The Washington Commanders enter the 2026 NFL season in dire need of improvement on both sides of the ball, with a pair of new first-time coordinators in David Blough and Daronte Jones to fix the mistakes of Kliff Kingsbury and Joe Whitt Jr.
And in the team's preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins, the first impression was promising.
Particularly on defense, Washington will have no room for error this year. Jones' unit features several new starters and an influx of speed, which will ideally lead the Commanders to play with more passion than they did a season ago.
Daronte Jones is already bringing the Commanders' defense to life
Versus the Dolphins, fans saw exactly what they'd been asking for.
The Commanders picked off three Miami passes, with defensive back Quan Martin, linebacker Ale Kaho, and undrafted rookie safety Malik Spencer all getting in on the action. A couple of those were just bad balls more than anything, but credit Jones and his crew for having their personnel in the right places at the right times.
On Washington's first defensive series, the Dolphins marched straight down the field and scored on a De'Von Achane goal-line punch. However, it's worth noting that this was Miami's entire starting offense, mostly against the Commanders' backups.
Once the teams were on equal footing, the boys in the burgundy and gold dominated.
Washington didn't allow any more points after the first series. The Dolphins' two backup quarterbacks, Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller, combined to go 4-for-19 passing with three picks.
You couldn't have asked for a better performance out of a unit that's been talked up all summer for its aggression, creativity, and supreme athleticism.
Obviously, most of the players who suited up for the Commanders on Friday won't be playing much on Sundays. Still, it's a testament to Jones' arrival that they looked like a cohesive unit and got the better of their competition. And based on reports from the joint practice against Miami, Washington's starting defense held the Dolphins' starting offense in check, too.
It's especially encouraging that Washington was able to force three turnovers, an area where the team struggled mightily last season with only 10 all year, second-fewest in the league. If that trend can continue into the fall, the Commanders should be in great shape to bounce back from last year's 5-12 disaster.
When you make plays on defense, you win games.
It's only the first week of preseason, but the Commanders got a positive first taste of what their new scheme might bring.
Add us as a preferred source on Google