2022 Washington Commanders season

The 2022 season was the Washington Commanders' 91st in the National Football League (NFL) and their third under head coach Ron Rivera. This was the team's first season 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 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.

"2022 Washington Football Team season" redirects here. For the college football team, see 2022 Washington Huskies football team.

2022 Washington Commanders season
Jersey patch for the franchise's 90th anniversary
OwnerDaniel Snyder
PresidentJason Wright
General managerMartin Mayhew
Head coachRon Rivera
Offensive coordinatorScott Turner
Defensive coordinatorJack Del Rio
Home fieldFedExField
Local radioWBIG-FM (Big 100.3)
Results
Record8–8–1
Division place4th NFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers
AP All-ProsST Jeremy Reaves (1st team)
Uniform

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 with Daniel Snyder owning the team, as he sold it in 2023 to an investment group led by Josh Harris for $6.05 billion.

Draft
Main article: 2022 NFL Draft
2022 Washington Commanders Draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
111 Traded to New Orleans[upper-alpha 1]
16 Jahan DotsonWRPenn Statefrom Indianapolis via Philadelphia and New Orleans[upper-alpha 1]
242 Traded to Indianapolis[upper-alpha 2]
47 Phidarian MathisDTAlabamafrom Indianapolis[upper-alpha 2]
373 Traded to Indianapolis[upper-alpha 2]
98 Brian Robinson Jr.RBAlabamaCompensatory pick; from New Orleans[upper-alpha 1]
4113 Percy ButlerFSLouisiana
120 Traded to Carolina[upper-alpha 3]from New Orleans[upper-alpha 1]
5144 Sam HowellQBNorth Carolinafrom Jacksonville via Carolina[upper-alpha 3]
149 Cole TurnerTENevadafrom Carolina[upper-alpha 3]
154 Traded to Philadelphia[upper-alpha 4]
6189 Traded to Carolina[upper-alpha 3]
7230 Chris PaulOGTulsa
240 Christian HolmesCBOklahoma Statefrom Philadelphia via Indianapolis[upper-alpha 2]

Draft trades

  1. The Commanders traded a first-round selection (11th overall) to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for first-, third- and fourth-round selections (16th, 98th and 120th overall).[2]
  2. The Commanders traded second- and third-round selections (42nd and 73rd overall) to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for QB Carson Wentz, and second- and seventh-round selections (47th and 240th overall).[3]
  3. The Commanders traded fourth- and sixth-round selections (120th and 189th overall) to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for two fifth-round selections (144th and 149th overall).[4]
  4. The Commanders traded a fifth-round selection (154th overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for 2021 sixth and seventh-round selections.
2022 Washington Commanders undrafted free agents
Name Position College Ref.
Josh Drayden CB California [5]
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
Tyrese Robinson OL Oklahoma
Armani Rogers QB Ohio
Devin Taylor CB Bowling Green
Tre Walker LB Idaho
Drew White LB Notre Dame

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 final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


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

Schedule

Preseason
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 13 Carolina Panthers L 21–23 0–1 FedExField Recap
2 August 20 at Kansas City Chiefs L 14–24 0–2 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
3 August 27 at Baltimore Ravens L 15–17 0–3 M&T Bank Stadium Recap

Regular season
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 11 Jacksonville Jaguars W 28–22 1–0 FedExField Recap
2 September 18 at Detroit Lions L 27–36 1–1 Ford Field Recap
3 September 25 Philadelphia Eagles L 8–24 1–2 FedExField Recap
4 October 2 at Dallas Cowboys L 10–25 1–3 AT&T Stadium Recap
5 October 9 Tennessee Titans L 17–21 1–4 FedExField Recap
6 October 13 at Chicago Bears W 12–7 2–4 Soldier Field Recap
7 October 23 Green Bay Packers W 23–21 3–4 FedExField Recap
8 October 30 at Indianapolis Colts W 17–16 4–4 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap
9 November 6 Minnesota Vikings L 17–20 4–5 FedExField Recap
10 November 14 at Philadelphia Eagles W 32–21 5–5 Lincoln Financial Field Recap
11 November 20 at Houston Texans W 23–10 6–5 NRG Stadium Recap
12 November 27 Atlanta Falcons W 19–13 7–5 FedExField Recap
13 December 4 at New York Giants T 20–20 (OT) 7–5–1 MetLife Stadium Recap
14 Bye
15 December 18 New York Giants L 12–20 7–6–1 FedExField Recap
16 December 24 at San Francisco 49ers L 20–37 7–7–1 Levi's Stadium Recap
17 January 1 Cleveland Browns L 10–24 7–8–1 FedExField Recap
18 January 8 Dallas Cowboys W 26–6 8–8–1 FedExField Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Week 1: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Washington vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 1: Jacksonville Jaguars at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 3 0 91022
Commanders 7 7 01428

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.[6] 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
Week 2: Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Commanders 0 0 151227
Lions 12 10 7736

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.[7]

Week 3: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Washington vs. the Philadelphia Eagles
Week 3: Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Eagles 0 24 0024
Commanders 0 0 088

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
Week 4: Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Commanders 0 7 3010
Cowboys 3 9 31025

