NFL
By: Courtney Byrd
The Washington Commanders are heading into their final week of the preseason with plenty to build on.
Saturday’s 17-13 game against the Detroit Lions gave us another look at a Commanders team that is still taking shape. The defense continued to make plays, several younger players took advantage of their opportunities, and some of the team’s closest roster battles became even more interesting.
And honestly, that’s what I’m paying attention to at this point in the preseason.
Wins are always nice, but August is also about seeing who can help this team once the games start to count. Washington came out of Detroit with encouraging performances on both sides of the ball, while also getting a clearer idea of the decisions still to be made before the final 53-man roster is set.
Athan Kaliakmanis continued to make the most of his opportunities at quarterback. Quan Martin found the ball again. The defense got after the quarterback with five sacks, and a few players fighting for roster spots gave the coaching staff something else to think about.
Now the attention shifts to Baltimore.
The Commanders will get a different kind of test this week with a joint practice against the Ravens before Friday night’s preseason finale. For the starters, it’s another chance to get meaningful work before Week 1. For everyone fighting for one of those final roster spots, there aren’t many opportunities left.
So, while Detroit gave us plenty to talk about, this week is really about what comes next. Who’s separating themselves? How will Washington handle its injuries and offensive line changes? And what can this team show us one more time before the preseason comes to an end?
What Stood Out in Detroit
Several individual performances against Detroit deserve attention, starting at quarterback.
Kaliakmanis finished the afternoon completing 11 of 14 passes for 162 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown, but he also didn’t turn the ball over or take a sack. What stood out more than the numbers was his willingness to push the ball downfield.
His 55-yard completion to Nick Nash was Washington’s longest offensive play of the game. Jaden Bradley also came down with a 30-yard reception, while Antonio Williams caught all three of his targets for 41 yards.
For a seventh-round rookie trying to find his place in an NFL quarterback room, those are the kinds of opportunities you must take advantage of.
Kaliakmanis is still competing with Sam Hartman for the third quarterback spot behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota. With Mariota dealing with an MCL sprain, that competition has become even more interesting heading into the final week.
Hartman had a solid afternoon of his own against Detroit, completing nine of 11 passes for 67 yards. But Kaliakmanis was able to create some of Washington’s biggest plays through the air.
I’m not going to make the QB3 competition bigger than it is, but Kaliakmanis has done exactly what you want to see from someone in his position: make the decision difficult.
On the other side of the ball, Washington’s defense gave us even more to like.
The Commanders finished with five sacks, nine tackles for loss and seven quarterback hits. Maurice Hurst II had two sacks and two tackles for loss, while Amik Robertson, Javontae Jean-Baptiste and T.J. Maguranyanga also got to the quarterback.
Quan Martin added an interception, giving him a pick in each of Washington’s first two preseason games.
Martin is one player I’m interested in seeing more from this season. Dan Quinn has talked about the increased intensity and urgency he’s seen from him, and so far, Martin has been around the football when he’s gotten his opportunities.
Obviously, it’s still preseason. Everything must be put into perspective.
But pressure and takeaways are exactly what you want to see from a defense in August. If Washington can carry some of that into the regular season, then what we’ve seen over these first few weeks becomes a lot more meaningful.
Protecting Jayden
If there is one area I’m watching closely as Week 1 gets closer, it’s the offensive line.
Washington has already had to make some adjustments up front after losing Laremy Tunsil to a torn triceps. Tunsil was expected to protect Daniels’ blind side, so losing a veteran tackle of his caliber before the regular season was always going to force the Commanders to make changes.
Brandon Coleman has since moved from competing at left guard to working at left tackle.
Washington also added another veteran option this week in D.J. Humphries.
Humphries brings more than 100 career starts and gives Washington some experience at a position where the team suddenly needs it. At this point in the preseason, adding someone with that much NFL experience could be important, especially while the Commanders continue figuring out what their best combination will look like.
And left tackle isn’t the only position worth watching.
Starting center Nick Allegretti has been dealing with a calf injury, which has opened the door for Washington to evaluate Julian Good-Jones and rookie Matt Gulbin.
There is still time to get everything settled, but protecting Daniels must be one of Washington’s biggest priorities.
We already know what Daniels can do when he’s comfortable. We’ve seen what his ability as both a passer and runner can bring to this offense. The last thing Washington wants is constant changes up front that keep him from playing his game.
That’s why I’ll probably be watching the offensive line just as much as I’m watching Daniels when the starters get their work against Baltimore.
The preseason is about evaluation, but when you have your franchise quarterback, some evaluations matter a little more than others.
Roster Spots Are Still Up for Grabs
This is probably the most interesting part of the final preseason week.
Most of Washington’s roster is already starting to take shape. We know the stars and know most of the starters. We have a pretty good idea of which players will have significant roles once the regular season begins.
