Commanders' Ron Rivera Reveals Key vs. Josh Allen, Bills

At 2-0, the Washington Commanders have a tremendous opportunity in front of them, as they test themselves and try to remain undefeated early on in the 2023 campaign. But after beating the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos to open the season, they'll face a much tougher task in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills.

As Washington tries to move to 3-0, they'll have to get by one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, as Josh Allen arguably has the strongest arm in the sport and is also capable of beating you on the ground. Additionally, second-year running back James Cook rushed for 123 yards in a Week 3 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, so the Bills may have finally supplied Allen with a legitimate option out of the backfield.

According to Commanders coach Ron Rivera, Sunday's contest may come down to whether a very talented Washington defense is able to handle their responsibilities, while not letting Allen, Cook and All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs consistently get loose for big plays.

“You've got to be disciplined," Rivera said. "You've got to have rush lane discipline. You've got to have discipline in terms of your coverages. ... I know [Defensive Coordinator] Jack [Del Rio] has mentioned to those guys and they just got to understand this game is about being rush disciplined.”

Fortunately for the Commanders, defensive tackle Daron Payne will play after dealing with an ankle injury earlier in the week. He and Jonathan Allen form one of the top interior defensive line duos in the sport. Meanwhile, edge rusher Chase Young made his presence felt in his season debut last week, recording three combined tackles, two quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks. If last week is any indication, Young and fellow edge rusher Montez Sweat will be one of the better pass rushing tandems in the NFL this season.

And while no one is rooting for Hurricane Ophelia to gain steam, suboptimal weather conditions -- both in terms of rain and wind -- at FedExField Sunday may keep the Bills from being able to air the ball out as much as they would like. It may also set up opportunities for rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, aided by a strong defensive line, to make a game-changing interception for the second week in a row.

Buffalo is currently favored by 6.5 points Sunday, but a strong defensive performance from Washington -- which certainly feels possible -- could give quarterback Sam Howell and the Commanders offense a chance to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the weekend.