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

Week 5: vs. Tennessee Titans
Washington vs. the Tennessee Titans
Week 5: Tennessee Titans at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Titans 7 7 7021
Commanders 3 7 7017

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Game information

Week 6: at Chicago Bears
Week 6: Washington Commanders at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Commanders 0 3 0912
Bears 0 0 707

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information

Week 7: vs. Green Bay Packers
Washington vs. the Green Bay Packers
Week 7: Green Bay Packers at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Packers 7 7 0721
Commanders 3 7 10323

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Game information

Week 8: at Indianapolis Colts
Washington vs. the Indianapolis Colts
Week 8: Washington Commanders at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Commanders 0 7 01017
Colts 0 3 31016

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.[8]

Week 9: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Washington vs. the Minnesota Vikings
Week 9: Minnesota Vikings at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Vikings 7 0 01320
Commanders 0 3 7717

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.[9]

Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles
Washington vs. the Philadelphia Eagles
Week 10: Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Commanders 7 13 3932
Eagles 14 0 0721

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 the them their first loss of the season, avenging their Week 3 loss to Philadelphia and picking up their fourth win in five games.[10] 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
Week 11: Washington Commanders at Houston Texans – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Commanders 7 13 0323
Texans 0 0 3710

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
Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 3 7 3013
Commanders 7 3 6319

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
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Commanders 10 3 07020
Giants 0 13 70020

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
Period 1 2 34Total
Giants 0 14 3320
Commanders 3 0 6312

at FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Game information

Week 16: at San Francisco 49ers
Week 16: Washington Commanders at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Commanders 0 7 7620
49ers 0 7 141637

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Game information

Week 17: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 17: Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 3 0 14724
Commanders 0 7 0310

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.

Week 18: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week 18: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 6 006
Commanders 7 6 7626

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.

Division
NFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) Philadelphia Eagles 14 3 0 .824 4–2 9–3 477 344 W1
(5) Dallas Cowboys 12 5 0 .706 4–2 8–4 467 342 L1
(6) New York Giants 9 7 1 .559 1–4–1 4–7–1 365 371 L1
Washington Commanders 8 8 1 .500 2–3–1 5–6–1 321 343 W1

Conference
NFC
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 Philadelphia Eagles East 14 3 0 .824 4–2 9–3 .474 .460 W1
2[lower-alpha 1] San Francisco 49ers West 13 4 0 .765 6–0 10–2 .417 .414 W10
3[lower-alpha 1] Minnesota Vikings North 13 4 0 .765 4–2 8–4 .474 .425 W1
4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 8 9 0 .471 4–2 8–4 .503 .426 L1
Wild cards
5 Dallas Cowboys East 12 5 0 .706 4–2 8–4 .507 .485 L1
6 New York Giants East 9 7 1 .559 1–4–1 4–7–1 .526 .395 L1
7[lower-alpha 2] Seattle Seahawks West 9 8 0 .529 4–2 6–6 .462 .382 W2
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[lower-alpha 2] Detroit Lions North 9 8 0 .529 5–1 7–5 .535 .451 W2
9 Washington Commanders East 8 8 1 .500 2–3–1 5–6–1 .536 .449 W1
10 Green Bay Packers North 8 9 0 .471 3–3 6–6 .524 .449 L1
11[lower-alpha 3] Carolina Panthers South 7 10 0 .412 4–2 6–6 .474 .437 W1
12[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4] New Orleans Saints South 7 10 0 .412 2–4 5–7 .507 .462 L1
13[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4] Atlanta Falcons South 7 10 0 .412 2–4 6–6 .467 .429 W2
14 Los Angeles Rams West 5 12 0 .294 1–5 3–9 .517 .341 L2
15 Arizona Cardinals West 4 13 0 .235 1–5 3–9 .529 .368 L7
16 Chicago Bears North 3 14 0 .176 0–6 1–11 .571 .480 L10
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 5]
  1. San Francisco finished ahead of Minnesota based on conference record (10–2 vs. 8–4).
  2. Seattle finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory.
  3. Carolina finished ahead of New Orleans and Atlanta based on head-to-head record (3–1 vs. 2–2/1–3).
  4. 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. Shook, Nick (April 28, 2022). "Saints trade up to select Ohio State WR Chris Olave with No. 11 pick, grab OT Trevor Penning at No. 19". NFL.com. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  3. "Commanders acquire Carson Wentz". Commanders.com. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  4. "Commanders Start Round 5: Select North Carolina QB Sam Howell, Nevada TE Cole Turner - NFL Draft Tracker". SI.com. April 30, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  5. Trotta, Jerry (May 2, 2022). "Meet the Washington Commanders' 2022 undrafted free agent class". riggosrag.com. Riggo's Rag.
  6. Selby, Zach. "Jahan Dotson named Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Week". Commanders.com. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  7. "Amon-Ra St. Brown Sets NFL Record". www.si.com. Vito Chirco. September 18, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  8. "Commanders vs. Colts Notebook: 3 Observations After Washington's Big Win". FanNation. Sports Illustrated. October 30, 2022.
  9. "Vikings come back to beat Commanders for 6th consecutive win". ESPN. November 6, 2022.
  10. "2022 NFL season, Week 10: What We Learned from Commanders' win over Eagles on Monday night". NFL.com. November 14, 2022.
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