2023 32 Teams/32 Days: Washington Commanders

32 Teams in 32 Days Hub

Record: 8-8-1

Home: 4-9

Away: 4-7-1

Conference: NFC East (where everyone goes to playoffs but us)

Expectations

Mediocrity has become the norm, and expectations for the 2022 season were no different. If you squinted at the roster and the schedule, you could perhaps convince yourself that maybe Wentz could have a resurgent year with both proven and rookie talent at the skill positions. Maybe the draft picks and free agents would hit to enliven the offense and bolster the defense. Division rivals Giants and Eagles were nothing special in 2021, so a playoff wild card seemed possible, if Washington could improve just a few percentage points here and there.

Off the field, fans could count on front office and/or ownership issues ranging from the embarrassing to downright shameful, and team owner Dan Snyder continued to some through HUGE in that regard.

2022 Offseason

Draft

Round	Overall	Position	Player	Impact
1	16	WR	Dotson	High, absolutely clutch in red zone
2	47	DT	Mathis	Injured Week 1, did not play rest of season (womp womp)
3	98	RB	Robinson	High, played from Week 5 onward
4	113	S	Butler	Played a handful of games, did fine
5	144	QB	Howell	Low, started 1 game
5	149	TE	Turner	Low, only played a handful of games
7	230	G	Paul	Low, played 1 game
7	240	CB	Holmes	Played off and on throughout the season, was fine

Signed Free Agents

Position	Player	Impact
G	Norwell	Started every week except Week 18
RB	McKissic	Didn't get a lot of targets and injured mid-season
LT	Lucas	Started from Week 5 onward
G	Turner	Played most of the season...but...
WR	Sims	Low, only targeted a couple times per game
DE	Obada	Played every game and had an impact at key moments

Coaching

"Riverboat" Ron Rivera was back at the helm for his 3rd year and looking to break the .500 mark for the first time in his coaching career since 2017 at Carolina. For better or worse, there weren't massive changes in the coaching staff from 2021 heading into 2022, but there were a few position coaching changes. Most notably, Ryan Kerrigan came on as an assistant defensive line coach, and it was awesome to have him back on the sideline.

Off the Field

lolz on trying to keep this section up-to-date as I compiled the post over the past several weeks...

The off-field news was almost always bad. Owner Daniel Snyder was in the midst of a Congressional sexual misconduct investigation that made headlines throughout the season. Synder fired back in a diversionary tactic by releasing more scandalous communications between former team president Bruce Allen and former coach John Gruden. Intimations were made about Snyder possibly doing some private investigations to dig up dirt on Commissioner Goodell and/or other NFL owners.

State-led investigations were started around financial improprieties relating to refunds not being given for season ticket holder deposits. This was an issue that started in the mid-to-late 90s and the investigation was settled with Maryland in November, with the Commanders being ordered to pay back the deposits (totally several hundred thousand dollars) and a $250k fine.

The charitable group started by the Snyder (Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation) is being investigated by media and charity watchdog groups for both lack of oversight, governance and potential mis-use of funds. This may lead to a legal investigation in the near future.

Most recently, a shady $55M loan was discovered to have been made on behalf of the team for potential private, non-team related use. This is one of many potential financial improprieties that has recently been discovered as part of a scuffle between Snyder and the previous minority stake owners of team in 2020.

It's impossible to gauge what impact all of this had on the team's performance and the players and coaches individually, but it has undeniably left a sour mark on the fan base and the NFL as a whole. There is a moral question that is posed when supporting a team whose owner or representatives act in an manner in which you don't associate. Do you continue supporting the team by watching and going to games, purchasing merchandise, etc., and if so, how do you square that with your morals and ethics?

Aside from impropriety and scandal from the top of the organization, rookie RB Brian Robinson was the victim of an armed robbery by two men in late August, and was shot twice in the leg while attempting to defend himself. After surgery and five weeks of rehab, he was able to take the field in the latter half of the season and had a significant positive impact.

