3 disadvantages that could sink the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1

The Arizona Cardinals have a few advantages going into Week 1 against the Washington Commanders, but they also have several reasons for pessimism.

By Sion Fawkes | Sep 6, 2023

Aug 26, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back Corey Clement (23) runs / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

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Washington Commanders v Cleveland Browns / Jason Miller/GettyImages

2 - Field position battle

Oh, I so wanted to list this as a competitive advantage for the Arizona Cardinals, especially with Nolan Cooney handling the punting duties. But the truth is, Cooney has exactly zero punts in an NFL regular season game, per Pro-Football-Reference, and Commanders punter Tress Way is a former All-Pro and a two-time Pro Bowler.

Last year, Way punted 83 times, and an astounding 44.6% of them landed inside the 20. Meanwhile, just five of them found their way into the end zone for a touchback, so it shows you how effective he’s been for Washington in the field position game.

While I have no doubt Cooney will pin the Commanders offense deep in their own territory, I’m more worried about Josh Dobbs (or Clayton Tune) and Company’s ability to move the football against what could be one of the NFL’s top defensive units. Perhaps Cooney could help them out in flipping the field, but Way is a proven product who has made a living doing this for nearly a decade.

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