Aug. 29, 2026, 2:11 a.m. ET

What a week for the Washington Commanders. After a disappointing performance in last week’s 17-13 preseason loss to the Detroit Lions, the Commanders headed to Maryland this week for a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens, followed by the preseason finale two days later.

Baltimore held the upper hand in Wednesday’s scrimmage, dominating Washington’s offensive line, which was full of backups. Friday’s preseason game was even worse, with the Ravens crushing the Commanders 41-3.

Yes, it’s the preseason. Yes, it’s meaningless. Yes, Washington sat 41 players, but so did Baltimore. That’s no excuse. So, recent events in totality should have Commanders’ fans a little bit concerned.

What did we learn from Friday’s preseason finale? Here are five takeaways from a rough night in Charm City.

Don’t blame the quarterbacks

Just like you couldn’t blame Jayden Daniels in his lone series against the Lions last week, you couldn’t blame rookie Athan Kaliakmanis or Sam Hartman on Friday. Were they perfect? No, but they also didn’t have a chance. For the third consecutive game, Kaliakmanis was better than Hartman, but by no means was Hartman the reason for Washington’s offensive struggles. Neither quarterback had much time to throw. Neither had a running game, and both were let down by dropped passes.

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The Commanders probably already have their minds made up on the third quarterback. They should have anyway. But nothing that came out of Friday’s game should help or hurt Kaliakmanis or Hartman. The biggest mystery is whether GM Adam Peters will keep two or three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. There’s a chance that Kaliakmanis is the No. 3 quarterback, with Hartman returning to the practice squad for the third consecutive season.

Kaytron Allen’s rough night could have consequences

It’s been expected since April that rookie sixth-round pick Kaytron Allen would make Washington’s roster as the third or fourth running back. He offers a different skill set compared to the Commanders’ other backs. He’s big and grinds out the tough yards. He also does not fumble. On Friday, Allen fumbled on Washington’s first play from scrimmage, which led to a touchdown and a 14-0 Baltimore lead. The Commanders also had him returning some kicks, and he bobbled a kickoff return, too. While no Washington runner had a banner night, veteran Craig Reynolds was the most impressive. There’s a good chance that the Commanders could cut Allen and re-sign him to the practice squad. I still believe he makes the 53, but he had a chance to separate himself on Friday and fell short.

Luke McCaffrey on the outside looking in

When the Commanders kept six wide receivers inactive, and Luke McCaffrey wasn’t among them, you just knew what this meant. While no one can say for certain why Washington played McCaffrey and Van Jefferson but kept other players inactive, such as Treylon Burks and Dyami Brown, it’s sort of telling. What’s surprising is McCaffrey has had a solid training camp. You could make the argument that he’s been better than Brown, although Brown has come on as of late. During the game, McCaffrey had three targets, making one catch for 17 yards. It was an impressive play. He also dropped a slant. That was a tough look for McCaffrey. Should that be chalked up to just a bad night for everyone, or will that drop come back to haunt McCaffrey? Only the Commanders know, but it’s clear coming out of this game that there’s a very good chance that McCaffrey doesn’t make the 53-man roster.

Offensive line is a mess

Have you heard that before? No, Washington’s starters did not play. So, it was another chance for some of the backups to show why they should be on the Commanders’ 53-man roster. It wasn’t a good showing. Julian Good-Jones continues to show why he isn’t playable in a real game. He got pushed back numerous times. Veteran Trent Scott had his issues, too. Washington’s offensive line depth has already been pushed to its limit with Laremy Tunsil’s injury. They had to move Brandon Coleman to left tackle after he was expected to win the left guard job. Recently signed D.J. Humphries had his share of issues.

Peters better hope Nick Allegretti is ready for Week 1 and that Chris Paul can hold up as a run blocker at left guard. With Tunsil out, those are the biggest questions. Peters should be on the phone lines all weekend looking to bring in two experienced veterans who can start on the interior. You are always one snap away from your season being ruined. The Commanders have the cap space. Whether it’s bringing in Graham Glasgow to compete or trading for a veteran like Lloyd Cushenberry, Peters needs to make two significant outside additions before Week 1.

No defensive back earned a roster spot

When Washington sat veteran cornerback Fabian Moreau on Friday night, it felt like the Commanders had already decided which five cornerbacks they were keeping on the 53: Trey Amos, Mike Sainristil, Amik Robertson, Rasul Douglas and Moreau. We’ve made the case for Antonio Hamilton Sr., while others have made separate cases for Car’lin Vigers and Darius Rush. So, if we’re determining which player belongs on the 53-man roster based on the Baltimore game, none of them do. Hamilton didn’t have a bad night, but Vigers and Rush did. It feels like after the release of Will Harris, Peters already has his mind made up about which five cornerbacks and five safeties he’s keeping. It was a bad night for Washington’s secondary.