The Number of Star QBs That Washington Will Face in 2021 Is Actually Absurd

Washington will face a litany of star quarterbacks in 2021 originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

To open its season, the Washington Football Team will host the Los Angeles Chargers and their burgeoning young quarterback, Justin Herbert. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year will surely test the Burgundy and Gold's defense throughout that matchup at FedEx Field, and that test will start the moment he drops back for his first attempt of the afternoon.

Things won't get much easier from there, either. If anything, they actually become even more demanding.

In Week 3, head coach Ron Rivera and his club will travel to Buffalo to face the Bills and Josh Allen. The very next week, they'll fly to Atlanta to take on Matt Ryan on the Falcons' fast track. 

Week 6, meanwhile, brings a date with the Chiefs and their star slinger Patrick Mahomes. Following that tilt, Weeks 7 and 8 feature road trips to Green Bay and Denver, which means Washington ought to see Aaron Rodgers at some point in that back-to-back.

The franchise's bye comes after their Oct. 31 game with the Broncos, which the players better use wisely, because their QB gauntlet won't even be close to over. 

Right after resting up and refocusing, Rivera and Jack Del Rio's bunch will welcome Tom Brady to Landover in another showdown with the Bucs. Once Brady's Week 10 visit concludes, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks will be the next crew to enter FedEx Field (Washington bounces to Carolina for Week 11); that contest with Seattle will occur on Monday Night.

Then, when the calendar flips to December, the 2020 NFC East champs will meander out west to tangle with Derek Carr and the Raiders in Week 13. They'll also battle with Dak Prescott twice down the stretch, in Weeks 14 and 16.

Scan over those bolded names one more time (they were bolded for a reason, after all): Herbert, Allen, Ryan, Mahomes, Rodgers (probably), Brady, Wilson, Carr, Prescott. 

Want some numbers to go along with those studs, too? 

The signal-callers in that above group finished second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth and 11th in passing yards last year — and that doesn't include Prescott, who was on a torrid pace of his own before a nasty leg injury forced him to I.R.

That same bunch is also home to all five of the NFL's most prolific touchdown throwers of 2020; Rodgers, Wilson, Brady, Mahomes and Allen all compiled at least 37 scoring strikes a season ago.

As JP Finlay noted on Wednesday, Sonny Jurgensen is the only Washington player to eclipse 30 such passes for the organization, and he did so in 1967. 1967 was a long time ago, by the way.

Don't forget that Allen and Wilson are two of the sport's most lethal dual-threat options at the position, while others — like Prescott, Rodgers and Mahomes — can move with ease as well.

Lastly, Brady, Rodgers, Mahomes and Ryan have combined for eight MVP awards in their careers. So, basically a quarter of Washington's foes in the upcoming fall and winter will be led by a guy who possesses football's most prestigious trophy this side of the Lombardi.

You're probably tired of reading about everyone else, though, so let's shift the focus to Rivera's squad. Fortunately, if any team is equipped to handle such a rigorous schedule, it should be Washington, thanks largely to their top unit.

Know one way to combat a never-ending parade of aerial artists? Rolling out a defensive line that boasts Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Jon Allen, Daron Payne, Matt Ioannidis and Tim Settle. Those four first-rounders and two Day 3 gems should be plenty gelled when the action gets going.

Know something else that helps, too? Pairing William Jackson III, someone who coaches believe can eliminate a side of the field by himself, with Kendall Fuller. Those two corners have the speed and the smarts to consistently contribute in coverage.

Spending yet another first-rounder on a high-upside coverage linebacker in the recent draft was also a prudent decision that will pay dividends versus all these QBs. Jamin Davis should make Del Rio's very stressful job a bit easier on a week-to-week basis.

Plus — and this will take some getting used to saying — Washington's offense should have the ability to score and hold up their end of the bargain in 2021. The defense will still need to lead the way if the collective team wants to be relevant as the playoffs approach, but with Ryan Fitzpatrick and all the new targets he'll have at his disposal, a shootout shouldn't always spell doom as it has so often lately. 

People will tell you that labeling a particular slate as scary or smooth this far away from the first meaningful whistle is a waste of energy, but in Washington's case, it seems appropriate to feel anxious about their outlook. While records commonly fluctuate year to year, the bulk of their opponents should be as tough in the future as they look now, as long as their quarterbacks are healthy for kickoff.

However, even though their draw is certainly unenviable, it also doesn't come across as totally impossible. In previous seasons, sure, it would, but not this go-round.

That's what happens when a savvy leader inherits a middling operation and then proceeds to build out a respected coaching staff, further round out an already well-stocked defense and replenish a needy offense. Yes, Washington might be another season or so away from really being at its best, but fans can also approach this campaign believing the roster will be able to hang with those who currently employ the best at the most vital spot on the depth chart.