The Commanders proved they still can’t be trusted after starting new era with near-loss to the awful Cardinals

A new era of Washington Commanders football got underway at FedExField Sunday, as the team hosted the Arizona Cardinals in its very first game since Josh Harris gained ownership in place of disgraced former owner Dan Snyder.

Local legend Kevin Durant was among the many fans in attendance at the sold out game, excited for a new season. Joel Embiid was also there, in apparent support of Harris, who also owns the Philadelphia 76ers. And bettors poured their money into Washington, making the Commanders the largest public favorite (82 percent) at BetMGM.

Washington responded by failing to cover the seven-point spread and almost losing to what’s largely considered the worst team in the NFL. They escaped with a 20-16 win, avoiding total embarrassment after trailing 16-10 in the fourth quarter. But their bettors weren’t nearly as lucky.

Public teams (+60% of bets) in NFL Week 1 at @BetMGM

82% on Commanders -7
80% on Jaguars -4.5
80% on Seahawks -4.5
74% on Falcons -3.5
71% on Eagles -3.5
69% on Vikings -5
64% on Broncos -3
63% on Ravens -9.5
63% on Bears -1.5
62% on Bengals -1.5
61% on Titans +3

— John Ewing (@johnewing) September 10, 2023

Washington couldn’t run the ball effectively, and quarterback Sam Howell was shaky in his own right behind an offensive line that gave up six sacks.

That all came against a Cardinals team with the worst Super Bowl odds of any NFL team entering Week 1. Some bettors may take that as a sign of Arizona being underrated. I take it as a sign of Washington being the same team that hasn’t had a winning record since 2016.

A new owner is reason for optimism, but it’s clearly going to take time to completely turn around the product on the field.