Washington Commanders 2022 Key Matchups

September 2, 2022

by David Earl

Season of High Expectations

Let’s be honest here: entering year 3 of Ron Rivera‘s tenure, the expectations are playoffs or bust for this team. This offseason saw some important improvements on offense, such as the trade for Carson Wentz, extending Terry McLaurin‘s contract, drafting Jahan Dotson, the re-signing of J.D. McKissic, and the drafting of thumper Brian Robinson Jr. Add in a healthy Curtis Samuel and the encouraging progression of Logan Thomas from his knee injury, and the offense is certainly looking to be more dynamic this season. As far as the offense goes, Ron has done a good job putting together what appears to be a competent unit but they will need time to develop chemistry. While that’s hopefully happening, Washington will rely upon the defense to keep this team in a position to win early in the season.  If there’s going to be a fast start, it needs to be anchored by this unit. That’s where the conversation becomes concerning, especially at the linebacker level. It’s been no secret how bad this team continues to be on 3rd down (the 2020 season was more an aberration), especially when a passing game attacks the middle of the field. Washington has had coverage issues in the passing game at the linebacker position year after year. This preseason showed no difference. Before you say “IT’S JUST PRESEASON!”, understand there were zero measurable improvements with the starters and that is concerning. I get the preseason talk, but well constructed teams show something like the continuously relevant Baltimore Ravens do.  Not this organization. With all that said, in my eyes, these are the pivotal games, in which Washington needs to compile a winning record against if they are to have a successful season and make the playoffs.

Week 2 at Detroit Lions

Yes, the lowly Detroit Lions will be a vital game early on, especially with the Eagles coming to Fed Ex Field in week 3 (more on that game below). While Jared Goff is not an elite NFL passer, he does well against vulnerable defenses, particularly when he has a viable to strong run game. Washington’s run defense looks to be solid thus far, but D’Andre Swift is a versatile running back who is a legitimate threat in the passing game. He will force Jack Del Rio to respect the run while ensuring he is covered in the passing game.  This means that either a nickel corner is going to spy Swift or he becomes the responsibility of, most likely, Jamin Davis. Swift will be part of the game plan for Jack, but T.J. Hockenson  presents the Achilles heel for this defense at tight end. He is one of the premier pass-catching tight ends in the NFL and with D’Andre Swift being a pass-catching threat, who is now going to be responsible for, at the very least, limiting Hockenson in this game? To offer a perspective from the fantasy football world he will be an absolute lock as a must-start heading into week 2 and that is not ideal. The icing on the cake for the Lions comes in the name of DJ Chark, who is a vertical threat downfield with great size.  He’s one of the better receivers in the league. He comes into this season fully ready to create a potential nightmare scenario for Jack Del Rio. There is a silver lining in this game –  Detroit’s defense is a young unit which can be scored on. Washington’s offense will certainly need to carry the team in this game, but will they have enough chemistry to do so? . I predicted a loss here but this is absolutely a possible win too.

Week 3 vs Philadelphia Eagles

This team is not the 2011 Dream Team that Vince Young declared, and we all know how that turned out. Howie Roseman did a fantastic job building this team as they have playmakers at every position offensively and defensively. The addition of A.J. Brown made this receiving group (including tight end Dallas Goedert) not just tops in the division but arguably a top 5 unit in the NFL. Now, Jalen Hurts will need to show he can accurately and consistently get these guys the ball. The Eagles can still easily feast on Washington’s defense – A.J. Brown‘s contested ball ability, as Devonta Smith’s vertical speed, and Goedert being a great target against Washington’s linebackers underneath are all tough matchups, and Hurts’ mobility will be difficult to deal with. Looking at the Eagles’ defense, they have Slay and Bradberry outside, along with new addition of safety Chauncey Garner-Johnson in the secondary, and are anchored by a stout defensive line, so this game will not be easy to score. Scott Turner will need to earn his money this week, particularly if Washington’s defense is overwhelmed by Philadelphia’s offense. The saving grace here is Washington gets them early enough in the season, so they may be still building chemistry and working towards becoming cohesive until down the stretch. This is the game to take from Philadelphia because come week 10, barring injuries, this team will look to be making a strong push headed into the postseason. My prediction this season was Philadelphia sweeping Washington.

Week 7 vs Green Bay Packers

This game presents some intrigue, because take away Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay is very beatable. They have a strong running game with Aaron Jones, who is a good receiving back, and AJ Dillion but they do play to Washington’s strength as well. It’s reasonable to expect Washington’s defense to contain these two from any back-breaking runs, thus creating multiple 3rd and long plays. The problem, though, is that Aaron Rodgers the Packers’ quarterback and he thrives in these pressure situations. Davante Adams is gone and Green Bay is without any real true passing threat at tight end so yes I am telling you there is a chance, however slim. The Packers’ defense is a solid unit but can be exploited by the big play and this is the week I fully expect Washington’s offense to be in sync. This is a game Washington should lose and many will pick against Washington but has a chance to steal a victory. I predicted a loss in this game, but if everything plays out right, Washington does have a small margin of opportunity to squeak out a win.

Back-to-Back Games Against New York Giants

Divisional games are always unpredictable and, regardless of each team’s current level of play, the outcome is rarely ever a sweep. This year, having the Giants back to back, a sweep is near impossible but that is where Washington is at this point of the season. After these 2 games, they face the 49ers, Browns, and Cowboys, which is a stretch of games just about as tough as any stretch in the season so this back-to-back is very crucial. While Washington will likely need at least one win in these three games down the stretch, it all starts with these two games against the Giants. Ron Rivera will need to find a way to get Washington through these games sweeping the Giants as they prime for a postseason run down the stretch.  I predicted a best-case scenario being a sweep. As Washington fans know the history and frustrations against the New York Giants, and pulling this sweep off is not as easy as some may think regardless of bad the Giants roster may seem to be.

My Final Prediction: I predicted an 8-9 record for Washington, with the team while going 1-4 in the games I listed above. This is why I chose these games as my key matchups in the 2022 season. They don’t need to win every matchup either – they just need to pull off wins in 2 of these games place to them at a 10 win season and most likely bound for the playoffs. This will be an interesting year for sure.