The toughest stretch of games on the Commanders’ 2022 schedule

The Washington Commanders‘ schedule was released on Thursday and the excitement amongst fans was palpable. That alone speaks volumes to the NFL’s popularity considering we’ve known the team’s opponents for months.

Fans, writers and pundits alike have delved into predictions, which is almost funny considering they can only base arguments on roster talent when injuries and other extenuating circumstances could enter the picture down the road.

On the surface, Washington’s schedule is extremely favorable. If you’re not a believer in the combined record of opponents from the previous season, their opponents’ expected win total slots them with the sixth-easiest schedule.

Bottom line? Even the most pessimistic fan can find optimism in the Commanders’ 2022 schedule. Of course, it won’t be a cakewalk. It never is in the NFL. Sure, there will be easy matchups, but those can prove to be trap games.

There’s also flat-out brutal stretches than can define a team’s season if they underwhelm on expectations. With that in mind, let’s see if we can identify the toughest stretch on Washington’s hectic 17-game slate.

What will be the hardest stretch of games on the Commanders’ 2022 regular season schedule?

It’s honestly a toss-up between two different stretches.

The fact the Commanders close out the campaign in San Francisco on Christmas Eve (the 49ers were one win away from another Super Bowl appearance in 2021), at home against the Browns, who will likely contend in the AFC with Deshaun Watson presiding over the offense, and at home vs the Cowboys, who outscored Washington 83-34 last year, is brutal and could make or break their season.

If that stretch got anyone’s vote, you’d be fully justified. However, it’s the obvious selection so let’s highlight another worthy candidate.

We all know the Commanders got lucky with their opening schedule: home vs Jacksonville, away against Detroit and home vs the Eagles. The next two fixtures — at Dallas and home to Tennessee — are scary, but the team gets bailed out by a Week 6 trip to Chicago in primetime for Thursday Night Football.

We’re not going to pick a two-game run, so that brings us to the four-game gauntlet following the Bears showdown. It starts with Week 7 vs the Packers at FedEx Field, when Washington will get the chance to avenge their loss to Green Bay in 2021 where they blew countless scoring opportunities.

Though Aaron Rodgers lost Davante Adams, we’re still talking about one of the greatest quarterback talents of all time, playmakers everywhere you look on both sides of the ball and an elite head coach in Matt LaFleur.

From there, Ron Rivera’s group will travel to Indianapolis for a road date against the playoff-hopeful Colts, who could be a sneaky Super Bowl contender if the offensive line stays healthy and Matt Ryan gives them a spark under center.

The Commanders will most certainly be underdogs in that matchup, and their subsequent two fixtures won’t be any easier. In Week 9, they get Kirk Cousins and the Vikings star-studded offense at home. That’ll be a 1 p.m. ET kickoff and we all know that’s been Cousins’ money time slot in his career.

All joking aside, that’s another playoff-caliber team … and Washington will get another in Week 10, when Carson Wentz returns to Philadelphia for the first time since he was traded during the 2020 offseason. To top it all off, it’ll be broadcast nationally on Monday Night Football.

So, what’s your pick? The four-game run of Packers, Colts, Vikings and Eagles in the middle of the schedule or the three-game stretch against the 49ers, Browns and Cowboys to close out the campaign? You can’t go wrong either way, but Dallas potentially having nothing to play for in Week 18 compels us to pick the former. After all, it wouldn’t be a surprise if all four teams made the playoffs in 2022.