3 most concerning games on Commanders’ 2022 schedule
By Jerry Trotta
The NFL offseason is chugging along. Free agency is a distant memory, the draft is already weeks old and the 2022 schedule has been released. Before you know it, the Washington Commanders will be reporting to training camp.
But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. After all, the 2022 regular-season schedule is hot off the presses and there’s plenty of time for analysis.
Simply put, Commanders fans should be thrilled with the results. While their list of opponents was revealed months ago, they got lucky, for lack of a better term, with the timing and overall difficulty of their 17 matchups. The only gripe we have is their bye won’t come until Week 14, but beggars can’t be choosers and it could come in handy given how unforgiving their end-of-season slate is.
With that in mind and the schedule now available to the public, let’s highlight Washington’s most concerning games on tap in 2022.
3 most concerning games on Commanders’ 2022 schedule
3. Week 8 at Colts
It helps that this matchup comes in the first half of the schedule, but it’s still a doozy for Washington. Not only is Lucas Oil Stadium a tough atmosphere, but the Colts have a different feel to them after their aggressive offseason, which included replacing Carson Wentz with Matt Ryan, who’s undoubtedly a better fit, and adding Yannick Ngakoue and Stephon Gilmore to bolster their defense.
Assuming Ryan represents a stern upgrade over Wentz, Indianapolis should contend in the loaded AFC with Ngakoue and Gilmore joining a roster that already flaunted stars like Darius Leonard, Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, Jonathan Taylor and Kenny Moore and several ascending young talents.
The Commanders will make this a dogfight if they’re able to contain Taylor, but that’s easier said than done, as the NFL’s rushing champ faced stacked boxes nearly every week last season and still eclipsed 100 yards in 10 games. The Colts finished 9-1 in those games, and they’ll have a more sturdy presence at quarterback in the event Taylor gets stuffed. Wentz didn’t offer that assurance.
This matchup falls right in the thick of a tough stretch for Washington, including right after their home clash against the Packers. Ron Rivera used the phrase “measuring stick” a few times last season. This game certainly qualifies.