90th season in franchise history
The 2021 season was the 90th season for the Washington Football Team in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under head coach Ron Rivera . Some additions and changes include the team hiring Martin Mayhew as general manager and Marty Hurney as another high-ranking executive.[ 1] black , Washington became the first team in NFL history to concurrently have a minority general manager, head coach, and team president.[ 2] Ryan Kerrigan , the franchise's all-time sack leader, became a free agent in the offseason and played the year with division rival Philadelphia Eagles .
Washington failed to improve upon their 7–9 record from the previous season, failed to repeat as division champions, and missed the playoffs for the fifth time in their past six seasons after a Week 17 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles . Washington was also the first team since the 1995 Tampa Bay Buccaneers to have their final five games of the season be within the division.[ 3]
Notes
Washington received a third-round selection from San Francisco in exchange for offensive tackle Trent Williams .[ 4]
Washington received a seventh-round selection and offensive tackle David Sharpe from Las Vegas in exchange for a 2020 sixth-round selection.[ 5]
Washington traded a seventh-round selection (244th overall) to Miami in exchange for a seventh-round selection (258th overall) and offensive guard Ereck Flowers .[ 6]
Washington received sixth- and seventh-round selections (225th and 240th overall) from Philadelphia in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round selection.[ 7]
2021 Washington Football Team staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
Director of player performance – Brett Nenaber
Head strength and conditioning – Chad Englehart
The preseason was reduced from four games to three with the regular season expanding to 17.
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Week 1: vs. Los Angeles Chargers [ edit ] Washington vs. the Los Angeles Chargers
Week 1: Los Angeles Chargers at Washington Football Team – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Chargers 7
6
0 7 20
Washington
3
6
7 0 16
at FedExField , Landover, Maryland
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 43-yard field goal, 13:36. Chargers 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 2:49.
LAC – Tristan Vizcaino 33-yard field goal, 9:06. Chargers 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:30.
LAC – Tristan Vizcaino 27-yard field goal, 0:45. Chargers 13–6. Drive: 18 plays, 65 yards, 7:52.
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 13–9. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 0:45. Third quarter
WAS – Logan Thomas 11-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Dustin Hopkins kick), 11:20. Football Team 16–13. Drive: 8 plays, 81 yards, 3:40. Fourth quarter
Top passers
LAC – Justin Herbert – 31/47, 337 yards, TD, INT
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 11/15, 122 yards, TD Top rushers
LAC – Austin Ekeler – 15 rushes, 57 yards, TD
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 20 rushes, 90 yards Top receivers
The Chargers scored a TD with a 3 yard Austin Ekeler run on the first drive of the game. The rest of the scoring in the first half was an exchange of field goals which gave the Chargers a 13-9 lead. To mirror the start of the first half Washington scored a TD on the first drive of the half, with an 11 yard pass from Taylor Heinicke to Logan Thomas. Washington got the ball back in their own redzone thanks to a dubious call ruling Herbert had fumbled into the end zone under pressure from Montez Sweat. Hopkins then missed a field goal before the decisive moment came at the start of the 4th quarter. William Jackson intercepted Herbert in the Washington redzone but on the subsequent play Antonio Gibson fumbled the ball on the Washington 5 yard which was recovered by the Charger who then scored the game winning TD with a 3 yard pass to Mike Williams. This would be QB Ryan Fitzpatrick's last game, as he suffered a season ending injury in the second quarter and would promptly retire after the season.
Week 2: vs. New York Giants [ edit ] Washington vs. the New York Giants
Week 2: New York Giants at Washington Football Team – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Giants
7
3
10 9 29
Washington 0
14
3 13 30
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
WAS – Terry McLaurin 11-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Dustin Hopkins kick), 11:16. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 90 yards, 7:01.
NYG – Graham Gano 23-yard field goal, 4:09. Giants 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 4:09.
WAS – J. D. McKissic 2-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 0:21. Football Team 14–10. Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 3:48. Third quarter
NYG – Graham Gano 47-yard field goal, 9:07. Football Team 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 5:53.
NYG – Darius Slayton 33-yard pass from Daniel Jones (Graham Gano kick), 4:41. Giants 20–14. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 2:50.
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 49-yard field goal, 1:30. Giants 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:11. Fourth quarter
NYG – Graham Gano 52-yard field goal, 13:35. Giants 23–17. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 2:55.
