3 important stats that could regress for the Commanders in 2022

1. Passing Yards Allowed Per Game

The concerns about the Commanders’ secondary are fully justified after they allowed a whopping 254.9 passing yards per game in 2021. Only the Jets (259.4), Seahawks (265.5) and Ravens (278.9) were worse defending the pass.

Washington’s depth in the secondary leaves a lot to be desired but the unit as a whole should improve after it spent 2021 working out the kinks. If you think about it, the entire secondary was learning to play together, as Kendall Fuller, Landon Collins and Kam Curl were the only returning starters and William Jackson III and Bobby McCain both arrived via free agency and played 93 percent of the snaps.

The group improved over the second half of the schedule, though their progress was derailed by the December COVID-19 outbreak, and they will have had a full offseason to work through any remaining wrinkles by the time Week 1 rolls around.

Banking on the continuity narrative might seem short-sighted, but familiarity is wildly important to a fine-tuned secondary. Look no further than the Bills, who ranked first in the NFL in passing yards. Their core of Tre’Davious White, Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Levi Wallace (who left this offseason) have been together for years.

Don’t be surprised if the Commanders’ pass defense improves in 2022. Not only will the secondary return all of it starters, sans Collins, but the offense’s expected improvement should only further help the cause.