While the 2021 season was mostly forgettable for Ron Rivera and Co. there are some bright spots on the roster
After winning the NFC East in 2020 and bringing in an experienced veteran quarterback for 2021, things were looking up in Washington as the season began.
But so many things derailed the club starting in Week 1 that it was too much to overcome. New starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick went down after throwing just six passes for Washington and was done for the season. Receiver Curtis Samuel was brought in to help the receiving corps and has been a tremendous and overpriced disappointment. And that's just on offense.
Injuries, COVID-19, and massive underachieving plagued Washington's defense to begin the season.
But there were some bright spots to the team in the form of some stand-out players, according to Pro Football Focus, who released its top 101 players of 2021.
PFF emphasizes the individual grades it gives each player, and with that criteria, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and cornerback Kendall Fuller both made the list.
PFF had this to say about Allen, who ranked No. 54:
Fuller was ranked No. 73:
It might be notable that both McLaurin and guard Brandon Scherff are missing from the list. There's no doubt an argument could be made for both players.
Commanders fans can only imagine with a new name and new identity comes a new culture of winning in 2022, and more than two names appear from Washington on the 2022 edition of this list.