Season Summary

After an atrocious start to the season, the Commanders regrouped to put themselves in the driver's seat for a playoff berth by winning 6 of 7 games in the middle stretch, including a Monday night stunner against Philadelphia. They proceeded to drop several games in the back half, but still had a chance at the playoffs in the final weeks of the season if they could beat an underwhelming Cleveland team and tough but gettable Dallas.

In very Washington-like fashion, we lost to Cleveland and beat Dallas, and were thus once again confined to the NFC East cellar. However, one could argue that the NFC East's cellar was the best in the league, with all four teams having a .500 or above record and three of them making the playoffs.

Offense summary

Offensive production was similar to 2021 and average compared to the rest of the league. Rookie RB Brian Robinson was healthy by Week 5 and provided a much needed one-two punch alongside Antonio Gibson. Terry McLaurin had another stellar 1000+ yard plus receiving season and fellow WR and 1st Round pick Jahan Dotson started off with a bang in Week 1 and continued to be dynamite in the red zone throughout the season.

Veteran QB Carson Wentz started the first six games of the season until he was sidelined by injury, opening the door to fellow journeyman Taylor Heinicke. Both QBs contributed to a high turnover ratio, and often did so near the ends of the field, resulting in either short fields for the opposing offenses or killing potential scoring opportunities. Partially due to their own play and partially due to the O-line, the QBs got absolutely hammered by opposing defenses and had an alarming number of fumbles.

The -5 turnover ratio for the season was a dagger for the Commander's playoff chances. Rare teams (i.e. the Chiefs) can overcome a high turnover deficit, but as we all know...Washington is not Kansas City.

Defense summary

The defense was able to keep the team in the vast majority of the games this season and were at least wild card playoff caliber. They regularly had to defend short fields due to offensive turnovers. The four close games that Washington lost or tied ended in a situation where the offense had the ball but couldn't close with a score. The defense gave up some key plays, but the Commanders had a real shot at a 10 to 12 win season if the offense had been able to produce at the end of those games.

Losing DT Mathis the first game of the season put a lot of pressure on Allen and Payne, and man, did those guys step up. They combined for close to 20 sacks, many of those coming at critical points in games. Allen also had multiple forced fumbles and an interception. DE Sweat contributed another eight sacks and was frequently in the backfield. CB Fuller had a number of highlights with 2 pick sixes and over a dozen pass break-ups. LB Davis led the team with over 100 tackles and fellow LB Holcomb was on track for a monster season until he got injured in Week 7.

Special Teams summary

Slye came up big when it mattered, including the Monday night game at Philly. He was solid overall, with the only critical miss a 52 yard FG early in the 4th quarter when Washington ultimately tied with New York. He missed several PATs early in the season, but none were game-deciding.

Milne handled all of the punt returns and shared kickoff return duties with Gibson. Milne had one fumble in 40 punt return attempts and an otherwise pedestrian 7.8 yard return average.

The kick coverage teams did not allow any TDs and Reaves earned a 1st Team All Pro bid as part of a solid and consistent unit.

Overall, the special team units resembled your company's IT department...doing their job well enough to make them invisible.

Game Summaries

Preseason

Washington dropped all three preseason games, albeit two of the three were close losses and the other was to Kansas City. The games were littered with turnovers by veterans and rookies alike and an inability to pay off of potential game winning drives with points, which would unfortunately be a harbinger for the regular season.

Week 1 - Jacksonville - WIN 28-22

The Commanders started the season with a home game with QB Carson Wentz at the helm against an unknown quantity in the Jags. Washington pulled ahead in the first half, with two long drives that paid off in TDs. A fumble in Jags territory stalled a third opportunity to score, but Jacksonville couldn't make it pay off. Rookie WR Dotson grabbed the first TD in his career. The offense was listless for the entirety of the 3rd quarter and the beginning of the 4th. Short drives and multiple interceptions gave the Jags easy access to the lead, but the Washington offense got it together with a couple of quick scoring drives late in the 4th. The defense grabbed a key interception as the Jags tried to recover, and that coupled with double-digit penalties by Jacksonville allowed Washington to walk out of Week 1 with a win. The defense was impressive against the Jags in the red zone, holding them a number of time to field goals.

