Instant reactions to the Commanders preseason finale vs the Ravens

The Washington Commanders fell to the Ravens, 17-15, in the finale of the preseason. Sam Howell was nearly a hero in the preseason, coming close to capping an eleven-point come-backer that would’ve given the Ravens their first exhibition loss since 2015. It was not meant to be, however.

In a way, the third preseason game can be viewed as the most meaningless game, in a period of time where the results of the game are inconsequential.

In some ways, this is true. Only three projected starters played snaps for the Commanders. The three: Benjamin St-Juste, Jamin Davis and James Smith-Williams, were all defensive starters.

Even then, they only played the first two series. By the fourth quarter, the bottom portion of the roster was playing for the Commanders. Still, the third preseason does have some merit to it. Roster battles are being ironed out, certain key contributors are getting valuable live reps, and in the Commanders’ case, they got a long look at fifth-round rookie QB Sam Howell.

We have our positive and negative instant reactions to the Commanders in this game here.

Instant Reactions to Commanders-Ravens

Offense 

The Positives 

• Sam Howell looks like he belongs, not like a big-eyed, overwhelmed rookie. He finished 24/35 for 280 yards, with a passing touchdown against Baltimore. He also added 62 rushing yards on eight carries. Through three preseason games, Howell was confident and decisive with his reads. He flashed some wiggle and off-script playmaking ability, to go with his rocket arm. While Howell still has his rookie flaws, he showed why the Commanders will gladly let him marinate. What his ceiling ultimately is an NFL quarterback can be discussed later, for now, the Commanders should be very pleased with the prospects of developing the former Tar Heel.

• Both Dax Milne and Alex Erickson had solid outputs for Washington. Milne hauled in 4 catches for 37 yards, while Erickson plucked five out of the air for 36 yards. Both Erickson and Milne protected the ball on punt returns, which will be the coaching staff’s priority for either of them. It will be intriguing to see who the Commanders keep out of the two. Milne has more juice as a pass-catcher, while still being reliable as a punt returner, and Erickson may be slightly more explosive as a return man than Milne.
• With Jonathan Williams inactive, Jaret Patterson took full advantage of his opportunities. Posting nearly 100 all-purpose yards, Patterson was decisive and quick. He looked a lot like he did in his rookie year; never explosive but reliable. Patterson’s chances of making the roster may be slim, but he will likely stick on the practice squad if he doesn’t find another home.

The Negatives

• Dyami Brown has been very underwhelming in the preseason. He flashes his big play potential one play and then drops a pass on the next play. Against the Ravens, Brown hauled in two passes that averaged twenty-one yards a pop. He also had two drops, one of which could’ve been for a touchdown. If Brown cannot provide consistency as a pass-catcher, while also not being a special teamer, it starts to become a question if his roster spot is truly safe.
• The backup offensive line for the Commanders was fairly awful at points in Saturday night’s game. The Ravens sacked Howell five times, put pressure on the quarterback much more than that, and the Commanders had multiple pre-snap penalties. In one case, a pre-snap penalty pushed Washington back five yards while on the goal line. Washington would ultimately settle for a field goal after failing to convert.