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Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Commanders ceiling and floor for 2023

By Bruce Ewing | Last updated 9/6/23

Will new ownership keep Washington from finishing at the bottom of their division? There’s reason for optimism in 2023, but getting through the NFC East unscathed could be difficult.

With the conclusion of training camp and preseason, here's the Commanders’ ceiling and floor heading into Week 1.

Ceiling 9-8

Nine wins would give Washington its first winning season since 2016. The team went undefeated in the preseason, even knocking down the Baltimore Ravens who were riding a 24- game preseason win streak. For most teams that wouldn’t matter, but for a team desperately in need of a culture change, it can only help.

Although the sample size is small, the change to Sam Howell at quarterback appears to be going well. Howell completed over 75 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and a passer rating of 122.0 in two preseason games.

Sam Howell lead the entire league in preseason passing yards with 547.

The future is bright in Washington pic.twitter.com/PzbvXl6i8N
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) August 29, 2022

Strong play from Howell can only mean good things for Terry McLaurin. The fifth-year receiver is coming off three straight 1,000 yard seasons, but subpar quarterback play has kept his touchdown numbers low. McLaurin has just 10 touchdowns over the past two seasons.

New offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy should be able to get those numbers up and if he does, the Commanders’ win total should also improve.

Floor 6-11

Of course, Bieniemy didn’t exactly get off on the right foot with offensive personnel this summer. Not everyone enjoyed the intense style of their new play-caller, prompting some players to reach out to head coach Ron Rivera.

Let’s face it, if the team starts winning, Bieniemy could light himself on fire and no one would care. But if the team struggles, the coach’s in-your-face style could wear thin.

“Thin” could describe the Commanders offensive line this year. According to spotrac.com, only nine teams spent less on their line this season. Washington drafted two linemen, taking Arkansas center Ricky Stromberg in the third round and Utah’s Braeden Daniels in the fourth round, but neither should start in 2023

The team also signed former Kansas City Chief, Andrew Wylie to be their starting right tackle. Wylie had two holding calls (one for a safety) in the team’s first preseason game against the Browns. Commanders fans can only hope he’s gotten it out of his system.

Washington allowed 48 sacks last season, seventh-most in the league. If they can’t do better in front of their young quarterback in 2023, another last-place finish could be inevitable.

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