The Washington Commanders suffered a 23-21 loss to the Carolina Panthers in their first preseason game this past weekend. The team struggled to muster offense early and struggled to stop the Panthers’ passing attack and found itself in a 20-6 hole before Sam Howell authored a gutty fourth quarter comeback.
All in all, it was a positive afternoon for the Commanders.
Carson Wentz looked in command of the offense even though he was reluctant to throw downfield, Brian Robinson was better than anyone could’ve hoped for, the offensive line was quietly dominant as per and undrafted free agents Armani Rogers, Curtis Hodges, Steven Parker and Kyric McGown all stood out.
Like any game, however, there were multiple causes for concern. Yes, it’s only preseason, but the regular season will be here before we know it so these issues will have to be nipped in the bud relatively quickly. Let’s run through them.
3 causes for concern from Commanders’ preseason opener
3. Linebacker Room
Washington’s linebacker room didn’t cover itself in glory Saturday. Only four players got into the game — Cole Holcomb, Jamin Davis, David Mayo and Khaleke Hudson. It seemed as though the Panthers made it a point of emphasis to target the middle of the field in the passing game, and they largely found success.
David Mayo was the only linebacker to allow a first down in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus, but the group didn’t do much to hinder Carolina’s running game, either. A run specialist, Mayo performed well in stretches last season but offenses will look to isolate him in coverage whenever he’s on the field.
Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio better make sure Nathan Gerry or one of the Commanders’ other linebackers are playing in obvious passing situations.
2. Special Teams
It took the Commanders longer than fans expected to put points on the board. When they finally did in the form of a Brian Robinson touchdown run, Joey Slye missed the extra point. Those points were eventually salvaged on a Sam Howell two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter, but Slye can’t be missing these .
We’re all aware Slye earned an extension with Washington after he brought stability to the position last season, but this was a poor start from the big-legged kicker. Let’s hope this was just a matter of preseason rust than anything else. Slye has our full trust and he should have yours, too, after last year.
Additionally, the Commanders’ return game left a lot to be desired. The team returned five kickoffs and three failed to get past the 20-yard line. They returned a couple from the end zone, which is fine, but you better make sure you get a good return out of it as a touchback allows teams to start from the 25.
Recent signing Matt Cole had the longest return with 27 yards, but Washington can’t afford to have its offense start outside the 20. Who ultimately wins the return job is officially a storyline to watch for the rest of camp and preseason.
1. Third Down Defense
Hello darkness my old friend.
The Commanders finished 31st in opponent conversion rate on third down last season and they didn’t do much to quell those concerns Saturday.
For the game, Carolina finished 11-of-18 on third down, good for a 61% conversion rate. Not awful, but it was alarming the Panthers went 3-of-3 on third down on the first drive when Washington’s first-team defense was out there. Not to mention it came against Baker Mayfield, who was getting his first live action with Carolina after he was acquired from Cleveland just a few weeks ago.
Here’s another interesting (or concerning) nugget from Zach Selby of the Commanders team website. “Of the 25 seconds downs Washington’s defense faced, 18 were with a distance of at least seven yards. Seven of those plays were followed by either a first down or manageable third down situations.”
That’s definitely not great!