The Washington Commanders wrapped up the preseason with a 41-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Here are five takeaways from the evening.
1. A slow start defensively.
The Ravens got off and running to start the night, as four of their first five drives ended with points on the board. Tyler Huntley was only on the field for one drive, but he made the most of his snaps, covering 69 yards in eight plays. He connected with wide receiver Chris Moore twice, including a 25-yard touchdown pass that was originally called an incomplete pass on the field.
Joe Fagnano took over from there, and the rookie from UConn moved the Ravens down the field methodically for the rest of the half. He led the unit to two touchdown drives, one of which came on a third-and-8 to cap off a 91-yard possession and completed 17 of 24 attempts for 145 yards.
By the end of the first half, the Commanders had allowed the Ravens to convert four of their eight third-down attempts and rack up 274 yards. The Commanders had 41 players sitting out, but there was much to be desired from the group fighting for roster spots.
2. Offensive struggles.
The offense ran into issues of its own against the Ravens, and it started on the first play. Kaytron Allen fumbled the ball and gave possession back to Baltimore, setting up a 30-yard score seven plays later.
While the Ravens' offense was moving the ball well, the Commanders had issues staying on the field. They had three three-and-outs in the first two quarters, contributing to a performance that produced just 60 yards and one first down.
The closest the Commanders got to scoring points in the first half came when they sent Drew Stevens out for a 62-yard attempt to test the rookie kicker's leg strength. It had the distance but not the accuracy, as it hooked wide right.
3. A few standouts.
Despite the issues on both sides of the ball, there were a few bright spots from players looking to get on the roster.
The first was safety Tyler Owens, who is known more as a special teams contributor but has been trying to show his value as a traditional safety. Owens plays with physicality, and he showed that off with a hit on Adam Randall near the goal line to force a second down. He also took down Rasheen Ali for a two-yard gain in the second quarter.
On offense, wide receiver Luke McCaffrey and Van Jefferson -- two players trying to make the case for the Commanders to keep seven wideouts on the roster -- each had a 17-yard pickup. McCaffrey's was the more difficult of the two, as it was thrown behind him and into traffic. McCaffrey still made the catch, though, resulting in Washington's lone first down of the first half. Jefferson's was also made in traffic, and it helped the Commanders regain 15 yards lost from penalties.
4. The quarterback battle.
The quarterback battle between Athan Kaliakmanis and Sam Hartman was one of the top storylines for the Commanders heading into the preseason finale. Each player got a half under center, providing the coaches with some final bits of film to determine whether they need to keep three players at the position on the active roster.
The offense didn't have much success with either player in the game, but each quarterback had positive moments. Kaliakmanis had the more impressive throws, as he was the one who completed the 17-yard passes to McCaffrey and Jefferson. Hartman, meanwhile, showed off his ability to escape the pocket and create more time for his receivers to get open.
It's important to remember that the Commanders will take the entirety of training camp and the preseason into account before making their decision at the position. Both players have had their moments in practice and games. Either way, there's a chance the Commanders can keep both players in the room, as whoever doesn't earn the final roster spot could end up on the practice squad.
5. Big decisions on the horizon.
After a month of evaluations, the Commanders are done with the preseason. All of the focus now shifts to their Week 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, and some important decisions are on the horizon as they try to field the best roster possible.
Fortunately, fans don't need to wait long to get answers. Roster cuts are due at 4 p.m. on Aug. 30. Many of the roster spots are already set, but some position groups have been more difficult than others. They need to decide how many receivers they keep and what to do about the depth at offensive line. On defense, it seems like the safety position is clearer after the release of Will Harris, but which players at the bottom of the linebacker and defensive line depth charts will be a challenging decision because of the talent that exists at both positions.
And there will likely be movement after the roster is finalized. The team has still not put players like Laremy Tunsil and Jer'Zhan Newton, both of whom suffered injuries that will force them to miss extended time, on Injured Reserve. There's also a chance that the Commanders will want to pick up players released by other teams. So, it will be important for fans to keep their notifications turned on over the next few days.
