On the outside, the Washington Commanders are a trainwreck: their current owner Dan Synder is constantly engaged in some sort of scandal, their stadium is slowly falling apart, they disrespect their former players (most notable being Sean Taylor’s memorial), and topping that, Dan Synder is forced into selling the team. It is a known fact that the Washington Commanders are the most mismanaged organization in the NFL, so they were already expected to enter the 2022 season with low expectations, considering they finished 7-10 the year prior with minor additions to their team and having some rookie signings.

Their expectations were valid to an extent. The Washington Commanders were 1-4 entering Week 6, even though the opponents they played were more challenging than usual. The Washington Commanders’ offense ranked near the bottom of all teams: they scored 18.0 points per game (ranked 26 out of 32 teams), they rushed for 89.0 yards per game (ranked 28 out of 32 teams), and they had 341.6 total yards per game (on the lower end of all 32 teams). So, what about the defense? [All these stats were recorded for Week #4] Well, they also sucked: the Washington Commanders’ defense allowed 371.8 total yards per game (ranked 23 out of 32 teams), they allowed 259.8 passing yards per game (ranked 25 out of 32 teams), and they allowed a significant 26.8 points per game (ranked 29 out of 32 teams). So, it was safe to say that there were many reasons behind their failure.

So, how could they shift from a 1-4 record entering Week 6 to having a 7-5-1 record entering Week 14? Well, it is pretty simple: a shift in their defensive momentum. First, keep this number in mind: 371.8 [representing the yards per game the defense allowed through Week #4]. Now, let’s compare that number to 310.5 [representing the yards per game the defense allowed through Week 13]. Over 10 weeks, they reduced the yards per game allowed by over 60 yards, and this is due to their increased discipline in their games and the rise of their players, such as Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, and Montez Sweat, for example.

Well, it’s safe to say that their defense improved, but what about the offense? Unfortunately, it has not gone much better. The Washington Commanders’ offense decreased the total yards per game (from 341.6 yards/game through Week 5 to 331.5 yards/game through Week 13), and they rank in the lower end for passing yards per game (ranked 23 out of 32 teams). Still, they did improve significantly in their rushing game (from 89.0 rushing yards/game through Week 5 to 124.5 rushing yards/game through Week 13), which could be attributed to the rise of rookie RB Brian Robinson Jr and the mobility of QB Taylor Heinicke. Even though the Commanders did get slightly worse on the passing side, they did make up for it by significantly improving their rushing game.

Overall, the Washington Commanders are an example of getting their team to the correct shape, even if they did so mid-season. The Washington Commanders already had a fair roster with talent on both sides, but it just took them a small amount of discipline (and player development) to get them to where they are today.

Image courtesy of Mitchell Layton of Getty Images