Week 2 - @ Detroit - LOSS 36-21

So begins a month of futility, starting with an away game at Detroit. The offense dug itself a good sized hole in the first half with barely a 1st down, four three-and-outs and giving up a safety for added measure. The defense made a decent effort by creating a number of three-and-outs of their own, but they did get torched a couple of times. The offense came to life in the 2nd half with a pair of TDs, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit created from the first half. The Lions were able to pick up chunk yardage on a couple of their drives in the 2nd half that led to TDs in order to maintain the lead. Washington's sniffed an opportunity to tie the game late in the 4th, but it ended on a whimper with a sack on 4th down.

Week 3 - Philadelphia - LOSS 24-8

Again, the offense had nothing to offer in the 1st half, and the defense got mauled by Hurts and the Philly passing attack in the 2nd quarter, giving up three TDs and a field goal while the Washington offense struggled to find first downs. Wentz was sacked 9 times in the game and fumbled the ball away on one of those. The Eagles offense sputtered to a halt in the 2nd half, giving up a safety and not producing much on the ground or in the air. The Commander's offense finally put a scoring drive together to get a pity TD in the final minutes of the game.

Week 4 - @ Dallas - LOSS 25-10

It was a competitive 1st half, with Dotson getting a TD in the 2nd quarter and the defense holding Dallas and their backup QB Cooper Rush to a pair of field goals and then a TD late in the half. The offense mustered one good drive in the 2nd half, but with 3 turnovers, costly penalties and a passing game that couldn't get started, they couldn't take advantage of a very meh performance by Dallas to steal a game from a conference foe on their backup QB.

Week 5 - Tennessee - LOSS 21-17

This was another case of the Commanders letting another very winnable game get away from them. The defense kept the Titan's passing game in check and notched a handful of sacks, but RB Henry got his with over 100 yards rushing. The Titans were able to score TDs on every trip they made into the red zone. Wentz was having a good day until the last minute of the game, passing for over 350 yards and 2 TDs. On a potential game winning drive with Washington on the Titans 2 yard line and a handful of seconds left in the game, Wentz tried to squeeze a pass into the smallest of windows in the end zone and was intercepted, sealing a heart breaking loss. On a high note, this was rookie RB Robinson's first regular season game and it was great to see him on the field.

Week 6 - @ Chicago - WIN 12-7

One of many utterly forgettable NFL Thursday night games did have a couple of good moments for Washington. The defense got a handful of sacks and a key interception late in the first half, but gave up a beautiful 40 yard TD pass and over 200 yards of rushing, including 88 yards from QB Fields. Rookie RB Robinson nabbed his first TD after Chicago muffed a punt midway through the 4th quarter. Being on the right side of the turnover ratio was immensely helpful and crucial to prevent Washington from spiraling into complete irrelevance for the season.

Week 7 - Green Bay - WIN 23-21

Washington welcomed a recently struggling Green Bay team to FedEx Field, and did just enough on offense late in the game to secure the win. Heinicke got the start due to Wentz suffering an injury, and Taylor came out rough with a slew of incompletions and a pick six. He started to hit his stride after the disastrous interception and led the Commanders to a pair of TDs and FGs. The Packers should be credited with an assist due to muffing a punt and incurring a penalty that wiped out a potential scoop and score. The Commanders defense had a stranglehold on Green Bays' running game and did enough to disrupt Rodgers to earn the victory.

Week 8 - @ Indianapolis - WIN 17-16

Heinicke got the start again, and the Commanders squeaked out a victory in a bit of a snoozer. The rushing game was nonexistent, but Heinicke was able to overcome a costly late-game interception to put together a game-winning drive and cap it off by punching it into the end zone himself. Colts QB Ehlinger was efficient and didn't turn the ball over, but the Colts couldn't cash in enough on their red zone opportunities.

