Initial Thoughts from the Commanders vs. Ravens

The Washington Commanders fell to the Baltimore Ravens, 17-15 in their final preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium.

The team concludes their offseason schedule with a record of 0-3, but in the grand scheme of the season, this is largely irrelevant. What can be deduced from these exhibition games is the “stock” of players, many of whom are trying to make the roster.

Yesterday’s performance displayed positive signs from the offense, who seem to find life with quarterback Sam Howell under center. The team appeared to move the ball down the field at will, although they struggled to cash in on the endzone.

Some concerning trends persisted from the defense, with three plays of over 50 yards surrendered by the secondary.

We will highlight the good and the bad performances from yesterday’s matchup below. Let’s get it started.

 The Good 

• As I mentioned in the lede,  the passing offense was very effective under the direction of Howell, who threw the ball for 280 yards and a touchdown. In addition to his decisive passing, the UNC product proved to be elusive in the pocket and created on his own. He ran the ball eight times for 62 yards, mostly while evading pressure. Altogether, Howell accumulated 342 yards of offense in his first professional start. He has proven to be a late-round gem as a fifth round selection.
• Running back Jarret Patterson made the most of his opportunities yesterday, generating 47 yards from 11 carries (4.3 avg). He also hauled in all four of his targets, and added 45 yards in the air (11.3 avg). He made a strong case for himself to make the team. Although he may face an uphill battle, I appreciate his shiftiness in the open field, and contact balance. The team can do much worse than have him as RB4.
• Wide receiver Dax Milne should make the roster as the team’s sixth wide receiver. He was sure-handed in yesterday’s game, bringing in all four of his targets. I like him as a slot WR who can win quick. He had three catches in the first quarter, before giving way to Marken Michel later in the game.
• Altogether, the first offensive unit was efficient and sharp. Operationally, they were in and out of the huddle, and seemed to be a step ahead of the Ravens’ defense. At the end of the first quarter, the 1st team held the ball for nearly 12 minutes, putting up 110 yards.
• Conversely, the Commanders’ defense showed up as well. Through most of the first half, the Ravens had zero rushing yards, and no first downs.
• Daniel Wise continued his strong offseason, by proving he’s an all-around defensive tackle. He flashed in run support and breaking the pocket in passing situations. I think he is a shoo-in to make the roster.
• I also liked what I saw from Jamin Davis’ limited time on the field. He had an excellent tackle for loss in the first quarter, where he had backside pursuit. He ran down the line and wrangled the Ravens’ running back on second down. This forced Baltimore to have a long third down the next play, and they did not convert.
• Health. The team ended the offseason in relative good health, and that’s really all you can ask for.

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 The Bad

• Although the defensive line shined yesterday, the secondary did the complete the opposite. They surrendered three pass plays of over 50 yards. Many of which came off of double moves or sluggos (a route combination of a slant and going vertical).
• One major culprit was Danny Johnson, who surrendered a 67-yard touchdown to Demarcus Robinson (see above). The fifth-year veteran has struggled most of the preseason, and was identified as a negative factor in my Carolina Panthers write-up a few weeks ago. Johnson got caught cheating a slant route on Robinson, and was easily ran past in the second quarter. That touchdown flipped the game’s momentum, and the Commanders trailed for the remainder of the game.
• Center Jon Toth had a couple of procedural penalties and the offensive line suffered two false starts as a result. Granted, Toth is a new addition, and is unlikely to make the team. Yet, his false start on third and goal at the one yard in the third quarter may have cost the team the game.
• Speaking of which, the second half of the game became sloppy for the Commanders as they began to accrue penalties. These mental errors halted drives, and took points off the board.
• Wide Receiver Dyami Brown had two crucial drops early in the game. One of which could have been a touchdown. Both tosses were accurately thrown by Howell, and the receiver should have hauled them in. This performance epitomizes Brown’s offseason, which has been lackluster and lacking plays of note.
• Joey Slye missed his second field goal of the offseason in the first quarter. A concern considering the team has only played three games.

Notes

The Washington Commanders are now done for the offseason, and will play their first regular season game, at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The game will be at 1pm on FOX on September 11th.

Washington will also make final roster selections by Tuesday, August 30th at 4pm. The roster will be trimmed to 53 players. Sixteen practice squad players will also be selected, but these additional players can’t be chosen until August 31st, after they clear waivers.