If there was a way to sum up the Washington Commanders' preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens, it would be with the messaging head coach Dan Quinn has preached throughout camp: there were some positive moments, but the team still has some work to do before Week 1.
It was the final opportunity for the bottom of the Commanders' roster to make their best case to make the roster, and some of the players may have strengthened their resumes. Tight end Colson Yankoff had the longest play of the day with a 52-yard catch and run. Tyler Owens had an impressive pass breakup near the end of the first half, as did Antonio Hamilton in the third quarter.
But as the clocked wound down on the Commanders' 30-3 loss to the Ravens, it was clear they still needed to make some improvements, particularly in terms of whoever rounds out the initial 53-man roster, before they return to Northwest Stadium for their season opener against the New York Giants.
"We got beat in all three phases," head coach Dan Quinn said after the game.
Most of the Commanders' starters and key players on both sides of the field were ruled out before kickoff, as has become the norm for the final preseason game. As a result, Sam Hartman started in the finale with offensive linemen trying to either make the second group or practice squad and receivers hoping to earn the sixth spot on the depth chart.
Yankoff's 52-yard reception, which lead to Washington's only points on the day, was the lone bright spot for the afternoon, as the offense, led by Hartman and Josh Johnson both struggled. The two quarterbacks combined for four turnovers, one of which was returned for a touchdown. The pick, thrown by Hartman, was the second interception from the quarterback in the final minutes of the first half.
Washington's defense, also without most of its key players minus Trey Amos, did manage to stall the Ravens in the second half, but it wasn't until the second quarter that the unit managed to stifle Baltimore's ground game, which put up 102 yards on 34 carries. They ran the ball on 13 of their first 14 plays, resulting in a one-yard touchdown by Rasheen Ali.
Later in the first quarter, following a missed 53-yard field goal by Matt Gay, it was D'Ernest Johnson's turn to get in the end zone. The Ravens moved to the Commanders' 1-yard line in six plays, allowing Johnson to run in the one-yard score.
Washington's lone points of the game -- a 47-yard kick by Gay -- was sandwiched between frustrating drives from the offense. Hartman threw his first interception of the day on a pass intended for KJ Osborn that was tipped at the line of scrimmage; Demetric Felton went backwards on a fourth-down run; Hartman's second interception turned into points for the Ravens with less than two minutes left; and Hartman fumbled the ball while scrambling to avoid pressure.
The fumble gave the Ravens enough time to tack on another field goal at halftime, making the score 27-3.
Things slowed down for both teams as they began rotating in their fourth- and fifth-string options in the second half. The most exciting play for the rest of the afternoon came off a 61-yard field goal from Tyler Loop. The Commanders' best chance at getting in the end zone ended in disappointment, as Johnson's pass to Tay Martin was picked off in the end zone by Thomas Graham Jr.
"This is a challenging time for us," Quinn said. "You have to make difficult decisions."
