The Washington Commanders were dominated from start to finish in Friday’s preseason opener against the New England Patriots. Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson kicked off the game with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and the rout was on. The Patriots would take a 20-0 lead and walk away with an easy 48-18 victory.
While the score is concerning, it’s only a preseason game — the first preseason game. The Commanders also sat 30 players, including Jayden Daniels, Bobby Wagner, Laremy Tunsil and almost every projected starter. Sam Hartman started at quarterback for Washington before he was relieved by veteran Josh Johnson.
Is there anything to be concerned about? Were there any bright spots? Here are seven takeaways from the Commanders’ preseason-opening loss to the Patriots.
One big play can happen on special teams at any given time. Unfortunately for the Commanders, it happened twice during Friday’s game. While Henderson ran a kickoff back 100 yards for the touchdown, former Washington running back Antonio Gibson helped set up another score when he ran one back 62 yards and into the Commanders’ territory.
Washington’s special teams were good last season, especially the coverage units. Keep in mind, some of the players on kickoff coverage Friday will not be with the team when the season begins. So, while it’s easy to look at this group and be concerned heading into the season, relax. Last season’s group remains mostly intact. Jeremy Reaves, Colson Yankoff, Tyler Owens, Nick Bellore and the crew will be on the field against the Giants in Week 1.
Now, if this happens again in one of the next two preseason games, it is time to worry a little.
When Washington signed former Pro Bowl kicker Matt Gay this offseason, the Commanders thought they solved the position. Gay has looked mostly good in training camp, although he had a tough stretch recently. In the first half against the Patriots, Gay lined up for a 49-yard field goal and missed it. While he later connected on a 37-yard attempt, Washington fans immediately started thinking, “Here we go again.”
There’s no reason to panic — yet. Do we sense a theme here? Gay needs to finish the preseason strong. Unless he goes out there and misses every kick, the Commanders are going to stick with him for a while. But it was not a good sign that he missed his first kick in the burgundy and gold.
It was a tough day for Hartman. He completed nine of 19 passes for 64 yards with an interception. The interception wasn’t a great decision, and he didn’t have enough velocity on the ball. Every NFL quarterback must be able to make these types of throws. Earlier this week, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury didn’t exactly sound enthused with Hartman’s progress, saying he’s had an up-and-down camp. Nothing was going right around Hartman either. However, when veteran Josh Johnson entered the game, the offense was able to move the ball down the field.
Hartman was a phenomenal college quarterback. He may not have the tools to stick long in the NFL. With Marcus Mariota still sidelined, there’s a good chance that Washington will keep a third quarterback. Right now, Johnson holds the advantage. Hartman needs to finish the preseason on a strong note.
Deebo Samuel was one of the players Washington sat. What else do they need to see from Deebo? And, of course, the Commanders were without star wideout Terry McLaurin and No. 3 receiver Noah Brown. While that sounds daunting, it is just the preseason. And when veterans sit, it creates opportunities for others. From minicamp through training camp, Chris Moore is a name we’ve heard a lot. Moore likely entered the game in the lead for one of the final receiver spots, but struggled against New England. He had two drops, including one strike from Hartman that would’ve kept a drive alive.
Undrafted rookie Ja’Corey Brooks had a good game, but he needs to finish the preseason strong to have a chance at making the team. The Commanders badly need Luke McCaffrey and/or rookie Jaylin Lane to step up and assume a more significant role.
Every time a Washington receiver struggles, it’s more evident how much the Commanders miss McLaurin. Sure, Washington misses McLaurin and wants him back on the field, but in no way does it give him leverage. However, as the old saying goes, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” That’s clearly what McLaurin is banking on right now. When the Commanders’ offense struggles, particularly the wide receivers, the more the public takes McLaurin’s side. While that may mean nothing to Washington’s leadership, the Commanders must be careful about losing any of the goodwill they’ve built since Josh Harris bought the team two years ago. McLaurin is beloved. Fans want to see players like him taken care of.
The overall performance of Washington’s receivers in the preseason opener should have McLaurin excited. He’s not the type of person to celebrate anyone’s struggles, but privately hopes the team understands his importance on the field.
Preseason is about development. You want to see your young players get more reps and improve with those reps. That’s exactly what we saw from second-year defensive tackle Johnny Newton and rookie cornerback Trey Amos. Those two specifically were excellent against the Patriots. Amos had excellent coverage on a deep ball in the first half that forced an incompletion. On the same drive, he stopped a New England runner in the backfield. A really good sequence for Amos. Newton had a strip-sack of Drake Maye and was also active on other plays, too. A very encouraging sign for these two critical players.
Washington was called for 13 penalties for 98 yards. That’s terrible. Head coach Dan Quinn expressed his disgust with the penalties after the game, taking the blame. The Commanders were a disciplined team last year, for the most part. Perhaps this performance was more a result of so many key players being out. When you add in all three phases (offense, defense, special teams) and then look at the penalties, you see why the score was 48-18.