Mile High City for a Week 2 matchup against the Denver Broncos. It’s an intriguing matchup between two teams that missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons.
Denver lost its opener last week in a 17-16 home loss to the Raiders. In that game, Broncos kicker Will Lutz missed an extra point and a field goal. The Commanders beat Arizona last week 20-16 to start the season 1-0.
Washington has not started a season 2-0 since 2011, so how can they get there? Here’s a guide.
1) Commanders quarterback Sam Howell only has two career NFL starts and played his college football at North Carolina. In turn, Howell has never played a game at high altitudes like he will Sunday in Denver. Of the opportunity to play in the mountains: “I really never experienced anything like that. I’m excited for what it brings.”
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2) Sam Howell turns 23 on Saturday.
3) Washington head coach Ron Rivera has 99 career NFL coaching wins. With a win Sunday, Rivera would join eight other active NFL head coaches with 100 wins. All of the current coaches in the 100-win club have Super Bowl rings. That list: Bill Belichick (298 wins), Andy Reid (247 wins), Mike Tomlin (163 wins), Pete Carroll (161 wins), Mike McCarthy (156 wins), Sean Payton (152 wins) and John Harbaugh (148 wins).
4) Of the 100-win coaches, only Sean Payton took a new job this offseason in Denver. Remember months back when Payton suggested that somebody involved with the pursuit of buying the Commanders had reached out about getting the former Saints boss to Washington? It’s possible Rivera does.
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5) Early season games in Denver are notoriously tough to win. Since 2002, visiting teams have won just 3 games in Weeks 1 and 2 for a record of 3-21. Washington last played in Denver in 2021, losing 17 to 10 (h/t to Neil Greenberg).
6) For Rivera, the Broncos have been particularly troubling. Washington’s head coach is 0-4 lifetime against Denver, including a 24-10 loss to the Broncos in the Super Bowl in the 2015-16 season.
7) As an organization, Washington has faced Denver 14 times, going 6-8. But by far the most famous game between the two franchises came on Jan. 31, 1988 when Doug Williams led Washington to a huge 42-10 win over the Broncos in the Super Bowl.
8) Since 2020, Washington is tied with the 49ers atop the NFL in giving up the fewest first downs per game at 18.3.
9) Last week, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa threw for 466 yards in a Miami win over the Chargers. Washington has not had a 400-yard passer since Kirk Cousins threw for 449 yards in a Thanksgiving Day loss to Dallas in 2016.
10) The Broncos traded away three players and five draft picks to acquire quarterback Russell Wilson from Seattle in March of last year. Now in his second season in Denver, Wilson has a 4-12 record as the Broncos starter.