Week 9 - Minnesota - LOSS 20-17

Another squeaker, but one that ended in the loss column due to the offense imploding midway through the 4th quarter. The Vikings started the game strong, led by QB Cousins in his first game at FedEx as a Viking, marching down the field for a TD on their first possession of the game. The remainder of the half featured the punters, with neither offense able to generate any momentum except for a Washington FG. The Commanders got an excellent kickoff return from Gibson to start the 2nd half and paid it off with an inexplicable deep ball from Heinicke into a swarm of defenders (one of whom who was accidentally knocked down by an official) that Samuel somehow pulled down. Washington added to their lead after a long drive led to another TD. It was all downhill from there, with a interception leading to a Vikings TD to tie the game and an ineffectual -5 yard drive resulting in Cousins having plenty of time to march down the field and position the Vikings for a winning field goal.

Week 10 - @ Philadelphia WIN 32-21 (Monday night)

After the crushing loss to Minnesota, going to Philly on Monday night to face the unbeaten Eagles had the potential for disaster, both for the game itself and for Washington's playoff chances. The first quarter certainly started off that way, with Heinicke giving up a sack fumble deep in Washington territory. Hurts quickly took advantage with a rushing TD and followed it up later in the quarter with a passing TD. However, Washington was able to sustain a long drive for a TD to keep from getting their doors completely blown off in the first quarter. After that, the defense performed admirably, holding Philly to a number of 3 and outs, forcing fumbles (including a scoop and score at the end of the game) and only allowing the Eagles one sustained drive and score. The offense did just enough to keep their nose ahead, but definitely kept Philly in it with another interception and sacks that resulted in FGs instead of TDs. This game was probably the highlight of the season, both for the outcome and to have something positive happen on the national stage.

Week 11 - @ Houston WIN 23-10

Riding high from the win at Philly and back at .500, Washington traveled to Houston to take on the hapless Texans. The defense started off with a bang, as Fuller grabbed a pick six on Houston's first possession. Houston wouldn't even sniff a first down for the remainder of the half. The Commanders' RBs carried most of the offensive load as the passing game struggled and couldn't find the end zone. TE Thomas had the most receiving yards with 65 while McLaurin was held completely in check with only 55 yards. While a win is a win and the game never seemed in doubt, this is a game where you'd like to see the offense stomp on a struggling opponent more.

Week 12 - Atlanta WIN 19-13

Highlights were RB Robinson going off for over 100 yards rushing and a receiving TD and CB Fuller coming up big once again with an interception in the end zone to steal a victory in the final minute of the game. The offense had a couple of decent drives in the second half which paid off in a FG and TD to give the Commanders just enough to walk out with a win. Heinicke had one pick and a very unremarkable day passing. It was another game in which the Commanders did just enough to win, and made you wonder when the under-performing offense might be their undoing.

Week 13 - @ New York Giants TIE 20-20

Cue the next four games, which would see Washington play the Giants back-to-back (ultimate dumb scheduling) for a better position in the wild card race. Heinicke spread the ball around and while he did avoid throwing any picks, he had a very costly sack deep in Washington's territory on the first drive of the 2nd half. NY immediately capitalized with a TD to take the lead. He redeemed himself by putting together a long-scoring drive late in the 4th to tie the game at 20-20. There ensued an overtime in which the defense, particularly DTs Payne and Allen, had key sacks to keep NY from having a real opportunity to score. Unfortunately, the Commanders' passing game was nonexistent and NY was able to stack up enough on the run to prevent any movement down the field. All overtimes, but especially ones that end in a tie make me yearn for the college OT format.

Week 14 - BYE

Week 15 - New York Giants LOSS 20-12

After a bye week, Round 2 at home felt like a must-win to stay ahead in the playoff race. Turnovers were the key to this game, with Heinicke getting strip sacked by Thibodeaux early in the 2nd quarter, costing Washington a TD. Down by 5 points in the 4th quarter and on the Giants 5 yard line poised for a go-ahead score, Heinicke lost the ball again on a sack. He would get another chance on Washington's subsequent drive, and was able to complete a number of passes and escape the clutches of Thibodeaux to get the ball back down to the Giants' 1 yard. A TD was nullified by a bone-headed pre-snap illegal formation penalty, and the Giants defense held for the remaining two plays to keep the Commanders out of the end zone and seal the victory. This loss was utter pain.

