Commanders preseason opener: Who impressed and who fell short
Sloppy. Inefficient. Overmatched. The Commanders were all of that in their 48-18 loss to the Patriots to open the preseason on Friday, appearing more like Washington’s 2023 squad and nothing like the prolific, well-coached group of last season.
If this were a regular-season game, the mistakes — 13 penalties, multiple dropped passes, two turnovers, blown defensive assignments, missed tackles and disastrous special teams — could’ve been season-altering. In a preseason game centered on evaluations, a more nuanced view is warranted.
But, man, does it eat at Dan Quinn.
“If you get your ass kicked and we’re in the fight the whole time, I can live with that,” the Commanders’ head coach told reporters after the loss. “… I can live almost with any result when you put it all in and do it right, but when it’s sloppy and not to the standards, man, that burns my ass.”
Coordinator Larry Izzo is a stickler for details, which was apparent as he developed the team’s strategy for the NFL’s new dynamic kickoff rule last season. The Commanders were the most aggressive team with the new rule, placing 60 percent of their kicks in the landing zone, leading to a league-high 73 return attempts by opponents.
On Friday, the unit’s only consistency was making errors.
Washington’s opening kickoff was returned 100 yards for a touchdown by rookie back TreVeyon Henderson. Former Washington back Antonio Gibson returned another kickoff 62 yards and undrafted rookie Lan Larison tacked on a 25-yard return. That’s three kickoff returns for 187 yards and a touchdown.
Then there were the penalties. Three of the Commanders’ 13 penalties were on special teams; Tyler Owens and Jeremy Reaves were each flagged for illegal blocks above the waist on kick returns, and the team was later penalized for an illegal formation on a kick.
And the icing: Kicker Matt Gay missed his first field-goal attempt of the night, from 49 yards. The ball sailed wide left.
“That’s one of the phases that we really emphasize,” Quinn said of the special teams. “… So to have a performance where it didn’t go our way, it can be confusing, can be surprising, all those emotions. … That was not indicative of who we want to be on special teams for sure.”
The competition for the QB3 job has so far been a disappointment. Johnson has the clear edge; he has 45 career games to Hartman’s zero, and it shows.
Neither impressed on Friday, but Hartman was the obvious lesser quarterback, finishing 9-of-19 for 64 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception and a 33.7 passer rating. Johnson went 15-of-22 for 173 yards, a pick, one touchdown and an 87.9 rating.
2025 NFL preseason, Week 1: What We Learned from Friday’s tripleheader
Amos stands out on ugly night for Commanders. The large majority of Washington’s starters didn’t see the field, but rookie second-round cornerback Trey Amos did and he came away as a bright spot on an otherwise dreary night for the Commanders. Amos played nary 13 snaps, but he was staunch in the running game and a blanket in coverage. He was targeted just once, gave up no receptions, made two tackles and a run stuff. Overall, Friday might serve as a concern for the Commanders’ depth as they were shellacked in all three phases of football. It’s Week 1 of the preseason, though, so there’s plenty of room for improvement and excitement to build for Amos.
Jaylin Lane was anonymous in Commanders’ preseason opener against the Patriots
Lane had an impressive offseason, showcasing his skills throughout training camp. The wideout put himself in a position to not only handily make Washington’s roster, but to potentially compete for a significant role given the uncertain availability of both McLaurin and Noah Brown.
Yet in the Commanders’ preseason opener versus the Patriots, he was barely visible. The rookie was held without a catch on only one target, a badly overthrown ball from Sam Hartman. He returned two punts for a total of five yards.
Of course, this could all be for the best possible reason. It could solidify Lane as a player whom Washington didn’t view as necessary to have on the field. After all, they rested 30 players who’ll make the squad.
Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury didn’t seem intent on getting any of their top receiving weapons involved, with offseason trade addition Deebo Samuel Sr. getting the night off, and McCaffrey also playing sparingly due to illness.
Largely, it was Washington’s veteran camp bodies who saw most of the early targets — Chris Moore, Michael Gallup, and K.J. Osborn. None of them did much to improve their stock, which should only make Lane’s role all the more secure.
In the second half, it was the undrafted free agents such as Brooks, Tay Martin, Jacoby Jones, and Braylon Sanders who took center stage. Josh Johnson was able to get his weapons involved better than Hartman did before the intermission. Still, no one stood out as a threat to Lane’s spot on the depth chart.
It would have been nice to see Lane make a grab or two, but on the bright side, he’ll have plenty more opportunities. Fans will just have to wait until next week to see what the rookie is made of.
3 winners (and 4 losers) from Commanders’ preseason disaster at the Patriots
Eddie Goldman – Commanders DL
The Commanders worked hard to improve the defensive trenches this offseason. Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw didn’t suit up against the Patriots, so all eyes were on Eddie Goldman to see how he’d cope with increased responsibilities on his shoulders.
Goldman has missed a lot of football over the last few years. He opted out of the COVID season and retired one season after returning. The interior lineman came back with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, and those in power believe he could offer a run-stopping presence on the defensive front with a smooth transition to a different environment.
Based on this showing, that might not be so clear-cut. Goldman struggled to gain leverage off the snap. There wasn’t much to encourage regarding his ability to push the pile or provide a solid base. The veteran wasn’t alone in underperforming, but the need to impress was great.
In an ideal world, Goldman won’t be on the field all that much in 2025. The Commanders have Payne and Kinlaw to pick up the slack. Johnny Newton also offers a pass-rushing presence, although his credentials against the run leave a lot to be desired. That makes the free-agent signing a depth piece at best, but his roster spot could be in jeopardy if he cannot pick things up.
