Commanders to host Jaguars in Week 1 of 2022 NFL season originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The first game of the Washington Commanders era is set.
Washington will host the Jacksonville Jaguars at FedEx Field to kick off the 2022 regular season, multiple sources told NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay and the team confirmed Thursday evening.
Hosting the Jaguars should give the Commanders a chance to begin the season on a winning note, as Jacksonville finished the 2021 season with a 3-14 record.
Jacksonville has made some major changes this offseason, though. The team hired former Eagles boss Doug Pederson as its new head coach and splurged in free agency, adding wide receiver Christian Kirk, linebacker Foyesade Oluokun and former Commanders All-Pro Brandon Scherff.
Of course, the Jaguars are headlined by rising second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Jacksonville’s Week 1 tilt in Washington will be the 2021 No.1 overall pick’s first chance to bounce back from a disappointing rookie campaign where he threw 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Washington Football Talk | Listen and Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
Facing the Jaguars in Week 1 also has a deeper meaning for new Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz. In Week 18 last season, Wentz turned in an abysmal performance for the Colts in a game where a win would have clinched a playoff berth. Losing to Jacksonville in Week 18 was the unofficial end for Wentz in Indianapolis, even if Colts GM Chris Ballard says they were considering moving on from the QB regardless.
The Jaguars were quick to remind Wentz of that game after the Commanders announced the matchup at 6pm Thursday on their Twitter account.
Washington has played the Jaguars seven times, with the Burgundy and Gold leading the series, 6-1. The last meeting between the two teams came in 2018, a 16-13 Washington victory.
In other schedule news, one of the Commanders’ matchups against their divisional rival Cowboys, is set in Dallas for Week 4, per JP Finlay. Wentz will also make his return to Philadelphia in Week 10 on Monday Night Football, according to the Washington Post.
The Commanders’ full 2022 NFL schedule will be released on Thursday, May 12 at 8 p.m. ET.
