2022 Washington Commanders season

Last updated

2022 Washington Commanders season
90thCommandersLogo.png
Jersey patch for the franchise's 90th anniversary
Owner Daniel Snyder
President Jason Wright
General manager Martin Mayhew
Head coach Ron Rivera
Offensive coordinator Scott Turner
Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio
Home stadium FedExField
Results
Record8–8–1
Division place4th NFC East
PlayoffsDid not qualify
All-Pros ST Jeremy Reaves (1st team)
Pro Bowlers
Uniform
Washington Commanders Uniforms 2022-2023.png

The 2022 season was the Washington Commanders' 91st in the National Football League (NFL) and the first under the Commanders branding, with new logos and uniforms being introduced after temporarily playing as the Washington Football Team for the previous two seasons following the retirement of the Redskins branding in 2020. [1] The team placed fourth in the NFC East and missed the playoffs, but improved on their 7–10 record from 2021 with an 8–8–1 record. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin, defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, punter Tress Way, and special teamer Jeremy Reaves made the 2023 Pro Bowl, with Reaves also being named first-team All-Pro. This was the Commanders' sixth consecutive season with a new quarterback starting on opening week, as Ryan Fitzpatrick announced his retirement on June 2.

Contents

Washington traded for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz in the offseason, who started the season 2–4 before being replaced by Taylor Heinicke after a finger injury. The team then went on a 5–3–1 run under Heinicke, improving upon their record from the previous season with a Week 13 tie against the New York Giants, but missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season after a loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 17, despite finishing with a non-losing record for the first time since 2016. Wentz started again in Week 17 but was benched for the season finale due to poor performance in favor of rookie Sam Howell.

The Commanders were the first team since their 2008 squad and the 2008 New Orleans Saints to finish last in their division with a non-losing record. They also became the first team to finish at .500 in a 17 game season (a feat that requires at least one tie game). It was also the final season under Daniel Snyder's ownership, as he sold the organization during the 2023 offseason, to an investment group headed by Josh Harris for $6.05 billion.

Draft

2022 NFL draft picks
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollege
1 16 Jahan Dotson WR Penn State
247 Phidarian Mathis DT Alabama
398 Brian Robinson Jr. RB Alabama
4113 Percy Butler FS Louisiana
5144 Sam Howell QB North Carolina
149 Cole Turner TE Nevada
7230 Chris Paul OG Tulsa
240 Christian Holmes CB Oklahoma State
Undrafted free agents
PlayerPositionCollegeRef.
Josh Drayden CB California [2]
Jequez Ezzard WR Sam Houston State
Ferrod Gardner LB Louisiana
Curtis Hodges TE Arizona State
Cole Kelley QB Southeastern Louisiana
Kyric McGowan WR Georgia Tech
Bryce Notree LB Southern Illinois [3]
Tyrese Robinson OL Oklahoma [2]
Armani Rogers QB Ohio
Devin TaylorCB Bowling Green
Tre WalkerLB Idaho
Drew WhiteLB Notre Dame

Draft trades

Staff

2022 Washington Commanders staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Head athletic trainer – Al Bellamy
  • Head strength and conditioning – Chad Englehart
  • Director of player performance – Brett Nenaber

Roster

2022 Washington Commanders roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

 Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

 Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams (ST)

 Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
53 active, 20 reserve, 14 practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1August 13 Carolina Panthers L 21–230–1 FedExField Recap
2August 20at Kansas City Chiefs L 14–240–2 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
3August 27at Baltimore Ravens L 15–170–3 M&T Bank Stadium Recap

Regular season

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1 September 11 Jacksonville Jaguars W 28–221–0 FedExField Recap
2 September 18at Detroit Lions L 27–361–1 Ford Field Recap
3 September 25 Philadelphia Eagles L 8–241–2FedExField Recap
4 October 2at Dallas Cowboys L 10–251–3 AT&T Stadium Recap
5 October 9 Tennessee Titans L 17–211–4FedExField Recap
6 October 13at Chicago Bears W 12–72–4 Soldier Field Recap
7 October 23 Green Bay Packers W 23–213–4FedExField Recap
8 October 30at Indianapolis Colts W 17–164–4 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
9 November 6 Minnesota Vikings L 17–204–5FedExField Recap
10 November 14at Philadelphia Eagles W 32–215–5 Lincoln Financial Field Recap
11 November 20at Houston Texans W 23–106–5 NRG Stadium Recap
12 November 27 Atlanta Falcons W 19–137–5FedExField Recap
13 December 4at New York Giants T 20–20 (OT)7–5–1 MetLife Stadium Recap
14 Bye
15 December 18 New York Giants L 12–207–6–1FedExField Recap
16 December 24at San Francisco 49ers L 20–377–7–1 Levi's Stadium Recap
17 January 1 Cleveland Browns L 10–247–8–1FedExField Recap
18 January 8 Dallas Cowboys W 26–68–8–1FedExField Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Washington vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars Commanders vs. Jaguars 2022.jpg
Washington vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 1: Jacksonville Jaguars at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Jaguars3091022
Commanders7701428