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 37-yard field goal, 8:46. Giants 23–20. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 4:49.
NYG – Graham Gano 55-yard field goal, 4:50. Giants 26–20. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 3:56.
WAS – Ricky Seals-Jones 19-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Dustin Hopkins kick), 4:33. Football Team 27–26. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:17.
NYG – Graham Gano 35-yard field goal, 2:00. Giants 29–27. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:16.
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Football Team 30–29. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 2:00.
Top passers
Top rushers
NYG – Daniel Jones – 9 rushes, 95 yards, TD
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 13 rushes, 69 yards Top receivers
A back and forth shootout, Washington capitalized on a late opportunity to escape with a 30-29 win. After Washington took a 14-10 lead into halftime, the Giants scored on their first 4 possessions of the second half to take a 26-20 lead. Washington answered back with a touchdown from Heinicke to Ricky Seals-Jones to take a 27-26 lead, but the Giants capitalized on a late Heinicke interception to take a 29-27 lead. After Washington got into field goal range, Dustin Hopkins missed a 48-yard field goal to win the game. However, the Giants were offside, which nullified the miss and gave Washington one untimed down, since a game cannot end on a defensive penalty. Hopkins made his second attempt from 43 yards to give Washington the win. This was Washington's first win over the Giants since Week 8 of the 2018 season , and improved their record to 1-1 on the season.
Week 3: at Buffalo Bills [ edit ] Washington vs. the Buffalo Bills
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
BUF – Zack Moss 7-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 12:59. Bills 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 4:12.
BUF – Dawson Knox 14-yard pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 10:42. Bills 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 17 yards, 0:55.
WAS – Antonio Gibson 73-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Dustin Hopkins kick), 9:51. Bills 21–7. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:51.
WAS – Taylor Heinicke 4-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 7:39. Bills 21–14. Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 2:12.
BUF – Tyler Bass 21-yard field goal, 1:37. Bills 24–14. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 1:52.
BUF – Tyler Bass 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Bills 27–14. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 0:26. Third quarter
BUF – Emmanuel Sanders 5-yard field pass from Josh Allen (pass failed), 4:43. Bills 33–14. Drive: 17 plays, 93 yards, 8:17.
BUF – Tyler Bass 29-yard field goal, 2:11. Bills 36–14. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:53. Fourth quarter
BUF – Josh Allen 2-yard run (Tyler Bass kick), 10:29. Bills 43–14. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 1:08.
WAS – Logan Thomas 2-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Dustin Hopkins kick), 5:21. Bills 43–21. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:08.
Top passers
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 14/24, 212 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
BUF – Josh Allen – 32/43, 358 yards, 4 TD Top rushers
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 12 rushes, 31 yards
BUF – Zack Moss – 13 rushes, 60 yards Top receivers
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 1 reception, 73 yards, TD
BUF – Cole Beasley – 11 receptions, 98 yards
Buffalo got out to a 21-0 lead early, and Washington was never able to fully recover in a 43-21 loss. Josh Allen threw for 358 yards and four touchdowns, and ran for another in the fourth to give Buffalo a 43-14 lead. The 43 points allowed were the most points Washington has allowed under Ron Rivera, and were the most points they had allowed since week 17 of the 2019 season against the Dallas Cowboys (until Week 16 of this season). Washington dropped to 1-2 on the season.
Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons [ edit ] Washington vs. the Atlanta Falcons
Game information
First quarter
ATL – Younghoe Koo 25-yard field goal, 7:00. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 68 yards, 8:00. Second quarter
ATL – Cordarrelle Patterson 42-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Younghoe Koo kick), 11:07. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 64 yards, 2:06.
WAS – Terry McLaurin 33-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Dustin Hopkins kick), 7:55. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:12.
WAS – Antonio Gibson 2-yard run (kick failed), 2:04. Football Team 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 4:03.
ATL – Cordarrelle Patterson 12-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Younghoe Koo kick), 0:14. Falcons 17–13. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 1:50. Third quarter
WAS – DeAndre Carter 101-yard kickoff return (kick failed), 14:47. Football Team 19–17. Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:13.
ATL – Cordarrelle Patterson 14-yard pass from Matt Ryan (pass failed), 11:09. Falcons 23–19. Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 3:38.
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 21-yard field goal, 5:31. Falcons 23–22. Drive: 14 plays, 73 yards, 5:38. Fourth quarter
ATL – Mike Davis 7-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Younghoe Koo kick), 14:52. Falcons 30–22. Drive: 13 plays, 83 yards, 5:39.
