The Washington Football Team will open the 2021 regular season at home against Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers. CBS made the announcement Wednesday morning as part of their unveiling of the Week 1 slate. FOX also revealed it’s Week 1 slate.
This means the Washington Football Team’s defense led by its vaunted pass rush spearheaded by last year’s No. 2 overall pick Chase Young and 2019 first-round draft pick Montez Sweat will go ahead Herbert, the No. 5 overall pick last year, and the Chargers exciting offense.
Herbert was the 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year. Young was the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Young had 7.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, four passes defensed, three fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown. Herbert threw for 4,336 yards and an NFL rookie-record 31 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
Both teams finished 7-9 in 2020. However, the losing mark was good enough for Washington to win the NFC East division title and host a wild card round playoff game, which they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A year after starting four quarterbacks, Washington is expected to have Ryan Fitzpatrick, who they signed to one-year, $10 million this offseason, under center. Although, he will face competition against Taylor Heinicke, who started the playoff game.
Washington has aspirations building on their division-winning season in year two under head coach Ron Rivera. They’ll be carried by their defense which finished second in yards allowed and fourth in points allowed in 2020.
Meanwhile, the Chargers are looking for Herbert to continue his progression. Injuries on both sides of the ball hurt the Chargers, but healthy they have an equally touted defense as Washington.
This season-opening contest should be an exciting game to watch. It will also be huge test for both teams looking to progress beyond last year’s flashes.
