More than 58,000 fans poured into FedExField on Sunday to witness the Washington Commanders' season opener. The noise and the hype from the crowd was noticeable throughout the game, influencing the energy at different moments on both sides of the ball for Washington.   

"It was a lot of fun…They [fans] kept it entertaining. Obviously when Jacksonville was on the field, they made it tough especially after the lull there," Carson Wentz said. "And when we got a couple big plays you could really feel the energy and the momentum in the stadium…hats off to the fans for trusting us, believing in us and staying with us."  

One of those couple big plays happened within Washington's final defensive series. The ball was back in Trevor Lawrence's hands with less than two minutes to play, and the Commanders were up by six. The defense did a solid of job of ensuring the Jaguars did not gain any more yardage by forcing costly errors, with the final dagger being Darrick Forrest’s interception. During that drive, head coach Ron Rivera could feel the support from the stands all around, rallying his side to hold strong and get a stop.  

"We got a little bit of energy going, got some crowd behind us, which was awesome," Rivera said. "Really appreciate the fans coming out and getting behind us and pushing."  

Curtis Samuel, who finished with 12 touches for 72 touches and a (historic first-ever Commanders) touchdown, was galvanized by the energy coming from fans on the afternoon. After missing most of 2021 with injuries, the wide receiver will not be taking any opportunity to play in front of this kind of crowd for granted and looks forward to the next home matchup, which comes in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

"It was amazing. I thank the fans and everybody that came out and cheered us on today," Samuel said. "We can't wait to be back."

Here's a morning roundup of what the local and national media have to say about the Washington Commanders on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2022. All reports, rumors and conjecture are a reflection of the media conversation and are not endorsed or confirmed by the Washington Commanders.

The reports and deals expressed in this article have not been confirmed by Washington, nor do they reflect any insider information from anyone in the front office.

• NBC Sports Washington's Ethan Cadeaux writes about how the Commanders coaching staff used Curtis Samuel to set the tone against the Jags.
• NBC Sports Washington's Ethan Cadeaux also writes about Darrick Forrest's standout Week 1 performance.
• The Washington Post's Scott Allen writes about how a fan's perseverance helped Mike Bass get in the Ring of Fame.
• The Washington Post's Nicki Jhabvala writes about Brandon Scherff returning to FedExField.
• The Washington Post's Sam Fortier writes about what the analytics say about Carson Wentz.
• The Washington Times' Matthew Paras preview the Commanders' Week 1 matchup against the Jaguars.
• The Washington Times' Matthew Paras also writes about Carson Wentz learning to ignore his instincts and let go.
• NBC Sports Washington's Ethan Cadeaux writes about Carson Wentz calling Washington's matchup against Jacksonville just another game.
• NBC Sports Washington's Bijan Todd writes about the Jaguars' defensive coordinator calling McLaurin "a 5-star" ahead of Week 1.
• NBC Sports Washington's Peter Hailey reports on the Commanders' offensive weapons.
• The Athletic's Ben Standig and David Aldridge give their predictions and superlatives for the Commanders.
• The Washington Times' Matthew Paras looks at the third year jump Ron Rivera wants to see.
• NBC Sports Washington's Peter Hailey writes about Curtis Samuel's mentality heading into Week 1.
• The Washington Post's Sam Fortier gives his take on the Commanders start to season.

Check Out What's On Commanders.com:

• Darrick Forrest stepped up in first career start
• Jahan Dotson nominated for Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Week
• From the booth | We can all exhale after beginning a new era
• Jahan Dotson reflects on two-touchdown rookie debut
• Carson Wentz nominated for FedEx Air Player of the Week award
• 3 numbers to know after the Commanders Week 1 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars
• Commanders-Jaguars Stats & Snap
• Instant Analysis | Jahan Dotson scores 2 TDs, secures Week 1 victory over Jaguars
• Media roundup | Ron Rivera praises Commanders' 'moxy' in win over Jaguars
• 5 takeaways from Washington's Week 1 win