After two weeks of competing against each other, the Washington Commanders got the chance to test their mettle against NFL opposition for the first time since their fairytale run in 2024 concluded. Joint practice against the New England Patriots was first on the agenda, which will be swiftly followed by Friday night's preseason encounter.
Dan Quinn stated beforehand that the starters wouldn't be involved at Gillette Stadium. That's the right call, and it also meant established pros would get plenty of time on the field to hone their skills in a heated setting versus New England — a team expected to be much more competitive this season with Mike Vrabel leading the charge.
As expected, it was fiery. Things threatened to boil over on a couple of occasions, but it was a worthwhile exercise overall. It also provided Quinn and general manager Adam Peters with more valuable information about the roster heading into the business end of preparations.
There was a lot to unpack. With this in mind, here are five winners and two losers from an eventful joint practice.
Winners and losers from the Commanders' joint practice with the Patriots
Winner No. 1
Josh Conerly Jr. - Commanders OT
The criticism Josh Conerly Jr. got during his summer transition from college to the pros was extremely unfair. Not every first-year pro hits the ground running, and there were always going to be growing pains where the No. 29 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft was concerned.
Conerly is developing gradually. The Commanders are giving him all the time he needs to pick things up. This is the right way to develop talent, although being a first-round pick raises immediate expectations.
It seemed like the light was finally coming on for Conerly during joint practice with the Patriots. This was by far the Oregon product's best showing based on the musings of those watching on. He was keeping pass-rushers out of the backfield and picking up blitzes effectively. There is a long way to go, but this was a big step in the right direction.
Perhaps all Conerly needed was to get out of his comfort zone. Going up against teammates is one thing, but there's nothing like joint practices to find out what a player is capable of at this stage of the summer. Based on this showing, the Commanders might have something in the edge force after all.
Patience is not a virtue in sports. But the attention Conerly's start received is giving him the motivation needed to push on.