Seven wins were not enough to get the Football Team back into the playoffs in an improved NFC East a season ago. Armed with a new identity and quarterback, expectations are marginally higher for the newly-named Commanders heading into the 2022 season.
Carson Wentz is the team’s new signal caller, returning to the division where his career began, and the front office retained receiver Terry McLaurin with a big-money deal in the offseason. Beyond the upgrade at quarterback from Taylor Heinicke to Wentz, the biggest hope for year-over-year improvement for Ron Rivera’s squad hinges on the health of a defense that fell apart at the seams in 2021 after being dominant the year prior.