Following a 41-3 beatdown against the Ravens in Friday’s preseason finale, there are more questions than ever about what this Commanders season will look like.
One game doesn’t negate three months of practice, but it can highlight the issues a team is facing. For Washington, it’s clear the interior line isn’t up to snuff and the run defense leaks yardage like a spigot.
But there have been some positive strides since June. The receivers room is deep. The run game has improved. The front seven is disruptive. It’s not all bad.
Here are the 10 most important things we’ve learned about this Commanders team over the last few months:
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The receivers room struggled early.
From the first days of training camp, it was clear that this team’s weakness was at receiver. The wideouts not named Terry McLaurin consistently struggled to get separation, leading to the quarterbacks holding onto the ball too long or throwing passes away. “We shake [hands] with guys after practice — I didn’t really wanna shake up with anybody because we got beat,” McLaurin said after the second day of camp. “But at the end of the day, we’re still brothers.”
The group’s lackluster showing eventually led to Adam Peters making a late signing.
Stefon Diggs’ arrival was a game changer.
Isn’t it amazing how quickly opinions can change when a former All-Pro walks through the door? Every criticism of the receivers room seemed to evaporate the second Diggs stepped on the field Aug. 7. With his quickness and route-running, Diggs quickly became one of Jayden Daniels’ favorite targets in practice. We have yet to see what Diggs will actually look like in this offense — he played only three snaps in the preseason with no targets — but his arrival immediately improved the vibe of the team. That is until …
The offensive line fell apart.
The offensive line came into camp as one of Washington’s strengths. The unit returned four starters, and the fifth lineman, center Nick Allegretti, started the final two games of the 2025 season. But within one day of Diggs’ first practice, All-Pro left tackle Laremy Tunsil tore a triceps during a one-on-one drill. Less than two weeks later, Allegretti reaggravated a calf strain that had sidelined him early in camp. Brandon Coleman and Julian Good-Jones filled in at tackle and center, respectively. While Coleman, who was the team’s starting left tackle in 2024, seamlessly subbed in for Tunsil, Good-Jones struggled. The converted guard had issues snapping the ball and identifying defensive coverages, leading to sacks and run stuffs. Eventually, he was one of 34 players released on Sunday, though he was signed to the practice squad a day later.
But the injuries to Tunsil and Allegretti were just the beginning.
So. Many. Injuries.
Late in camp, players began dropping like flies. Cornerback Trey Amos, linebackers Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson, defensive tackles Daron Payne, Tim Settle and Jer’Zhan Newton and running backs Bill Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White all missed multiple practices in the final weeks. Settle was the only one of that group who played in the preseason. Amos, Newton and Tunsil were all placed on injured lists, meaning they will sit for a minimum of four weeks.
Jayden Daniels is still that dude.
Washington’s star quarterback faced a fair amount of restrictions in the preseason. In three snaps against the Lions, he handed off, was pressured into a throw away and sacked. But throughout camp the former rookie of the year looked poised, in command of the offense and still capable of dotting an “i” with his accuracy. He worked more under center than he has in his professional and collegiate careers, and his coaches have raved about how he has made that adjustment.
Bill Croskey-Merritt made his case.
Croskey-Merritt had about as well of a rookie season as can be expected of a seventh-round draft pick, posting a team-high 805 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. But inconsistency and fumbles got him sent to the bench in the second half of the year. At the beginning of camp, coach Dan Quinn said he wanted to see more explosiveness and pass-catching production from the 25-year-old, and Croskey-Merritt provided that, even after the team signed receiving back White in the offseason as a third-down option. He made multiple difficult catches in camp, and when given the room by the line he hit gaps with speed and power. After missing a few weeks with a lower-body injury, Croskey-Merritt returned to practice on Tuesday.
Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson can give this team an edge.
One of the reasons for the early skepticism around the offense was the pressure and penetration free-agent signees Oweh and Chaisson were creating in practice. Daniels and co. could barely get plays off because of how quickly the two edge rushers were making their way into the backfield. The only problem? Neither Oweh nor Chaisson has practiced since Aug. 12.
Sonny Styles is still a work in progress.
Having a positive opinion about Styles feels like raving about a restaurant to a friend, only to eat the food together and it’s just OK. The rookie linebacker spent all summer attacking run gaps and blanketing pass-catchers in practice, but when preseason games started the No. 7 overall pick didn’t look otherworldly. He didn’t immediately pass the eye test like other rookies have, including Tampa Bay’s Rueben Bain Jr. But Quinn can vouch for the early hype: “You guys have seen a lot more,” he said to reporters. “What I’ve seen at practice, you feel speed and playmaking ability to get to spots.”
Daronte Jones and David Blough faced growing pains.
The two first-time coordinators created a lot of excitement in Washington when they were hired in January. Blough promised an explosive offense while Jones emphasized versatile and bespoke looks from his unit. While the preseason isn’t a barometer for how a team will produce, it can identify some weaknesses. The offense has faced protection issues and couldn’t get the run game going against Detroit or Baltimore. While the defense forced the kind of turnovers it lacked last season, the run defense allowed 160 yards a game, which would have ranked dead last in 2025. The saving grace is that the play calls used in preseason don’t always stick around for the regular season.
Something changed in the last two weeks.
As Week 1 gets closer, it’s hard to ignore that whatever high Washington had going when they manhandled the Dolphins in mid-August has since dissipated. Part of that is due to all the injuries, but there’s been a noticeable vibe shift regardless of who is on the field. Mental mistakes (turnovers, missed assignments, penalties) started to mount against the Lions, which led to Quinn stating the team was in “disarray.” And rather than learn from those mistakes, the Commanders were embarrassed by the Ravens in joint practice and the preseason finale a week later.
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