WAS – Terry McLaurin 17-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (pass failed), 3:52. Football Team 30–28. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 6:08.
WAS – J. D. McKissic 30-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (run failed), 0:33. Falcons 34–30. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 1:14.
Top passers
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 23/33, 290 yards, 3 TD
ATL – Matt Ryan – 25/42, 283 yards, 4 TD Top rushers
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 14 rushes, 63 yards, TD
ATL – Cordarrelle Patterson – 6 rushes, 34 yards Top receivers
WAS – Terry McLaurin – 6 receptions, 123 yards, 2 TD
ATL – Cordarrelle Patterson – 5 receptions, 82 yards, 3 TD
Washington was able to recover from an early 10-0 deficit to defeat the Falcons 34-30 behind 290 yards and 3 touchdowns from Taylor Heinicke. After the 10-0 deficit, Washington scored two touchdowns in the second to take a 13-10 lead. After the Falcons took a 17-13 lead into half, DeAndre Carter returned the second half kickoff 101 yards to give the lead back to Washington. The Falcons took back the lead and then extended it to 30-22 early in the fourth, but Heinicke threw two touchdowns in the final four minutes to give Washington the win. The win improved Washington to 2-2 on the season, and 2-0 in the conference. It was their first win over the Falcons since 2003 .
Week 5: vs. New Orleans Saints [ edit ] Washington vs. the New Orleans Saints
Week 5: New Orleans Saints at Washington Football Team – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Saints 7
13
0 13 33
Washington
6
7
3 6 22
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
Date : October 10Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDTGame weather : Cloudy, 68 °F (20 °C)Game attendance : 50,137Referee : Shawn Smith TV announcers (CBS) : Spero Dedes and Jay FeelyRecap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 45-yard field goal, 12:27. Football Team 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 0:52.
NO – Deonte Harris 72-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Cody Parkey kick), 11:13. Saints 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:14.
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 23-yard field goal, 4:55. Saints 7–6. Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 6:18. Second quarter
WAS – Antonio Gibson 5-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 14:16. Football Team 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 4:11.
NO – Alvin Kamara 23-yard run (kick failed), 10:58. Tied 13–13. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:18.
NO – Marquez Callaway 49-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Cody Parkey kick), 0:00. Saints 20–13. Drive: 1 plays, 49 yards, 0:08. Third quarter
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 24-yard field goal, 1:53. Saints 20–16. Drive: 14 plays, 69 yards, 7:20. Fourth quarter
NO – Marquez Callaway 12-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Cody Parkey kick), 12:12. Saints 27–16. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 1:32.
WAS – Antonio Gibson 1-yard run (pass failed), 7:51. Saints 27–22. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:21.
NO – Alvin Kamara 19-yard pass from Jameis Winston (kick failed), 3:15. Saints 33–22. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:36.
Top passers
NO – Jameis Winston – 15/30, 279 yards, 4 TD, INT
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 20/41, 248 yards, 2 INT Top rushers
NO – Alvin Kamara – 16 rushes, 71 yards, TD
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 20 rushes, 60 yards, 2 TD Top receivers
NO – Marquez Callaway – 4 receptions, 85 yards, 2 TD
WAS – Adam Humphries – 3 receptions, 73 yards
Washington suffered an 11-point loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Week 6: vs. Kansas City Chiefs [ edit ] Washington vs. the Kansas City Chiefs
Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs at Washington Football Team – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Chiefs 7
3
7 14 31
Washington
3
10
0 0 13
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
KC – Harrison Butker 52-yard field goal, 12:33. Chiefs 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:06.
WAS – Dustin Hopkins 43-yard field goal, 8:07. Chiefs 10–6. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 4:26.
WAS – Ricky Seals-Jones 39-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Dustin Hopkins kick), 1:18. Football Team 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 3:32. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
KC – Darrel Williams 3-yard run (Harrison Butker kick), 14:02. Chiefs 24–13. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 3:36.
KC – Demarcus Robinson 24-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 3:14. Chiefs 31–13. Drive: 15 plays, 96 yards, 7:18.
