Dan Quinn provided an unfortunate update for the Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens matchup that nobody wanted to hear
Commanders fans will be disappointed to hear the news
The Washington Commanders are taking on the Cincinnati Bengals in their next preseason game on Monday night, and then their attention turns to another AFC North opponent in the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens were set to come to Ashburn, Virginia, on Aug. 21, but we received an update this morning that nobody wanted to hear.
One less opportunity to compete
Commanders HC Dan Quinn spoke to the media Thursday morning and informed everyone that the Commanders and Ravens have mutually agreed to call off the joint practice that was scheduled for next week, leaving the team one less opportunity to compete against another team.
“Sometimes just schedules don’t sync up as it hits,” Quinn told the media. “I was visiting with John (Harbaugh) last night. . .We’re bummed. We got a lot of respect for them, and we’re looking forward to them.”
This is obviously unfortunate news for a team that needs to get back on track after a poor showing in the first preseason game against the New England Patriots. The joint practices can get chippy, like they have in the past between the two teams, but it’s also an opportunity to face a different opponent and see unique looks and adjust to what needs to be fixed.
The move to cancel the joint practice made sense for both teams, though. The Commanders play the Bengals on Monday night at home and would then have to turn around and conduct a physical joint practice with the Ravens just three days later. The teams would then have their preseason game earlier in the day on Saturday, so there’s not much time to heal and rest, which isn’t ideal before the season starts.
The Ravens are traveling to the Dallas Cowboys this weekend, and would have the same turnaround time as the Commanders with extra travel time added. Both teams are currently dealing with injuries, and it’s a tough yet smart decision for both teams as they prepare for the season.
The Commanders are missing out on another opportunity to compete, but we still get to see two more preseason games, and canceling practice could be better for the team’s health in the long run. There are a lot of depth players that will miss out on a chance to shine against the Ravens, but this just makes the preseason snaps even more valuable for deciding who makes the team.
This should push the team to use the starters more on Monday night against the Bengals, as well, so they can get more live game reps together without any hiccups.