The Washington Commanders closed out the 2026 preseason on Friday night with a 41-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and there’s no way to sugarcoat it.

Washington’s 2s and 3s got dominated in every phase against Baltimore’s reserves, raising real questions about roster depth heading into a brutal early-season schedule. The Commanders managed just 3 points, gave up 195 rushing yards & 261 passing yards, and looked outclassed from the opening quarter.

But before anyone spirals into calling for jobs, some context is needed: This was a preseason game. The starters didn’t play. And the regular season opener against Philadelphia is what actually matters.

The real problem nobody’s talking about

Everyone’s worried about the offensive line. The O-line actually did decently, giving up 3 sacks & running for 75 yards. That’s an improvement from the previous game.

But here’s the point: nobody is saying a word about the defensive line. Washington loaded up on big interior defensive tackles who are supposed to stop the run, and the Ravens ran for 195 yards & two touchdowns anyway. The death of the true defensive end on some of these NFL rosters is killing these teams. Organizations are terrified to have anybody under 300 pounds who can’t cover in the pass game, and then they wonder why they get run over. These offensive linemen across the league have gotten more athletic. They get to the second level. Drafting linebackers constantly without investing in an edge rusher is a problem.

The consolation awards

There weren’t many bright spots, but a few players forced conversations.

Athan Kaliakmanis should have the QB3 job. Sam Hartman had plenty of opportunities to prove he deserved to keep that spot. He’s been in the system, he’s been in the NFL, and he couldn’t score a point in a preseason game. Kaliakmanis is a rookie seeing his first taste of the league, and as far as the scoreboard is concerned, they both produced the same amount of points.

Give the job to the rookie. Hartman held a clean pocket for 5 seconds and took a sack. That was the moment it was over for him. The writing was on the wall after Game 2, and Friday confirmed it.

It’s heartbreaking to lose a guy who by all accounts is a good dude trying to learn & get better every day. But this is quarterback in the NFL. You have to be better.

On defense, a few names stood out. Ale Kaho looked like a player who belongs. He showed up, put in effort, and tackled well. Car’lin Vigers hustled enough to save a touchdown on a chase-down play. Washington is always susceptible to falling in love with a player who runs down a fast ball carrier, and Vigers earned that moment.

Byron Cowart also made a case for himself in a defensive line room full of heavy defensive tackles who somehow gave up 195 rushing yards. He was one of the few to actually get backfield penetration.

The 62-yard field goal decision

One coaching decision from the first quarter stood out. On 4th-and-2, after Kaytron Allen got wrapped up on a solid tackle, Dan Quinn & company decided to attempt a 62-yard field goal. In a preseason game.

Why not show you can convert a 4th-and-short? What else is the preseason for? Fourth and short is a strength competition. It’s a board drill. An offensive lineman and a defensive lineman line up with minimal separation, they collide, and the low man wins, the stronger man wins, the hungrier man wins. Kicking from 62 in that spot told the world nothing useful about this football team.

The path forward

To quote Notre Dame legend Michael DeBonis on the broadcast: This was humiliating.

It was. But here’s how Washington stays alive. The first 3 games are a nightmare: Philadelphia, Dallas, Seattle. If Washington comes out of that stretch at 1-2, they still have life.

Indianapolis the following week is a bad team. The New York Giants are a bad team. San Francisco on Monday Night Football could be sneaky bad with all their injuries. Washington could sit at 3-3 going into the bye week. After the bye, the schedule opens up with Arizona, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Cincinnati, the Giants again, and Atlanta. There’s plenty of opportunity to stay in the hunt for that final wild card spot.

The goal is simple: make it to the bye week at .500. Take some lumps but find a rhythm. Get to Thanksgiving hanging tough. Then let the chips fall.

This is a competitive football team with a healthy starting lineup. Jayden Daniels has earned that confidence. Quinn has earned that confidence. David Blough has potential as an offensive coordinator. Washington has serious roster holes, but if you’ve got a quarterback, you’re in it. They should still sign Taylor Decker. The best left tackle free agent is still sitting out there, and losing your All-Pro starter to a torn triceps makes this a necessity regardless of cost.

It was an ugly game on Friday night. But the season hasn’t started yet and we’re not even close to making any final judgments.