Joshua Dobbs had nowhere to go. The Detroit Lions quarterback was facing pressure from Washington Commanders linebacker Joshua Josephs and attempted to escape the pocket. Instead, he ran right into Washington cornerback Amik Robertson, who drilled him and forced a fumble. The loose ball was eventually tracked down by Josephs for a touchdown.
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It was already a hell of a start for the defense, but the unit wasn’t done yet. On the ensuing drive, defensive end Charles Omenihu got pressure on Dobbs up the middle and forced him into an ill-advised throw that landed in the arms of safety Quan Martin.
The Commanders, who played most of their starters against the Lions’ backups Saturday afternoon in Detroit, got off to a dominant start. What happened next was a reminder that playing complementary football remains a work in progress for Washington.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels faced quick pressure on his first snap and had to throw the ball away. He was sacked on his next snap. The offense was forced into a three-and-out, and then the defense was gashed on a 50-yard touchdown run by Dobbs. The Commanders pulled their starters after that drive and went on to fall to the Lions, 17-13.
Despite Dobbs’s long touchdown, there was more positive than negative for the Commanders’ first-team defense, which had four starters sit out due to injury. In addition to the turnovers, the pass rush and coverage were excellent.
Through two preseason games, defensive coordinator Daronte Jones’s unit has forced five turnovers. They forced just 10 all of last season. It’s only the preseason, but that’s an encouraging development.
For the offense, though, the line’s performance must be a concern. Center Nick Allegretti didn’t play because of a lingering calf strain, but the unit had four starters on the field against the Lions’ reserves and couldn’t offer Daniels any protection. That can’t continue if the offense is going to have sustained success.
The following players didn’t suit up for Washington: Quarterback Marcus Mariota (MCL); running backs Jacory Croskey-Merritt (undisclosed), Rachaad White (hamstring) and Jeremy McNichols (quad); left tackle Laremy Tunsil (triceps); Allegretti (calf); defensive ends Dorance Armstrong (knee) and Deatrich Wise Jr. (quad); defensive tackles Daron Payne (undisclosed), Jer’Zhan Newton (pectoral) and Tim Settle (calf); linebackers Odafe Oweh (calf), K’Lavon Chaisson (knee) and Jordan Magee (shoulder); and cornerback Trey Amos (ankle). The team returns to practice Tuesday.
Here’s my latest 53-man roster projection:
Quarterback (2)
Running back (4)
Wide receiver (6)
Tight end (4)
Offensive line (9)
The Commanders placed Tunsil on injured reserve with a designation to return on roster cut day, which will make him eligible to return after missing at least four games. He isn’t expected to be back that quickly, but it keeps the door open rather than knocking him out for the entire season.
Mariota will miss the rest of the preseason because of a sprained MCL. While the Commanders are hopeful that he’ll be ready by Week 1 of the regular season, it’s not a guarantee. If he’s not good to go, they’ll have to keep a third quarterback.
In that scenario, it should be Kaliakmanis. The rookie has more potential to develop than Hartman. He had a strong performance against the Lions, completing 11 of 14 passes for 162 yards.
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McNichols will be out “for a few weeks” because of a quad injury, according to Coach Dan Quinn, which opens the door for Henry to leapfrog him for a roster spot. After a strong performance in the preseason opener, though, Henry was ineffective as a runner against the Lions and had a fumble on a kick return late in the fourth quarter that helped seal the Commanders’ loss.
One change this time around: Brown is projected to make the roster over Burks. Brown has been more impressive in practice lately and has displayed stronger chemistry with Daniels when he’s worked with the starting lineup.
Defensive tackle (4)
Defensive end (2)
Outside linebacker (4)
Inside linebacker (5)
Cornerback (5)
Safety (5)
Martin is doing himself a lot of favors with a strong preseason. He has two interceptions, and has looked better overall coming off a poor season. Reaves still has a hold on the starting job at free safety, but Martin will push for more snaps if he keeps playing like this.
Newton had surgery to repair a torn pectoral Wednesday. He displayed some pass rush ability last year, but he’s remained a lackluster run defender and hasn’t lived up to his draft status. Now, he’ll miss a significant portion of the season. Washington could use its second and final injured reserve designation on Newton to keep him eligible to return and open a roster spot for someone else. Tuttle has had a strong camp and provides some depth at nose tackle behind Settle.
Another player to keep an eye on is Wise. If he’s still on the physically-unable-to-perform list on roster cut-down day, he won’t count against the active roster. He’d be eligible to return after the first four games.
Armstrong will serve a one-game suspension after violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Since he won’t count toward the active roster on cut day, Washington will be allowed to keep a player elsewhere. I used that spot on Kaho, who adds special teams value.
Kicker: Drew Stevens
Punter: Tress Way
Long snapper: Tyler Ott
The Commanders released kicker Jake Moody on Monday and named Stevens the winner of the kicking competition after just one preseason game. Stevens was the more consistent player, something he credited to his mental fortitude.
“How many kickers in the NFL have you seen just bomb one, perfectly dead straight?” asked Stevens, who converted both of his short field goal attempts Saturday. “That means you’re physically capable of doing it every time. So where’s the disconnect?
“It’s up here,” he added, pointing at his head. “So, I think getting your mind right is 100 percent the most important thing in kicking, and being convicted is showing true belief in what it is you’re doing.”
Stevens will be the eighth kicker the Commanders have used in the regular season since 2024. General Manager Adam Peters hopes he’s able to shore up what’s been a position of weakness throughout his tenure.
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