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A look back in Commanders history: The 2019 season

By Samuel Schulman

Dec 8, 2019; Green Bay, WI, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) catches a pass to score a touchdown in front of Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (23) during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 8, 2019; Green Bay, WI, USA; Washington Redskins wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) catches a pass to score a touchdown in front of Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (23) during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 16, 2021; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) reacts during the first half against the New York Giants at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 16, 2021; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) reacts during the first half against the New York Giants at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

The Commanders 2019 offensive player of the year award goes to Terry McLaurin. In what was otherwise a black hole of a season offensively, McLaurin burst onto the scene as a rookie, hauling in 58 catches for 919 yards and 7 touchdowns. McLaurin accounted for almost 30 percent (28.7%) of the teams receiving yards and set the stage for what we now know as one of the best receivers in the league.

Washington’s defensive player of the year award goes to Matthew Ioannidis, who paced the Commanders in both sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (11). It was Ioannidis’ best year of his career and he managed to stay healthy which was always a concern.

The game of the year, in my opinion, actually came in a loss. In Week 15, Dwayne Haskins and Daniel Jones squared off in what was referred to as the toilet bowl or Chase Young bowl. The ideal situation for a Commanders fan would be that Haskins played well and the Commanders lost. That’s just what they got, as Haskins played extremely well in his first two drives with 2 TDs and zero incompletions and built off a performance that earned him the FedEx rookie of the week, from the prior week.

Unfortunately, Haskins would suffer a minor ankle sprain and trying to not take any risks he would be shut down for the season, but he had ended on a high note. The Giants would go on to win in OT and thanks to that loss Washington would win the rights to draft Chase Young. Sometimes, things happen for a reason.

In a vacuum, 2019 was a disappointment for Commanders fans, but it also left the team with nowhere to go but up, and, for once, it actually seems like Washington did something with that opportunity as they ushered in the Ron Rivera era.

Final Grade: D-.

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