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Game information

In their first ever game as the Washington Commanders, Carson Wentz threw for 313 yards and four touchdowns, including two to first-round rookie WR Jahan Dotson, who was named Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week. [8] Washington opened a 14–3 half time lead thanks to TD's from Curtis Samuel and Dotson. The Jaguars then scored 19 unanswered points thanks to two TD's from James Robinson and a couple of field goals. This was aided by two interceptions thrown by Wentz on consecutive pass attempts, the second caught by 2022 first overall draft pick Travon Walker. Wentz responded by leading the Commanders on two TD drives to win the game 28–22.

Week 2: at Detroit Lions

Washington vs. the Detroit Lions Commanders at Lions 2022.jpg
Washington vs. the Detroit Lions
Week 2: Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Commanders00151227
Lions12107736

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information

The Commanders 22–0 halftime deficit was too much to overcome despite their valiant efforts in the second half. Jahan Dotson scored a touchdown for the second consecutive game, but Joey Slye missed the extra point to make it a one-possession game and sealed the victory for the Lions. Carson Wentz threw for 337 yards and 3 touchdowns. Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had two touchdown catches. [9]

Week 3: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Washington vs. the Philadelphia Eagles NFL Week 3 2022 - Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles.jpg
Washington vs. the Philadelphia Eagles
Week 3: Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Eagles0240024
Commanders00088

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Game information

In his first game against the Eagles since being traded away from them, Carson Wentz was sacked nine times and the Commanders had only 47 yards of total offense and trailed 24–0 at halftime. Daron Payne tacked Boston Scott for a safety to make the score 24–2. Antonio Gibson scored a touchdown in the final two minutes to make the final score 24–8.

Week 4: at Dallas Cowboys

Washington vs. the Dallas Cowboys Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys, 2022.jpg
Washington vs. the Dallas Cowboys
Week 4: Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Commanders073010
Cowboys3931025

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

Week 5: vs. Tennessee Titans

Washington vs. the Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders vs Tennessee Titans, 2022.jpg
Washington vs. the Tennessee Titans
Week 5: Tennessee Titans at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Titans777021
Commanders377017

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Game information

Week 6: at Chicago Bears

Week 6: Washington Commanders at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Commanders030912
Bears00707

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information

Week 7: vs. Green Bay Packers

Washington vs. the Green Bay Packers Washington Commanders vs Green Bay Packers, 2022.jpg
Washington vs. the Green Bay Packers
Week 7: Green Bay Packers at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Packers770721
Commanders3710323

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Game information

Week 8: at Indianapolis Colts

Washington vs. the Indianapolis Colts Washington Commanders at Indianapolis Colts, 2022.jpg
Washington vs. the Indianapolis Colts
Week 8: Washington Commanders at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Commanders0701017
Colts0331016

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Game information

Washington overcame a 16–7 fourth quarter deficit to spoil Indianapolis Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger's first career NFL start. Late in the fourth quarter with Washington trailing 16–10, Taylor Heinicke led a 9-play, 89-yard touchdown drive to win the game. This included a 33-yard completion to Terry McLaurin, who won a contested ball against Stephon Gillmore to set up Washington on the Indianapolis 1-yard line. Heinicke would then run a quarterback sneak to score the winning touchdown. Washington's defense also forced two fumbles on Ehlinger and Jonathan Taylor. [10]

Week 9: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Washington vs. the Minnesota Vikings Washington Commanders vs. Minnesota Vikings, 2022.jpg
Washington vs. the Minnesota Vikings
Week 9: Minnesota Vikings at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Vikings7001320
Commanders037717

