BOX SCORE
The Commanders preseason is over.
All three exhibition games are in the books, capped by Washington’s 41-3 loss on Friday night against the neighboring Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
This was Washington’s last official act with a 91-man offseason, with the NFL mandating it be trimmed to 53 players by Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
It’s hard to say how much the preseason finale weighs in overall player evaluation as part of a far larger body of work. This contest was waged between those lower on the depth
chart, with few earmarked for the 53-man roster available in this one.
That still doesn’t excuse how bad the Commanders were in this contest. They couldn’t do anything right in this one and got dominated in all phases that didn’t involved Tress Way punting. I mean, it was awful.
We still mined this contest for insight. Let’s examine (with a microscope) four takeaways relevant to the 2026 Commanders:
Luke McCaffrey in trouble?
We knew the Commanders would hold most major contributors out of the preseason finale. They ended up deeming 41 players inactive. Yeah, you read that right.
This was a situation where Commanders season-ticket holders should be happy this one was played in Baltimore. That miles-long inactives list included most of the names you’d expect, featuring plenty of star power and folks you see in the box score this fall.
There might be some clues in those selected to play versus not and their odds of making the 53-man roster. Did it influence my 53-man roster projection, coming out late Friday night? It certainly did. Especially at receiver.
Luke McCaffrey played — so did Van Jefferson – while Treylon Burks and Dyami Brown sat.
Let’s read some tea leaves, shall we?
Did McCaffrey draw the short straw to ensure enough targets with six receivers sitting? Is Washington shopping McCaffrey and wants to give team another look? Or is he firmly on the roster bubble? That last thing might be the case, as surprising as that might’ve sounded a few months back.
This receiver corps is deeper than it was in 2025, especially with Stefon Diggs on board, Antonio Williams looking really good and Jaylin Lane secure as a punt return man who can handle kickoffs.
Playing doesn’t mean you’re cut, not by any stretch, but it raises an eyebrow in McCaffrey’s case.
Tyler Owens brings an edge
Defensive back Tyler Owens is a thumper. We saw that against the Lions, when he demolished a running back while rushing the passer, but we’ve known that for a while.
Owens reminded the forgetful on Friday night, with two huge hits early in the contest. That includes one right at the goal line:
Owens brings a unique energy to the safety position and aggressiveness to his slot play. And let’s not forget his work on special teams play. This is a guy Washington needs deeper on the depth chart. With how he has played, Daronte Jones should be prompted to carve out a role for this physical presence.
Bubble players don’t show well
Commanders will form their 53-man roster based on a summer’s worth of work, not one preseason game right at the finish line. Friday’s contest won’t negate an otherwise solid preseason, but several fighting for a final roster spot seemed to falter at the finish.
Linebackers Ale Kaho and Kain Medrano fit into that group, with struggles tackling and in coverage. Receiver Jaden Bradley, who has made some nice catches this preseason, fumbled returning a kick in the first half. Running back Robert Henry, who fumbled last week, had a misstep in pass protection. Interior linemen Julian Good-Jones was the third center to play, and wasn’t particularly good in that showing.
Running back Kaytron Allen isn’t on the roster bubble, but he lost a fumble on Washington’s opening drive.
Trash this tape
The phrasing above is definitely old-fashioned. No one uses actual tape/film anymore. And no one’s throwing a tablet in the trash. You simply select the game file, push the delete button and then hit confirm.
I mean, the Commanders won’t really do it. There’s always something to teach from, but most of the active Commanders players won’t be making the team. Those who do will largely want to forget what happened on Friday night in Baltimore, which capped a rough week of Ravens dominance in a joint practice and then this game.
If we are going to spin this segment forward, it only reinforces the fact the offensive line needs help from a depth perspective. There aren’t many reserves who look ready to play a regular-season game at this point. GM Adam Peters is gonna have to make a move a center, and maybe pick up another guard.
Bottom line: Those who continue on to the regular season can’t make the types of mistakes frequent in this contest, where little went right.
The best part? It’s over. Now on to the regular season.