Top passers
KC – Patrick Mahomes – 32/47, 397 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 24/39, 182 yards, TD, INT Top rushers
KC – Darrel Williams – 21 rushes, 62 yards, 2 TD
WAS – J. D. McKissic – 8 rushes, 45 yards Top receivers
KC – Travis Kelce – 8 receptions, 99 yards
WAS – J. D. McKissic – 8 receptions, 65 yards
Week 7: at Green Bay Packers [ edit ] Washington vs. the Green Bay Packers
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
GB – Allen Lazard 10-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 0:15. Packers 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 2:43. Third quarter
GB – Robert Tonyan 20-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 12:30. Packers 21–7. Drive: 3 plays, 27 yards, 1:37. Fourth quarter
GB – Mason Crosby 39-yard field goal, 11:22. Packers 24–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:43.
WAS – Chris Blewitt 34-yard field goal, 2:25. Packers 24–10. Drive: 6 plays, 11 yards, 3:14.
Top passers
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 25/37, 268 yards, TD, INT
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 27/35, 274 yards, 3 TD Top rushers
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 10 rushes, 95 yards
GB – Aaron Jones – 6 rushes, 19 yards Top receivers
WAS – Terry McLaurin – 7 receptions, 122 yards, TD
GB – Davante Adams – 6 receptions, 76 yards, TD
Week 8: at Denver Broncos [ edit ] Washington vs. the Denver Broncos
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
DEN – Brandon McManus 45-yard field goal, 10:27. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 3:15.
WAS – Chris Blewitt 52-yard field goal, 5:25. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 5:02.
DEN – Melvin Gordon 15-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Brandon McManus kick), 1:11. Broncos 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:14. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
DEN – Melvin Gordon 7-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 4:27. Broncos 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:28.
Top passers
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 24/39, 270 yards, TD, 2 INT
DEN – Teddy Bridgewater – 19/26, 213 yards, TD Top rushers
KC – Jaret Patterson – 11 rushes, 46 yards
DEN – Melvin Gordon – 10 rushes, 47 yards, TD Top receivers
Week 10: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ edit ] Washington vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 10: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Football Team – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Buccaneers
0
6
7 6 19
Washington 6
10
7 6 29
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
Date : November 14Game time : 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : Cloudy, 47 °F (8 °C)Game attendance : 52,128Referee : Brad Rogers TV announcers (Fox) : Adam Amin , Mark Schlereth and Shannon SpakeRecap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
WAS – Joey Slye 46-yard field goal, 9:57. Football Team 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 3:36.
WAS – Joey Slye 28-yard field goal, 5:56. Football Team 6–0. Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 3:50. Second quarter
WAS – DeAndre Carter 20-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Joey Slye kick), 12:21. Football Team 13–0. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 5:59.
TB – Ryan Succop 25-yard field goal, 6:44. Football Team 13–3. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 5:37.
WAS – Joey Slye 29-yard field goal, 0:58. Football Team 16–3. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:46.
TB – Ryan Succop 31-yard field goal, 0:00. Football Team 16–6. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 0:58. Third quarter
TB – Cameron Brate 6-yard pass from Tom Brady (Ryan Succop kick), 8:46. Football Team 16–13. Drive: 4 plays, 43 yards, 2:00.
WAS – Antonio Gibson 1-yard run (Joey Slye kick), 4:21. Football Team 23–13. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:25. Fourth quarter
TB – Mike Evans 40-yard pass from Tom Brady (kick failed), 10:55. Football Team 23–19. Drive: 3 plays, 47 yards, 1:32.
WAS – Antonio Gibson 1-yard run (run failed), 0:29. Football Team 29–19. Drive: 19 plays, 80 yards, 10:26.
Top passers
TB – Tom Brady – 23/34, 220 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 26/32, 256 yards, TD Top rushers
TB – Leonard Fournette – 11 rushes, 47 yards
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 24 rushes, 64 yards, 2 TD Top receivers
TB – Mike Evans – 2 receptions, 62 yards, TD
WAS – Terry McLaurin – 6 reception, 59 yards
In a rematch of their Wild Card matchup from the previous season, Washington upset the Buccaneers 29-19 to end their four-game losing streak. Tom Brady threw two interceptions in the first quarter, which Washington turned into 10 points to take a 13-0 lead early in the second. Tampa cut the lead to 23-19 early in the fourth, but Washington sealed the game with a 10 minute, 19-play touchdown drive. With the win, Washington improved to 3-6 on the season.
