Five observations we learned about the Washington Commanders after the first preseason loss against the New England Patriots
We learned a lot about this team in the first four quarters of the season
The Washington Commanders didn’t start their preseason slate off on the best start with a 48-18 loss to the New England Patriots, but we got a good look at the depth of this team, and there were some highlights and a large handful of disappointments.
This is just the first preseason game, and the Commanders sat 30 players, so it’s not worth overreacting too, but these are storylines I’m watching in the next two games.
1. Special Teams is still very concerning, but one thing surprised me the most
The kicking situation has been a thorn in the side of Commanders fans for a while now, and last season was one of the more stressful seasons at the position. New kicker Matt Gay got off to a rough start and missed his first attempt wide left from 49 yards, but came back and made an expected kick from 37 yards. He started great in practice, but he has struggled badly lately. The Commanders need to figure this out before it’s too late again.
The one thing that surprised me was seeing one of the best special-teams tackling units in the league look awful. The Commanders had three players in the top five of special teams tackles, and six in the top thirteen, and you never would’ve guessed that in the first preseason game. Giving up a total of 187 kickoff return yards on only three returns, including the opening kickoff for a touchdown, is inexcusable. Special teams have to get better before the season starts.
2. The rookies showed a lot of promise
Every rookie from this year’s rookie class got to play their first NFL game, and I’m excited to see how they develop. Josh Conerly Jr got the start at right tackle, and he looked fast and physical in his first game. There was a screen off to the right, and he moved out into open space with ease. Trey Amos was locking down Mack Hollins on a fade to the end zone from Drake Maye, and also had a nice tackle at the line of scrimmage in space.
Jaylin Lane didn’t get any real looks on offense, but he had a couple of punt returns that he looked comfortable in, and hopefully, he gets more in the next two games. Kain Medrano looked physical, which I really wanted to see, and he stuck his nose in on some runs up the middle and shut it down. The star of the show, though, was Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who showed his speed and even strength on some impressive runs behind a backup offensive line. He had some nice receiving plays as well.
3. Depth at wide receiver is still a concern
One of my biggest concerns this offseason has been depth at wide receiver, and the first preseason game didn’t ease my worries at all. The passing game really couldn’t get going until later in the first half, and not a single receiver separated themselves from the others. Chris Moore had two bad drops that were good throws from Sam Hartman, who never really got comfortable.
Michael Gallup had only two catches on six targets, but it wasn’t all his fault. I want to see him get some time with the starters next week. K.J. Osborn had just two catches on five targets, and we didn’t get to see anything from Jaylin Lane and Luke McCaffrey. Somebody needs to step up, and no one did with Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, and Noah Brown not playing. Undrafted rookie Ja’Corey Brooks led the team with five catches for 59 yards.
4. A couple of second-year players stepped up
DT Johnny Newton looked really good from the start and even caused a sack fumble on Drake Maye. He looked like he was ready for the season to start already and brought the energy on every play. TE Ben Sinnott had a couple of nice catches, and he was open for more plays that Hartman missed. He should have a bigger role in the receiving game this season if he can continue to show he has reliable hands.
A lot of players who are starters didn’t play, but it was really encouraging to see those two make the most of their limited time on the field.
5. The Commanders just looked out of it
For a majority of the game, the Patriots had more energy and were the more physical team on the field in every phase of the ball. The Commanders never looked like they were in the game as a team, despite flashes from certain players. I was disappointed to see the backups and veterans not bringing the juice. Jeremy Reaves was one of the only players I saw flying around, and he laid the boom on a play that was called for a soft penalty. Other than that, they looked gassed, especially on defense.
The penalties were also a huge disappointment that Dan Quinn will have a lot to say about. The team finished with 13 penalties for 98 yards.
Luckily, this is only the first preseason game, so the team has time to build off of this and fix things and build off the positives. The Commanders were without 30 players for the game, so I was expecting bumps and issues, but I was still disappointed in a lot of the effort and execution. The team is expected to play more starters next week against the Cincinnati Bengals, so we should see a netter showing.