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Almost no one believes the Washington Commanders will be a good team in 2023. Even though the Commanders came close to making the playoffs in 2022 with below-average quarterback play, most believe they can’t even match last season’s eight wins.
Pro Football Focus recently projected win totals for all 32 NFL teams in 2023. The usual suspects were at the top, with the Chiefs, Bengals, Bills, 49ers and Eagles comprising the top five and the Houston Texans coming away with the No. 1 overall pick.
PFF believes the Commanders are a good bet to go under 6.5 wins. The odds are +100 that Washington wins more than 6.5 games and -120 that the Commanders do not reach that total. Per PFF’s simulation, Washington would come away with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Let’s say this scenario plays out. If Washington is picking No. 4 in next year’s draft, there’s a good chance quarterback Sam Howell didn’t play well in 2023. If that happens, is No. 4 still too low to come away with one of the elite QB prospects, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye?
The draft is a long time away. There’s no reason to predict doom and gloom for Washington right now. There are plenty of reasons to believe the Commanders can contend for an NFC wild-card spot. So much of Washington’s season will depend on Howell and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.