Week 16 - @ San Francisco LOSS 37-20

Traveling to red hot San Francisco after a devastating home loss, the Commanders were still in the hunt for a wildcard spot. There was real hope leading into halftime, with the score tied at 7 and the defense stymieing Purdy's attempts through the air. An unproductive offensive 3rd quarter and a defensive that seemed like it was wearing down still had Washington within 10 points at the start of the 4th. Heinicke was strip sacked and followed it up with an interception on the next drive deep in Washington territory. The Niner's paid both of those off with FGs, at which point the outcome seemed like a forgone conclusion. Heinicke was pulled in favor of Wentz, who led the Commanders down the field to cut the deficit back down to 10 points with 5 minutes left. Unfortunately, the defense appeared to be completely out of juice, and they were gashed by the Niner's rushing attack which resulted in giving up another TD.

Week 17 - Cleveland LOSS 24-10

Washington still had a chance for the playoffs if they won their final two games, and Cleveland was expected to be the easier of the two. Sadly, it was an atrocious day on offense, with Wentz getting the start and throwing 3 picks. The Browns only directly capitalized on one of the turnovers with a FG. Wentz was able to drive down the field late in the 2nd quarter and punch it in himself on 4th down to give the Commanders a 7-3 lead going into the half. The defense gave up a pair of TDs in the 3rd quarter, but after a FG early in the 4th, Washington was only down by 7. A pre-snap defensive penalty and inability to hold on 4th down led to another Cleveland TD, and Wentz's 3rd interception and several offensive penalties wrapped it up for the Browns, and eliminated Washington's playoff chances.

Week 18 - Dallas WIN 26-6

Although there wasn't a playoff berth up for grabs, it was a chance to potentially spoil the Cowboy's (slim) chance to win the NFC East. It was also an opportunity to give rookie Sam Howell his first start. He didn't have a particular big passing day, only attempting 19 total passes, but he did have one passing TD, one rushing TD and one INT. The defense was solid, with CB Fuller getting ANOTHER pick six early in the 2nd quarter. They held Cowboy's offense to 10 three-and-outs for the game. It was a bittersweet victory, with the previous week's effort looming large on what might have been.

Season by the Numbers

Offense

Stat	Count or Average	Rank
Points Per Game	18.9	24th
Rushing Yards Per Play	4.9	28th
Receiving Yards Per Play	6.3	22nd
Pass Completion Percentage	62.1	23rd
Touchdowns	24	17th
Interceptions	16	27th
Penalties	91	17th
Time of Possession	33:22	1st (yay?)
Red Zone Scoring Percentage	51.1%	25th
Turnover Differential	-5	27th
Sacks Allowed / QB Hits	48 / 124	26th / 28th

Defense

Stat	Count or Average	Rank
Total Points Allowed	343	7th
Yards Per Play Allowed	5.2	12th
Rushing Yards Per Play	4.4	18th
Passing Yards Per Play	6.3	10th
Red Zone % Scores Allowed	51.9%	8th
Penalties	85	6th
Sacks	43	12th
Interceptions	9	28th
Touchdowns	26	10th
Tackles for Loss	89	7th
QB Hits	108	7th

Special Teams

Stat	Count or Average	Rank
Field Goal Percentage	83.3%	13
Kickoff Return Avg Defending	23.3	23
Kickoff Return Avg Receiving	22	20
Punt Net Avg	43	8
Punt Inside the 20	37	2
Punt Return Avg	7.6	23

Awards

Pro Bowl

Player	Position	Pro Bowl Selections
McLaurin	WR	1
Allen	DT	2
Payne (replacement)	DT	1
Way	P	2
Reaves	ST	1

All Pro

Player	Position
Reaves (1st team)	ST

What's Next

Off the Field

Rumors are swirling that the owner (Dan Snyder) is either selling the team outright or bringing in other investors / ownership groups. It's hard not to get one's hopes up that it will be the former as opposed to the latter. The sooner that he and his family are distanced from the program and justice is served (perhaps wishful thinking), the better.

