The Washington Commanders are well-and-truly in their off-season mode. After battling through a difficult season, they finished with an 8-8-1 record, going 4-5 at home and 4-3-1 away. Now that they’ve completed player evaluations, it appears that some upgrades are needed to give the team an easier time next season.
Even though they didn’t make the playoffs, Stephen Troese Jr. reports that they had held a high spot until reasonably late in the season. Fans believe the offensive line was on the right track — and they were, albeit partly.
The Offensive Line Needs a Mix-Up
The unit is comprised of Wes Schweitzer, Charles Leno Jr., Andrew Norwell, Cornelius Lucas, and Trai Turner as the main starters. When together, they seemed to struggle.
On top of that, five players of the unit are free agents, a topic that has sparked demand for some serious decision-making about the line’s structure in 2023.
However, analysts believe that shouldn’t be viewes as a bad thing. In a mock draft by ESPN, the Washington Commanders snap up Broderick Jones, Georgia’s offensive tackle. Considering the struggle experienced last season, Jones appears to be a pretty safe bet.
While an all-new player set would be the best outcome, Ron Rivera, the head coach, can only switch a few of them.
A Look at the Offensive Line’s 2022 Season
Giving up 48 sacks, the Washington Commander’s offensive line comes in at the seventh-most sacks in the National Football League.
When Carson Wentz went under center, he was sacked at least three times on five separate occasions. In fact, the match against the Philadelphia Eagles saw Wentz sacked a cringe-worthy nine times.
As the coach swapped Taylor Heinicke as the starter, fans were overjoyed — his quick-moving ability should’ve alleviated the sacks. In the end, though, that wasn’t the case.
In his final three games, he experienced ten sacks, with his overall figure reaching 19 across nine games.
Naturally, this can’t be allowed to happen again in the 2023 season.
But It Wasn’t All Doom and Gloom
Last season, the Commander’s running game was pretty strong. And, naturally, the offensive line was primarily responsible for that.
Ranking 12th in the NFL’s rushing yards per game (126.1), Rivera does have something to work with as they head into this year’s matches.
That said, whoever 2023’s quarterback is may face an entirely restricted offensive line, and fans are waiting with bated breath to find out who the team re-signs.
A Brief Look at the 2023 Season
As of now, avid fans of the team can get excited as the 2023 home opponents have been released.
Next season, the Commanders are expected to play at home against the:
- Dallas Cowboys
- Miami Dolphins
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Arizona Cardinals
- San Francisco 49ers
- Buffalo Bills
- Chicago Bears
- New York Giants
Currently, five team members are playing at the newly formatted Pro Bowl, featuring a flag football match alongside various events and skills tournaments.
Those not involved in Pro Bowl are living their off-season lives and preparing for the near-guaranteed restructuring of their offensive lines as they hope for an easier time this year.