Week 11: at Carolina Panthers [ edit ] Washington vs. the Carolina Panthers
Week 11: Washington Football Team at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Washington 0
14
7 6 27
Panthers
7
7
0 7 21
at Bank of America Stadium , Charlotte, North Carolina
Date : November 21Game time : 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : Partly cloudy, 58 °F (14 °C)Game attendance : 73,350Referee : Bill Vinovich TV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura OkminRecap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
WAS – Cam Sims 6-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Joey Slye kick), 13:29. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 2:56.
CAR – Cam Newton 24-yard run (Zane Gonzalez kick), 5:52. Panthers 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:33.
WAS – Terry McLaurin 12-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Joey Slye kick), 0:09. Tied 14–14. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 5:43. Third quarter
WAS – DeAndre Carter 4-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Joey Slye kick), 9:21. Football Team 21–14. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 5:39. Fourth quarter
CAR – Christian McCaffrey 27-yard pass from Cam Newton (Zane Gonzalez kick), 10:44. Tied 21–21. Drive: 7 plays, 91 yards, 4:09.
WAS – Joey Slye 36-yard field goal, 4:13. Football Team 24–21. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 6:31.
WAS – Joey Slye 29-yard field goal, 1:50. Football Team 27–21. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 1:03.
Top passers
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 16/22, 206 yards, 3 TD
CAR – Cam Newton – 21/27, 189 yards, 2 TD Top rushers
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 19 rushes, 95 yards
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 10 rushes, 59 yards Top receivers
WAS – Terry McLaurin – 5 receptions, 103 yards, TD
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 7 receptions, 60 yards, TD
This was head coach Ron Rivera 's first return to Charlotte since his dismissal from the Panthers on December 1, 2019. Rivera previously served as the Panthers head coach from 2011 to 2019, led the team to a franchise-best 15-1 record en route to Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season , and is the franchise's winningest head coach, having won 76 games with the team. Both teams traded a pair of touchdowns in the first half, with Newton throwing for a touchdown while rushing for another while Taylor Heinicke threw for two touchdowns. Washington took their first lead in the third quarter with Heinicke's throwing a touchdown to DeAndre Carter. After the Panthers tied it early in the fourth quarter, Washington got back-to-back field goals from Joey Slye. The Panthers' last shot to win the game was denied when Cam Newton got sacked on fourth down. With the win, Washington won back-to-back games for the first time in the season and improved to 4-6.
Week 12: vs. Seattle Seahawks [ edit ] Washington vs. the Seattle Seahawks
Week 12: Seattle Seahawks at Washington Football Team – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Seahawks
7
2
0 6 15
Washington 3
6
8 0 17
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
WAS – J. D. McKissic 10-yard run (Antonio Gibson run), 8:30. Football Team 17–9. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 4:56. Fourth quarter
SEA – Freddie Swain 32-yard pass from Russell Wilson (pass failed), 0:15. Football Team 17–15. Drive: 10 plays, 96 yards, 2:04.
Top passers
SEA – Russell Wilson – 20/31, 247 yards, 2 TD
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 27/35, 223 yards, TD, INT Top rushers
SEA – Russell Wilson – 2 rushes, 16 yards
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 29 rushes, 111 yards Top receivers
Washington hosted the 3–7 Seahawks with both teams needing a win to stay relevant in the NFC playoff picture. Washington kicker Joey Slye was injured on a blocked extra point that was returned for a defensive 2-point conversion by Seahawks defensive tackle Rasheem Green . A touchdown pass late in the 4th quarter on 4th and goal from Heinicke to Logan Thomas was overturned, giving Seattle a chance down 8; while Wilson hit Freddie Swain for a score with 15 seconds left, Kendall Fuller intercepted the 2-point pass to keep Washington with a 17–15 lead. Initially, Seattle appeared to recover an onside kick , but the play was called back due to an illegal formation, and Washington was able to recover the subsequent onside kick attempt to seal the victory and improve to 5–6. It was their first Monday Night Football victory since 2014 .
Week 13: at Las Vegas Raiders [ edit ] Washington vs. the Las Vegas Raiders
Week 13: Washington Football Team at Las Vegas Raiders – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Washington 7
0
0 10 17
Raiders
0
3
3 9 15
at Allegiant Stadium , Paradise, Nevada
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
LV – Daniel Carlson 52-yard field goal, 0:04. Football Team 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 1:37. Third quarter
LV – Daniel Carlson 38-yard field goal, 4:52. Football Team 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 3:26. Fourth quarter
WAS – Antonio Gibson 4-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Brian Johnson kick), 13:28. Football Team 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 6:24.