Team Needs for 2023

Wentz has been cut and Heinicke may depart as a free agent, which would leave a void of experience at quarterback. Hopes are high for Sam Howell to take over the reins (and be good) in 2023, but it is likely that Washington will need to pick up one or two seasoned journeyman QBs as backups. As a mobile QB, there is a higher potential of injury and subsequent need to rely on a backup at some point in the season.

The offensive line is the area that is most in need of improvement. It's possible that Howell will be able to overcome some of the O-line issues, but he would be more successful if he's given the time to go through progressions. If the O-line doesn't get upgraded in the off-season, the key for success may rest significantly on Howell being able to make quick decisions and ball releases (potentially on the run), which is a tough ask for a young QB.

Depth at DT should improve if Mathis is healthy for next season and with Payne sticking around due to being tagged. Having a trio of Mathis, Payne and Allen could be a formidable foundation for the defense.

If the Commanders don't re-sign Holcomb, there will be a big need for LB as well.

On the special teams side, it would be helpful to bolster opportunities created by the defense if we could get a player who is capable of busting out an occasional long punt return. Would love to see Dotson in this role next year since Milne was pretty underwhelming in 2022.

2023 Draft

Washington has the 16th overall pick, with one pick in every round and an additional pick in the 6th round. Washington had the same draft position as last year, and hopefully will be able to continue to hit on their early picks.

2023 Notable Free Agents

• QB Heinicke: Magic 8 ball says all signs are leading towards Heinicke not remaining with the Commanders, but there's nothing definitive as of this writing.
• G Schweitzer: Wes will be entering his 8th season and has been a dependable backup and starter when needed. Assuming the Commanders let free agent G Trai Turner go, Wes may move into a starting role.
• DT Payne: Da'Ron had a great year and really increased his stock by being named to the Pro Bowl team (albeit as a replacement). This earned him the franchise tag for 2023 and dude will be rightfully paid.
• DE Obada: Efe played behind Sweat, but was still able to notch 4 sacks and a couple of pass break-ups (sometimes with his head). Would be great to keep him on the team.
• LB Holcomb: Cole was on pace for an outstanding season before sustaining a foot injury in week 7 and missing the remainder of the season. His departure would be sorely missed.
• S Reaves: Jeremy's biggest impact was on special teams and he was duly recognized by being selected for both the Pro Bowl and All Pro teams.

Coaching

Rivera will be back for a 4th season, which might be a make-it-or-break-it year to get over .500 and snag a playoff spot in a very competitive division. Eric "sleeping with" Bieniemy replacing Scott Turner as Offensive Coordinator is an exciting step forward. If he is able to take the offense to the next level in 2023, it is possible he will (finally) get his shot as a head coach in 2024, but that is 2024's problem.

Why Root for the Commanders in 2023?

Everyone should be rooting for the Commanders first and foremost to get a decent human being at the top of the organization, and for it to be someone who will set a positive and professional tone throughout.

The team may get a new stadium and finally get out of the dumpster that is FedEx Field. New stadiums are fun, right?

While the ownership is currently an embarrassment to both fans and the rest of the NFL, the coaching staff is diverse in both background and experience, and shows a great deal of promise and potential. While head coach Rivera may not be a big draw in and of himself, credit should be given for providing leadership through 2022 and putting together an even better assistant staff for 2023.

If Howell (or whoever starts at QB next year) can protect the ball and continue to dish it out to both a solid WR and RB corps, Washington could take big steps toward improvement. A competent O-line that could help the QB protect the ball would be enough improvement for the Commanders to win more of the close games. Bieniemy's play-calling combined with Howell's potential could make for one of the most exciting offenses Washington has seen in over a decade. This may also be Eric's last stop as an assistant coach before taking the reins somewhere as a head coach.

There's reason for continued optimism on defense, especially if Payne and Holcomb can be re-signed, if Mathis pans out and if the team can fill some of the depth gaps via the draft or free agency. The D-line was awesome this year and hopefully they can continue that momentum onto next year.