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

  • Date: November 6
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 76 °F (24 °C)
  • Game attendance: 58,651
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins made his first return to Washington since leaving the team following the 2017 season. Cousins previously played for Washington, then known as the Redskins, from 2012 to 2017, was their primary starter from 2015 to 2017 and earned a Pro Bowl berth once in that span. Vikings head coach and former Redskins quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell previously mentored Cousins in the nation's capital during the 2017 season, Cousin's final season in the burgundy and gold. Washington was unable to hold onto a 17–7 fourth quarter lead as Kirk Cousins led the Minnesota Vikings to a 20–17 victory on a last-second Greg Joseph field goal. In the fourth quarter, Taylor Heinicke threw a critical interception to safety Harrison Smith that set up Minnesota deep in Washington territory. This led to Cousins throwing a touchdown to Dalvin Cook to tie the game at 17. After Washington failed to score on their next drive, Cousins led the Vikings into the Washington red zone. On fourth and goal with less than 2 minutes in the game, the Vikings took the lead on a field goal, but Washington backup defensive lineman John Ridgeway III committed a personal foul that granted the Vikings a first down. The Vikings then kicked a winning field goal with less than 15 seconds left. [11]

Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles

Washington vs. the Philadelphia Eagles Washington Commanders vs Philadelphia Eagles, 2022.jpg
Washington vs. the Philadelphia Eagles
Week 10: Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Commanders7133932
Eagles1400721

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Game information

In a road divisional Monday Night Football matchup against the 8–0 Philadelphia Eagles, Washington had 40 minutes of time of possession to the Eagles 20, converted 12 of 21 third downs, and forced 4 turnovers to hand them their first loss of the season, avenging their Week 3 loss to Philadelphia and picking up their fourth win in five games. [12] It marked the second time in three seasons that Washington defeated the last undefeated team; they also defeated the 11–0 Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020. With Washington leading 26–21 less than two minutes remaining in the game, Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham committed a personal foul on a late hit on quarterback Taylor Heinicke that allowed Washington to convert a third down and run the game clock down, before sealing the 32–21 upset victory with a fumble return touchdown by Casey Toohill on the game's final play. Running backs Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr. each scored a rushing touchdown, and Terry McLaurin contributed 128 receiving yards. Kicker Joey Slye also had a large impact, making four field goals including from 58 (a career-long) and 55 yards. This win also marked the first time since 2014 that Washington had split their season series with Philadelphia.

Week 11: at Houston Texans

Washington vs. the Houston Texans Washington Commanders at Houston Texans 2022.jpg
Washington vs. the Houston Texans
Week 11: Washington Commanders at Houston Texans – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Commanders7130323
Texans003710

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

  • Date: November 20
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 65,865
  • Referee: Scott Novak
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Washington carried its momentum from their upset win over Philadelphia the prior week and dominated the struggling Houston Texans for their fifth win in their past six games. The Commanders dominated on defense in the first half, restricting the Houston offense to a total of 5 yards at halftime. Washington had a 20–0 half time thanks to a Kendall Fuller 37 yard pick 6 on the first Houston drive (the first of his career), a 10 yard Curtis Samuel run and two field goals. The second half was a turgid affair with Houston eventually getting on the board and ending up scoring with a Davis Mills 4 yard TD run.

Week 12: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 12: Atlanta Falcons at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Falcons373013
Commanders736319

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

  • Date: November 27
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Rain, 49 °F (9 °C)
  • Game attendance: 53,864
  • Referee: Brad Rogers
  • TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Despite giving up 167 rushing yards in the game, the Commanders held off the Falcons with a late interception for their sixth win in seven games. Brian Robinson Jr., who had his first 100-yard rushing game in his career, caught the first touchdown of the game to give Washington a 7–3 lead. Atlanta reclaimed the lead in the 2nd before Washington answered with a 30-yard field goal by Joey Slye to tie the game 10–10 before halftime. In the third, Taylor Heinicke threw his second touchdown of the game to John Bates to give Washington a 16–10 lead they would never relinquish. After both teams traded field goals to make it 19–13, Atlanta drove down to the Washington 4-yard line to try and win the game, but Mariota had his pass deflected at the line of scrimmage by Daron Payne before Kendall Fuller intercepted it in the endzone, sealing the victory for the Commanders.

Week 13: at New York Giants

Week 13: Washington Commanders at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter1234OTTotal
Commanders10307020
Giants01370020

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: December 4
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Fair, 44 °F (7 °C)
  • Game attendance: 76,128
  • Referee: Brad Allen
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Commanders tied for the first time since 2016, when the team was known as the Redskins. They dropped to 7–5–1.

Week 15: vs. New York Giants

Week 15: New York Giants at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Giants0143320
Commanders306312

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Game information

Week 16: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 16: Washington Commanders at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Commanders077620
49ers07141637

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Game information

Week 17: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 17: Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Browns3014724
Commanders070310

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

  • Date: January 1
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
  • Game attendance: 50,827
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Carson Wentz returned to the starting position this week but would end up losing to the Browns, which eliminated them from playoff contention for a second consecutive season.