LV – Josh Jacobs 1-yard run (pass failed), 10:57. Football Team 14–12. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:31.
LV – Daniel Carlson 37-yard field goal, 2:22. Raiders 15–14. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 4:27.
WAS – Brian Johnson 48-yard field goal, 0:37. Football Team 17–15. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 1:45.
Top passers
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 23/30, 196 yards, 2 TD, INT
LV – Derek Carr – 28/38, 249 yards Top rushers
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 23 rushes, 88 yards
LV – Josh Jacobs – 13 rushes, 52 yards, TD Top receivers
WAS – Logan Thomas – 3 receptions, 48 yards, TD
LV – Hunter Renfrow – 9 receptions, 102 yards
Week 14: vs. Dallas Cowboys [ edit ] Washington vs. the Dallas Cowboys
Week 14: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Football Team – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Cowboys 18
6
3 0 27
Washington
0
0
8 12 20
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
Date : December 12Game time : 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : Sunny, 48 °F (9 °C)Game attendance : 61,308Referee : Alex KempTV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen and Pam OliverRecap , GameBook
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 38-yard field goal, 4:58. Cowboys 21–0. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:23.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 37-yard field goal, 0:15. Cowboys 24–0. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 1:59. Third quarter
WAS – Cam Sims 43-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Taylor Heinicke run), 6:57. Cowboys 24–8. Drive: 6 plays, 90 yards, 2:20.
DAL – Greg Zuerlein 29-yard field goal, 1:35. Cowboys 27–8. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 1:37. Fourth quarter
WAS – Jonathan Williams 1-yard run (pass failed), 5:09. Cowboys 27–14. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 4:15.
WAS – Cole Holcomb 31-yard interception return (kick blocked), 4:13. Cowboys 27–20.
Top passers
DAL – Dak Prescott – 22/39, 211 yards, TD, 2 INT
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 11/25, 122 yards, TD, INT Top rushers
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 12 rushes, 45 yards
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 10 rushes, 36 yards Top receivers
DAL – CeeDee Lamb – 7 receptions, 61 yards
WAS – Cam Sims – 3 receptions, 69 yards, TD
Week 15: at Philadelphia Eagles [ edit ] Washington vs. the Philadelphia Eagles
Week 15: Washington Football Team at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Washington
10
0
0 7 17
Eagles 0
10
10 7 27
at Lincoln Financial Field , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date : Game time : 7:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : Cloudy, 38 °F (3 °C)Game attendance : 69,796Referee : Tony CorrenteTV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura OkminRecap , Game Book
Game information
First quarter
WAS – Antonio Gibson 1-yard run (Brian Johnson kick), 8:15. Football Team 7–0 Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 3:14.
WAS – Brian Johnson 22-yard field goal, 2:47. Football Team 10–0 Drive: 5 plays, 49 yards, 1:38. Second quarter
PHI – Jake Elliott 20-yard field goal, 8:07. Football Team 10–3 Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:23.
PHI – Jalen Hurts 1-yard run (Jake Elliott kick), 1:29. Tied 10–10 Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 4:50. Third quarter
PHI – Jalen Hurts 1-yard run (Jake Elliott kick), 12:26. Eagles 17–10 Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:34.
PHI – Jake Elliott 37-yard field goal, 0:18. Eagles 20–10 Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 5:53. Fourth quarter
WAS – Jaret Patterson 1-yard run (Brian Johnson kick), 11:44. Eagles 20–17 Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:34.
PHI – Greg Ward 19-yard pass from Jalen Hurts (Jake Elliott kick), 7:46. Eagles 27–17 Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:58.
Top passers
WAS – Garrett Gilbert – 20/31, 194
PHI – Jalen Hurts – 20/26, 296 yards, TD, INT Top rushers
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 15 rushes, 26 yards, TD
PHI – Miles Sanders – 18 rushes, 131 yards Top receivers
Week 16: at Dallas Cowboys [ edit ] Washington vs. the Dallas Cowboys
Week 16: Washington Football Team at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Washington
0
7
0 7 14
Cowboys 21
21
7 7 56
at AT&T Stadium , Arlington, Texas
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
WAS – Antonio Gibson 8-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Joey Slye kick), 14:45. Cowboys 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:32.
