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.

The Defense

The Positives

• Jamin Davis looks like a different player than he was a year ago. Despite only playing two possessions, Davis had two tackles and a tackle for loss. It may be against Baltimore’s backups but Davis has been trending upward. Against the Chiefs, he looked poised and confident filling gaps in the run game. He only looked better, as he should, against backups. Davis seems poised to take hold of the starting linebacker spot next to Cole Holcomb.
• Jeremy Reaves made plays throughout the third preseason game for the Commanders. Whether he was shooting through the backfield for a tackle for loss, playing solid coverage, or covering punts Reaves showed why he should get strong consideration for a roster spot. He simply does all the little things well, and Rivera noted how he appreciated how Reaves does the little things well to ESPN’s John Keim. I left Reaves off my 53-man roster a few weeks ago. That may have to change.
• Benjamin St-Juste flashed his potential. On a deep curl by the Ravens receiver, St-Juste displayed his acceleration by closing fast to the ball to deflect the pass away. St-Juste played on the outside in the two drives he played, showing his positional versatility being a potential weapon for the Commanders’ coaching staff.
• Daniel Wise capped off his impressive preseason performance with a few quality run stops. Wise has looked explosive as a pass rusher for Washington in the preseason. With depth concerns on the defensive line, Wise seems to be assuaging that just a bit, as he looks like someone that can contribute immediately.

The Negatives 

• The lack of depth for Washington in the secondary reared its ugly head in Baltimore. It wasn’t just the backend roster guys struggling, it was the primary backups. Both Danny Johnson and Percy Butler bit hard on a double move by Demarcus Robinson, as he hauled in the long pass before scampering for a touchdown. Christian Holmes struggled at points tonight too. All three of those guys could make the team, with Johnson being a potential starter if one player goes down. The Commanders need to be looking for secondary help post-cutdown on Tuesday.

Special Teams 

• Joey Slye has now missed two kicks in the preseason. After missing an extra point against the Panthers, Slye pushed a 43-yard field goal wide left against the Ravens. Each time it was first kick of the game. Slye being overeager at the beginning of games is what Rivera attributes the inaccuracy towards. Slye missed only one kick in 2021, a blocked extra point, so there is no need for panic yet. Slye will need to temper that excitement when the games matter, though.