The Washington Commanders sat no fewer than 41 players for their preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens. Even so, the embarrassing performance put on by head coach Dan Quinn's squad was completely unacceptable.
Washington was no match for the Ravens. Giving up 41 points and putting up just three was a fair reflection of the one-sided contest. And even though most players who suited up won't be part of the team's plans this season as cuts begin, the effort levels were concerning nonetheless.
The Commanders seemingly just went through the motions. There was no urgency in any phase. It was unwatchable, and considering most of these players are fighting for their NFL lives, deeply disappointing.
This has no doubt confirmed what Quinn and general manager Adam Peters knew about those on the fringes. The Commanders will begin making final cuts for their initial 53-man roster before Sunday's deadline, and the clues are becoming clearer.
After so much positivity earlier in the summer, the last couple of weeks have gone the other way. The same complacency and lack of cohesion that blighted Washington during the previous campaign have reared their ugly head again. And if it continues into competitive action this time around, heads will roll.
Hopefully, it doesn't come to that, but the Commanders are losing momentum at the wrong time. Some big decisions await, and those who get a reprieve need to raise standards with Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles next up.
Before then, here are two winners and five losers from the Commanders' embarrassing preseason loss to the Ravens.
Winners and losers from the Washington Commanders' preseason defeat to the Baltimore Ravens
Loser No. 1
Julian Good-Jones - Commanders OL
Can we just stop with this already?
The Commanders have given Julian Good-Jones starting reps at center this offseason. Nick Allegretti suffered a calf strain on the first day of training camp and hasn't been seen much since. Washington placed a lot of faith in the veteran, but it just hasn't been repaid.
Good-Jones is not good enough, and the Commanders simply cannot take him through onto the 53-man roster. He generates almost no push off the snap and is technically flawed. It was a bad evening at the office for almost everyone, but he was once again among the real letdowns.
This cannot continue.
The Commanders need to find a better contingency plan. They need to find a capable center and better interior offensive line depth. What Dan Quinn and Adam Peters have right now just hasn't worked, and Good-Jones should be among the simplest cuts Washington makes in the coming hours.
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