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott 11-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 10:34. Cowboys 28–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:11.
DAL – Terence Steele 1-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Greg Zuerlein kick), 2:31. Cowboys 35–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:58.
DAL – Amari Cooper 13-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Greg Zuerlein kick), 0:05. Cowboys 42–7. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 1:37. Third quarter
DAL – Chauncey Golston blocked punt recovery in end zone (Greg Zuerlein kick), 6:06. Cowboys 49–7. Fourth quarter
DAL – Malik Turner 9-yard pass from Cooper Rush (Greg Zuerlein kick), 14:16. Cowboys 56–7. Drive: 5 plays, 79 yards, 2:59.
WAS – John Bates 13-yard pass from Kyle Allen (Joey Slye kick), 2:46. Cowboys 56–14. Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 7:02.
Top passers
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 7/22, 121 yards, TD, 2 INT
DAL – Dak Prescott – 28/39, 330 yards, 4 TD Top rushers
WAS – Jaret Patterson – 9 rushes, 33 yards
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 9 rushes, 37 yards, TD Top receivers
WAS – Dyami Brown – 2 receptions, 53 yards
DAL – Amari Cooper – 7 receptions, 85 yards, TD
Washington allowed their most points to the Cowboys in franchise history in giving up 56. The loss dropped Washington to 6–9.
Week 17: vs. Philadelphia Eagles [ edit ] Washington vs. the Philadelphia Eagles
Week 17: Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Football Team – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Eagles 0
7
7 6 20
Washington
10
6
0 0 16
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
Game information
First quarter
WAS – Jaret Patterson 11-yard run (Joey Slye kick), 11:54. Football Team 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 3:06.
WAS – Joey Slye 31-yard field goal, 2:00. Football Team 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:58. Second quarter
PHI – Boston Scott 2-yard run (Jake Elliott kick), 11:49. Football Team 10–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:11.
WAS – Joey Slye 39-yard field goal, 5:36. Football Team 13–7. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 6:13.
WAS – Joey Slye 55-yard field goal, 0:01. Football Team 16–7. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 2:05. Third quarter
PHI – Boston Scott 1-yard run (Jake Elliott kick), 7:21. Football Team 16–14. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:39. Fourth quarter
PHI – Jake Elliott 42-yard field goal, 11:41. Eagles 17–16. Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 4:08.
PHI – Jake Elliott 41-yard field goal, 2:21. Eagles 20–16. Drive: 10 plays, 28 yards, 5:10.
Top passers
Top rushers
PHI – Boston Scott – 14 rushes, 47 yards,2 TD
WAS – Jaret Patterson – 12 rushes, 57 yards, TD Top receivers
For the first time since 2019 and fourth time in five seasons, Washington was swept by the Eagles. Despite leading through three quarters, Washington could not withstand a second-half rally by Philadelphia, and a late rally of their own was snuffed out by a game ending interception. Washington was eliminated from playoff contention with the 20–16 loss.
Week 18: at New York Giants [ edit ] Washington vs. the New York Giants
Week 18: Washington Football Team at New York Giants – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Washington 3
3
6 10 22
Giants
0
0
0 7 7
at MetLife Stadium , East Rutherford, New Jersey
Date : January 9Game time : 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : Rain, 36 °F (2 °C)Game attendance : 69,923Referee : Adrian HillTV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Jen HaleRecap
Game information
First quarter
WAS – Joey Slye 23-yard field goal, 9:03. Football Team 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 5:57. Second quarter
WAS – Joey Slye 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Football Team 6–0. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 1:34. Third quarter
WAS – Bobby McCain 30-yard interception return (pass failed), 3:41. Football Team 12–0. Fourth quarter
NYG – Darius Slayton 22-yard pass from Jake Fromm (Graham Gano kick), 11:24. Football Team 12–7. Drive: 14 plays, 69 yards, 7:17.
WAS – Antonio Gibson 18-yard run (Joey Slye kick), 6:28. Football Team 19–7. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:56.
WAS – Joey Slye 23-yard field goal, 4:40. Football Team 22–7. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:40.
