Commanders Week 1 Rival Cardinals Release Depth Chart - Who's QB?
The Washington Commanders are set to kick off the new season this Sunday, welcoming the Arizona Cardinals to FedEx Field for a 1 p.m. contest.
There are, naturally, many questions that exist entering Week 1, but perhaps the biggest that exists is who the Cardinals will choose to start at quarterback with Kyler Murray still out after tearing his ACL late last season.
The decision comes down to veteran journeyman Josh Dobbs, acquired via trade from the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 24, and fifth-round rookie Clayton Tune.
The Cardinals revealed their official depth chart on Tuesday, and coach Jonathan Gannon isn't giving away any secrets in the name of "competitive advantage," listing the starter as Dobbs 'OR' Tune.
It creates a guessing game for Commanders coach Ron Rivera and staff; Rivera said he draws conclusions based on what the opposing coaches have done in the past or examines certain types of passers who've played under the coach.
So, Washington's been able to make an educated guess on who it thinks will start - but the uncertainty remains, and normal Week 1 questions are only furthered in such a situation.
"There is a lot of unknown, and they're exacerbating it by not telling you who their quarterback's going to be," Rivera said. "And I wouldn't either."
Here's what All Cardinals SI publisher Donnie Druin told Commander Country about what the expectation is out of Arizona ...
"There's a feeling here in Arizona that Dobbs will start thanks to his experience with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork, both of whom spent time with Dobbs in Cleveland previously," Druin said. "Could Tune start? It wouldn't be shocking, though the move for a new quarterback with two weeks until Week 1 isn't exactly a vote of confidence in Tune after extensive time in the preseason."
Despite being acquired less than two weeks ago, Dobbs already has a firm grasp of what the Cardinals are trying to do offensively, largely due to his past stint with Petzing and Woolfork.
It doesn't hurt that Dobbs graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in aerospace engineering, making him a literal rocket scientist.
The off-field smarts have led to a quick transition in Arizona, where Dobbs, now the favorite to start under center, drew praise from offensive tackle D.J. Humphries for his knowledge and intellect.
"You can tell he already knows the offense," Humphries said. "That's the first thing that struck me was like, 'Oh, sh--, okay. We're not coaching him up on anything. He knows. He's telling me what I should (be doing). He's very poised, he's very chill and you can tell he knows this isn't his first time being in this offense. It shows, you can tell."
Cardinals linebacker Zaven Collins echoed similar thoughts, noting that Dobbs is already checking plays and calling audibles.
"Smart dude," Collins said. "I haven't really got to see much but I know that he's a very smart dude from all the stuff (he does). You can see where he sees things, where he's looking past your splits. He understands the concepts of what the defense is trying to do."
If Arizona opts not to start Dobbs, it'll be the professional debut for Tune, who completed 34 of 59 passes (57.6 percent) for 353 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
But when combining Rivera's comments about examining the staff's past connections and the previously shared feeling from Arizona, the picture is starting to grow clearer - Dobbs looks to be the favorite for who the Commanders will face on Sunday, and the 'OR' after his name on the depth chart may be all for naught.
