By: Jake Rajala

The Washington Commanders found a new spirit with the arrival of Carson Wentz. Ron Rivera will still really have to get creative with Wentz in order to return to the playoffs in 2022. With that said, I’m going to simply outline the three biggest obstacles for the Commanders next season.

Pass defense

The Commanders ranked 29th in passing YPG allowed last season, so it’s clear their 2021 pass defense was far from a recipe for success. The CB William Jackson was one of the most disappointing players on the roster last season, as highlighted by Commanders Wire. The Commanders will also anticipate Chase Young elevating into an elite pass rusher (and Montez Sweat returning to dominance after missing seven games), which should benefit their ability against opposing QBs. It may also make sense for the Commanders to be the second NFC East team to sign a FA CB like Joe Haden or Janoris Jenkins.

The WR talent

It’s obvious that Wentz will love throwing to Terry McLaurin more than Michael Pittman Jr, but Wentz will need to also be in sync with a talented WR2 in his offense. Curtis Samuel fell off a cliff last season and Jahan Dotson is a rookie, so it’s unclear which WR will help Scary Terry demolish opposing defenses. Hopefully, Dotson can hit the ground running and the Commanders find a superb way to get Samuel the pigskin in space.

Dallas Cowboys

Unfortunately, the Dallas Cowboys swept the Commanders last season. In particular, the Commanders allowed an embarrassing 56 points from the Boys last season. I’m sure that Rivera has the Cowboys contest circled on his calendar and the WAS defense strives to tee off on Prescott. The Commanders and Boys battle in Week 4 and Week 18 in the 2022-2023 season.

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