5 interesting things to know about the Arizona Cardinals Week 1 matchup
By Sion Fawkes
5 - Jonathan Gannon went 3-1 vs. the Commanders while with the Eagles
As the former defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is quite familiar with the Commanders, having faced them four times over the previous two years. While Gannon lost in his final game vs. Washington by a score of 32-21, he dominated the Cardinals former NFC East rival on the previous three occasions.
Earlier in 2022, Gannon’s Eagles beat the Commanders 24-8, while his defense allowed just 33 total points against Washington in 2021. Sans the 32-21 loss last year, the Eagles outscored Washington 71-41, so it’s safe to say Gannon knows this team’s tendencies quite well.
However, he and the Cardinals could be faced with a tough task, as they will not be facing an offense led by former offensive coordinator Scott Turner. Instead, the respected Eric Bieniemy will be heading things up for Washington, and Gannon let Beinemy get the best of him a few months back. This storyline alone could make for one interesting grudge match as Gannon’s Cardinals and Bieniemy’s Commanders start their new respective chapters.
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(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)