In a post-game interview following the game, Rivera, who was already criticized for benching Heinicke for Wentz, received further criticism for being unaware that a Packers win over the Vikings would end up eliminating the Commanders from playoff contention. [13]

Week 18: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 18: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
Cowboys06006
Commanders767626

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

  • Date: January 8
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 42 °F (6 °C)
  • Game attendance: 62,814
  • Referee: Tra Blake
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Washington ended their inaugural season as the Commanders on a positive note in a rout of the rival Dallas Cowboys. Rookie quarterback Sam Howell made his NFL debut and went 11 of 19 passing for 169 yards, a touchdown and an interception, as well as registering 35 yards on five carries with a touchdown. This game featured the No. 9 jersey number retirement of legendary Redskins quarterback Sonny Jurgensen. In addition to quarterbacking for Washington, Jurgensen was a part of the famous trio of Jurgensen, Sam Huff, and Frank Herzog, all of whom helmed the radio broadcast for the franchise together from 1981 to 2004. This was the Commanders' final game under Daniel Snyder's ownership, as Snyder sold the organization in 2023, to a group led by Josh Harris.

Standings

Division

NFC East
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(1) Philadelphia Eagles 1430.8244–29–3477344W1
(5) Dallas Cowboys 1250.7064–28–4467342L1
(6) New York Giants 971.5591–4–14–7–1365371L1
Washington Commanders 881.5002–3–15–6–1321343W1

Conference

NFC
#TeamDivisionWLTPCTDIVCONFSOSSOVSTK
Division leaders
1 Philadelphia Eagles East1430.8244–29–3.474.460W1
2 [a] San Francisco 49ers West1340.7656–010–2.417.414W10
3 [a] Minnesota Vikings North1340.7654–28–4.474.425W1
4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South890.4714–28–4.503.426L1
Wild cards
5 Dallas Cowboys East1250.7064–28–4.507.485L1
6 New York Giants East971.5591–4–14–7–1.526.395L1
7 [b] Seattle Seahawks West980.5294–26–6.462.382W2
Did not qualify for the postseason
8 [b] Detroit Lions North980.5295–17–5.535.451W2
9 Washington Commanders East881.5002–3–15–6–1.536.449W1
10 Green Bay Packers North890.4713–36–6.524.449L1
11 [c] Carolina Panthers South7100.4124–26–6.474.437W1
12 [c] [d] New Orleans Saints South7100.4122–45–7.507.462L1
13 [c] [d] Atlanta Falcons South7100.4122–46–6.467.429W2
14 Los Angeles Rams West5120.2941–53–9.517.341L2
15 Arizona Cardinals West4130.2351–53–9.529.368L7
16 Chicago Bears North3140.1760–61–11.571.480L10
Tiebreakers [e]
  1. 1 2 San Francisco claimed the No. 2 seed over Minnesota based on conference record (10–2 vs. 8–4).
  2. 1 2 Seattle finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory, claiming the 7th and final playoff spot.
  3. 1 2 3 Carolina finished ahead of New Orleans and Atlanta based on head-to-head record (3–1 vs. 2–2/1–3).
  4. 1 2 New Orleans finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head sweep.
  5. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

References

  1. ↑ "Washington Commanders: Football team announces new nickname after 18-month rebranding process". CBSSports.com. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Trotta, Jerry (May 2, 2022). "Meet the Washington Commanders' 2022 undrafted free agent class". riggosrag.com. Riggo's Rag.
  3. ↑ Gould, Bobby (May 18, 2022). "A closer look at Washington's 2022 UDFA linebacker prospects". Hogs Haven. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  4. ↑ "2022 NFL draft trade tracker: Every deal for a first-round pick". ESPN.com. April 28, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Commanders acquire Carson Wentz". March 16, 2022. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Panthers trade into 4th round, select LB Brandon Smith". Panthers Wire. April 30, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  7. ↑ Manning, Bryan (May 1, 2021). "Washington adds two more picks in 2021 NFL draft after trade with Eagles". USA Today. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  8. ↑ Selby, Zach. "Jahan Dotson named Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Week". Commanders.com. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Amon-Ra St. Brown Sets NFL Record". www.si.com. Vito Chirco. September 18, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Commanders vs. Colts Notebook: 3 Observations After Washington's Big Win". FanNation. Sports Illustrated. October 30, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Vikings come back to beat Commanders for 6th consecutive win". ESPN. November 6, 2022.
  12. ↑ "2022 NFL season, Week 10: What We Learned from Commanders' win over Eagles on Monday night". NFL.com. November 14, 2022.
  13. ↑ Mullin, Eric (January 1, 2023). "Ron Rivera didn't know Commanders could be eliminated in Week 17". NBCSports.com. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
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