It’s those last few spots where things get interesting.
Wide receiver is a good example.
Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs sit at the top of the room, and Luke McCaffrey, Antonio Williams, and Jaylin Lane have all put themselves in good positions during camp.
After that, Washington has some decisions to make.
Treylon Burks and Dyami Brown have both gotten opportunities with the first-team offense. Bradley is another name who continues to make things interesting.
His numbers against Detroit weren’t huge. He had two catches, but those two receptions went for 42 yards, including the 30-yard grab from Kaliakmanis.
At this stage of the preseason, sometimes that’s all it takes to keep your name in the conversation.
The difficult part is that Washington can’t keep everybody.
And for the players sitting near the bottom of the depth chart, making this team will require more than catching a few passes or making one good defensive play.
Quinn has kept emphasizing special teams when discussing the final roster spots. That means versatility matters. If two players are close at their main position, the player who can also contribute on special teams could give himself the advantage.
That’s something to keep in mind Friday night.
Instead of only watching where the football goes, pay attention to who is covering kicks, blocking, tackling, and finding ways to contribute when they aren’t getting offensive or defensive snaps.
Those plays don’t always make the highlights, but they could decide who is still wearing burgundy and gold when the regular season begins.
The Injury Picture
Washington has also had to navigate its share of injuries throughout camp.
Tunsil’s injury is obviously one of the biggest because of what his absence means for the offensive line. Mariota’s knee injury has brought more attention to the quarterbacks behind him, and Allegretti’s calf has created another competition at center.
The defense has been dealing with injuries, too.
Jer’Zhan Newton underwent surgery after suffering a torn pectoral, while players including Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Jordan Magee and Trey Amos have also dealt with injuries during camp.
But there’s also some encouraging news.
Tim Settle, Rachaad White and Dorance Armstrong have returned to practice after missing time, giving Washington some players back as the team gets closer to Week 1.
Injuries are always going to be part of an NFL season. No team gets through 17 games completely healthy.
What matters now is how Washington responds.
The injuries have forced some younger players and backups into bigger roles than they might have expected at this point. While that isn’t how the Commanders would’ve drawn it up, those extra reps could help the team later in the season.
Depth isn’t always something you think about until you need it.
Washington is getting an early look at just how much of it the team has.
One More Look Against Baltimore
Now, all eyes turn to Baltimore.
Washington will get two opportunities to work against the Ravens this week, beginning with Wednesday’s joint practice before the teams meet Friday night again at M&T Bank Stadium.
And the joint practice might be the more important day for some of Washington’s starters.
Quinn has talked about the value of creating specific situations during joint practices. Instead of waiting for something to happen naturally during a game, coaches can put their players into situations they specifically want to evaluate.
That’s important for Washington right now.
For Daniels and the offense, it’s another opportunity to get quality reps against someone other than their own teammates.
For the offensive line, it’s a chance to continue building chemistry while Washington works through its changes up front.
And for the defense, it’s another opportunity to see whether the pressure and takeaways we’ve seen throughout the preseason continue against a different opponent.
That’s what I want to see.
I’m not really concerned with Washington trying to prove something by winning a preseason game. I want to see what will carry over into September. Can:
The offensive line give Daniels time?
Washington establish more on the ground after rushing for only 35 yards against Detroit?
The defense continue to get to the quarterback?
Martin continue putting himself around the football?
And which players are going to make one final push for a roster spot?
Friday night should be more about that last question.
The players on the roster bubble are running out of opportunities. One catch, one sack, one special teams tackle, or even one mistake can carry more weight when the coaching staff makes its final decisions.
That’s what makes the last preseason game worth watching, not the final score—the players. Then the Real Football Starts. By the end of the weekend, the picture should be much clearer.
Washington must trim its roster to 53 players, meaning some of the competitions we’ve watched throughout training camp will finally have an answer.
We’ll know more about the quarterback room, which receivers made enough of an impression, what Washington wants to do along the offensive line, and which younger players the coaching staff believes can help this team during the season.
And then the focus completely changes.
Plenty of encouraging moments have come up throughout the preseason. Washington’s defense has shown it can create pressure and force turnovers. Young players have stepped up when given opportunities, and some of the roster competitions have brought out performances that weren’t necessarily expected when camp started.
There are still things Washington must figure out, but that’s what this time of year is for.
The Commanders don’t need to leave Baltimore with a perfect performance Friday night.
They need to leave Baltimore knowing a little more about themselves than they did when they arrived.
For the starters, that means getting the work they need and coming out healthy. For the players fighting for a roster spot, it means making one last impression.
And for everyone watching, it’s one final chance to see what this version of the Commanders could look like before the preseason ends, and the games finally start to count.
