From Worst to Best: Commanders Have Faced NFL's Toughest Schedule

The Washington Commanders came into the season with one of the NFL's easiest schedules. However, it has been anything but for Ron Rivera's team.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 28, 2022

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The Washington Commanders are heading into Week 4 with a 1-2 record, but at the beginning of the season, that mark may have been a surprise. However, with a bird's eye view, the schedule the Commanders have faced so far looks like a gauntlet.

When the schedules were released, the Commanders were tabbed with the team with the easiest strength of schedule going into the year. However, just three weeks in, the Commanders have actually played the league's hardest schedule so far, per DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average).

Washington started the season off with games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions, the two teams picking at the top of the draft this past season. Then, the Commanders hosted the Philadelphia Eagles, one of just two teams to start 3-0.

The Commanders have faced a difficult schedule so far, but the slate for the rest of the year gets slightly easier, ranking 19th in the league. While the Commanders have struggled in the early part of the year, they have played some quality opponents and the skies are beginning to clear. If they can make some small adjustments and continue to execute, the Commanders will get back on track.

The rest of the Commanders' schedule starts Sunday as the team travels to AT&T Stadium to face the 2-1 Dallas Cowboys. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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Published Sep 28, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.