Top passers
WAS – Taylor Heinicke – 9/18, 120 yards
NYG – Jake Fromm – 15/31, 103 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers
WAS – Antonio Gibson – 21 rushes, 146 yards, TD
NYG – Jake Fromm – 5 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers
WAS – Terry McLaurin – 4 receptions, 93 yards
NYG – Darius Slayton – 2 receptions, 29 yards, TD
The game was the final for the team to be played as the Washington Football Team, as they rebranded as the Commanders in 2022. With the win, Washington swept the Giants for the first time since 2011. Their defense allowed 167 total yards in the win.
#
Team
Division
W
L
T
PCT
DIV
CONF
SOS
SOV
STK
Division winners
1[ a]
Green Bay Packers
North
13
4
0
.765
4–2
9–3
.479
.480
L1
2[ a]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
South
13
4
0
.765
4–2
8–4
.467
.443
W3
3[ b]
Dallas Cowboys
East
12
5
0
.706
6–0
10–2
.488
.431
W1
4[ b]
Los Angeles Rams
West
12
5
0
.706
3–3
8–4
.483
.409
L1
Wild cards
5
Arizona Cardinals
West
11
6
0
.647
4–2
7–5
.490
.492
L1
6
San Francisco 49ers
West
10
7
0
.588
2–4
7–5
.500
.438
W2
7[ c]
Philadelphia Eagles
East
9
8
0
.529
3–3
7–5
.469
.350
L1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[ c]
New Orleans Saints
South
9
8
0
.529
4–2
7–5
.512
.516
W2
9
Minnesota Vikings
North
8
9
0
.471
4–2
6–6
.507
.434
W1
10[ d]
Washington Football Team
East
7
10
0
.412
2–4
6–6
.529
.420
W1
11[ d] [ e]
Seattle Seahawks
West
7
10
0
.412
3–3
4–8
.519
.424
W2
12[ d] [ e]
Atlanta Falcons
South
7
10
0
.412
2–4
4–8
.472
.315
L2
13
Chicago Bears
North
6
11
0
.353
2–4
4–8
.524
.373
L1
14
Carolina Panthers
South
5
12
0
.294
2–4
3–9
.509
.412
L7
15
New York Giants
East
4
13
0
.235
1–5
3–9
.536
.485
L6
16
Detroit Lions
North
3
13
1
.206
2–4
3–9
.528
.627
W1
Tiebreakers [ f]
^ a b Green Bay finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on conference record (9–3 vs. 8–4).
^ a b Dallas finished ahead of LA Rams based on conference record (10–2 vs. 8–4).
^ a b Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
^ a b c Washington finished ahead of Atlanta and Seattle based on head-to-head victories.
^ a b Seattle finished ahead of Atlanta based on win percentage in common games (4–2 vs. 3–3 against: San Francisco, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Washington, and Detroit).
^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
^ Jhabvala, Nicki. "Washington overhauls front office, naming Martin Mayhew as GM, Marty Hurney as executive VP" . The Washington Post . Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021 . ^ DePrisco, Mike. "Black History Month: For Jason Wright, activism runs deep" . NBC Sports . Retrieved February 17, 2021 . ^ @ESPNStatsInfo (May 13, 2021). "Washington finishes the 2021 season with 5 straight games against the NFC East. They are the first team under the current division format (since 2002) and the first team since the 1995 Buccaneers to finish the season with 5 consecutive divisional games" (Tweet ) – via Twitter . ^ Lambert, Ivan (April 28, 2020). "Goodbye Trent" . Sports Illustrated Washington Football News, Analysis and More . Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2021 . ^ Fortier, Sam (September 1, 2020). "Washington acquires offensive tackle David Sharpe in trade with Raiders" . Washington Post . ISSN 0190-8286 . Retrieved January 28, 2021 . ^ Wolfe, Cameron (April 27, 2021). "Miami Dolphins trade OG Ereck Flowers back to Washington Football Team, sources say" . ESPN . Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021 . ^ Manning, Bryan (May 1, 2021). "Washington adds two more picks in 2021 NFL draft after trade with Eagles" . USA Today . Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021 .
Formerly the Boston Braves (1932), Boston Redskins (1933–1936), Washington Redskins (1937–2019), and Washington Football Team (2020–2021)
Based in Landover, Maryland
Headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia Franchise Stadiums Key personnel Culture and lore Rivalries Division championships (15) Conference championships (5) League championships (2) Super Bowl championships (3) Retired numbers Hall of Famers Affiliations
Formerly the Boston Braves (1932), Boston Redskins (1933–1936), Washington Redskins (1937–2019), and Washington Football Team (2020–2021)
