3 Commanders who spoiled their roster chances in preseason finale

The Washington Commanders finished winless in the preseason following their Saturday night loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

It was a lopsided performance from Ron Rivera’s group. Though they outplayed Baltimore for most of the first half, the secondary had no answers for third-string QB Anthony Brown, who completed a pair of passes longer than 50 yards and finished the game with 256 yards, a touchdown and just four incompletions.

Conversely, the Commanders’ got some solid quarterback play themselves.

Though it was against backups, Sam Howell once again galvanized fans with his never-say-die style of play. He was lucky to escape with no interceptions, but his offensive line did him zero favors (he was sacked five times) and could’ve had two touchdowns had Dyami Brown hauled in a pass near the end zone.

While Howell’s and (presumably) Brown’s roster spots are secure, final rosters are due Tuesday afternoon and a cavalcade of players were playing for their jobs. While some, Jeremy Reaves chief among them, performed well under pressure, others endured rough outings that might’ve sealed their 53-man fate.

These Commanders spoiled their roster chances vs the Ravens

Christian Holmes, CB

Not many 53-man roster projections have Holmes on the final product and the seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma State didn’t help his case Saturday. Holmes was victimized often by Baltimore’s passing game, allowing six catches on eight targets and a 90.6 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus.

Holmes led the team in tackles, but that’s because he was allowing too much room for receivers to haul in targets. The rookie could easily be cut, but special teams (and the roster’s lack of cornerback depth) could be his saving grace, as coordinator Nate Kaczor has been outspoken about his contributions as a punt team gunner.

It’s truly a toss-up whether Holmes makes it. If he does, it won’t be because of anything he did in coverage against the Ravens.

Jon Toth, C

Toth didn’t cover himself in glory Saturday and I’d be stunned if he makes Washington’s final roster. After playing 50 combined snaps over the first two preseason games, Toth logged 71 snaps as the Commanders’ primary center and got absolutely worked by the Ravens’ front seven.

His final numbers from PFF are truly something to behold. Remember what I was saying about Howell running for his life? The veteran center was at the center of that, as he allowed six pressures, three hurries and three quarterback hits.

With Roullier back healthy and Wes Schweitzer available to play center in a pinch, expect Toth to be part of Washington’s roster cuts.

DeJuan Neal, CB

Including Neal is painful as the former USFL star had improved throughout training camp. Unfortunately, though, he was picked on by Ravens. PFF says he only allowed two catches, but it felt like more than that … probably because both of the receptions he allowed went for 102 yards. You never see that.

Neal’s lowest moment came when he bit on double move from Demarcus Robinson, similar to the one that victimized Danny Johnson, for a 52-yard gain.

It’s no secret the Commanders are thin at cornerback, but Neal was already lagging behind Danny Johnson, Corn Elder and Holmes on the depth chart. You can almost guarantee he’ll be part of Washington’s long list of roster cuts.