Moore dropped two makeable targets relatively early in the contest. That was enough for offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to look elsewhere for the rest of the game. Once a player loses that trust, it’s difficult to get back.
What the future holds for Moore is unclear. The competition for receiver places is fierce, and he was always pretty far down the list. There was no margin for error, so it seems like he’s now fighting a losing battle.
Instant analysis | Commanders fall to Patriots in preseason opener
For every positive play the Commanders made, there was a mistake that undermined it. The offense didn’t get a first down until their third possession, which ended in an interception. Jer’Zhan Newton forced a sack-fumble that set up the Commanders deep in Patriots territory, but Matt Gay’s kick was wide left.
With 30 Commanders players, most of whom were starters, ruled out for the game, it was an opportunity for their draft picks and depth players to earn a roster spot. By the end of the 48-18 loss, the biggest takeaway from the night was that they still have room to grow and plenty to work on before the regular season.
“We have high standards,” head coach Dan Quinn said after the game. “And tonight, we missed them. We missed them by a lot.”
The rushing defense, which was a problem last season, was an issue again in New England, as the Patriots combined for 156 yards on 31 carries. Drake Maye, who left after the first offensive drive for the Patriots, finished the night 3-of-5 for 12 yards.
Patriots offense shines in 48-18 exhibition win over Commanders, as Washington rests starters, vets
The first time TreVeyon Henderson touched the ball in an NFL game, he went nearly untouched by anyone else.
The Patriots rookie running back erupted for a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the game, helping power New England to a 48-18 exhibition win over the Washington Commanders on Friday night.
“I was surprised myself,” Henderson said. “Then when I saw the crease, it was on from there.”
“All three phases I thought it was sloppy tonight,” Quinn said. “They stacked and that showed sloppiness to me — and then in practice was just the opposite. ,,, so that did not make me happy.”
Commanders: CB Bobby Price left the game in the final minute of the first half after hitting his head as he crashed to the ground defending a pass to New England. … DT Viliami Fehoko walked off on his own power with a lower body issue in the third quarter.
Eight NFL Players Who Already Look Like 2025 NFL Free-Agent Steals in Training Camp
Jacksonville Jaguars WR Dyami Brown
Contract: 1 year, $10 million
Background: The 2021 third-round pick was a depth receiver in Washington, with a mere 59 catches and four touchdowns in four seasons there. He’s a vertical threat outside but hasn’t delivered much thus far.
Why he looks like a steal: Per John Shipley of Sports Illustrated, “after a slow start to training camp,” Brown “put together two good practices in a row” at the end of July.
“He made two explosive plays on Tuesday and then took it a step further on Thursday, having the best day of any of the wide receivers and showing good chemistry with Trevor Lawrence,” according to Shipley.
Word is he has “continued to turn heads,” and the X highlights are plentiful.
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The Washington Commanders have begun warming up at Gillette Stadium for their Week 1 preseason game against the Patriots.
Cowboys roster move: OL Rob Jones to season-ending IR, RB Malik Davis signs
Last week saw Parris Campbell’s year come to an end for the Cowboys and on Friday news dropped that Rob Jones, who suffered a neck injury early on, is also done for the year. The team placed him on season-ending injured reserve.
Running back Malik Davis has returned to the team to help aid the injuries that are surrounding that room which most recently saw rookie Jaydon Blue leave Thursday’s practice, something the team has deemed to not be serious.
Lions-Falcons game ends early after Morice Norris injury
A preseason game between the Lions and Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was suspended in the fourth quarter Friday night after Detroit safety Morice Norris was taken off the field in an ambulance.
Norris was injured while attempting to tackle Atlanta rookie Nathan Carter with 14:50 to go. Norris hit Carter with his face mask facing the running back’s midsection, and the defender’s head snapped back after making the hit.
He was transported to Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital and is in stable condition, the Lions said in a statement, with “feeling and movement in all his extremities.”
When play resumed, Falcons quarterback Emory Jones took a snap and held the ball as players from both teams stood at the line of scrimmage and the clock continued to run.
With 6:31 left, an official announced the game had been suspended “per New York.” The Lions led 17-10 when play was stopped.
Detroit coach Dan Campbell said it was the coaches’ decision.
“Raheem Morris is the ultimate class act,” he said. “We agreed it just didn’t feel right to finish that game.”
More RedZones? 10 Burning Questions With ESPN’s Pitaro and NFL’s Schroeder
Will anything change with RedZone?
No. Anchor Scott Hanson, who just signed a new contract with NFLN, will host for the 17th straight season. And NFLN will continue to own, operate, and produce the popular whip-around channel. RedZone will not be included in ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer platform. However, fans will be able to order an ESPN DTC bundle with the NFL+ Premium subscription service that includes RedZone.
Could there be more RedZones?
Yes. The NFL will produce RedZone and maintain its digital rights. But ESPN gets rights to the brand itself—as well as linear distribution through cable operators. So down the road we could be looking at ESPN’s NBA RedZone, College Football RedZone, NHL RedZone, and so on.
Jimmy Pitaro: “We have the opportunity to expand the RedZone brand to other sports, other leagues. We would do that in partnership, and in concert, with the NFL. Of course the other leagues would need to agree to it. We’re starting to think about what we can do. We are very passionate about the RedZone brand. We think it’s very compelling and there’s a lot of value there.”