The Washington Commanders will kick off Week 2 of their preseason schedule by taking on the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Here are five keys to the matchup against one of the AFC's playoff teams from 2023.

Get more clarity on the No. 2 receiver position.

The Commanders began training camp with many believing they had their answer at the No. 1 and No. 2 receiver. It appears that things have changed after three weeks of practice, at least at the No. 2 spot.

"I would say we are right in the middle of it," said head coach Dan Quinn. "And so, you'll see a lot of guys in today. You'll see two, three, four, five. There's a lot of guys that are really battling."

First-round pick Jahan Dotson was assumed to have that role locked up as he prepares for his third season. That might still end up being the case, but there have been several players who have closed the gap and made it a more nuanced discussion. Olamide Zaccheaus, one of the first free agents Washington signed, has developed a strong rapport with Jayden Daniels and routinely shows up for explosive plays.

There's also Dyami Brown, who went from having his status on the roster viewed as uncertain to being a standout for his 42-yard contest catch against the Jets. He had a similar grab during the joint practice with New York, making a grab over D.J. Reed.

That's not to say that Dotson is out of the running for the No. 2 spot. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said that he loves Dotson's competitiveness and thinks "you're going to see him take off" once he gets comfortable. However, like every other position on the Commanders' roster, the coaches want to see him earn that role.

See a healthier offensive line.

Washington's offensive line was banged up the last time they were in a game scenario with three of its top tackle options all missing time for various reasons. The group still isn't quite where it needs to be, even though Brandon Coleman is getting closer to being back on the field, but it'll be the healthiest it's been in weeks when they play the Dolphins on Saturday.

Both Cornelius Lucas and Andrew Wylie, who has been dealing with tightness for the past week, were back in the starting lineup in the joint practice with the Dolphins and got work in 11-on-11 drills. That should be the case when in the preseason game, which would offer better protection than when the Commanders had to bump Chris Paul out of position from guard to tackle against the Jets.

It's unclear how much the Dolphins will play their starters on Saturday, but the team still boasted one of the best pass-rushes even without their top players last season. As the Commanders continue to search for an answer on which of their offensive linemen are the best starting five, competing against a group that was top 10 in pass-rush win-rate will help provide some clarity.

Put together a good showing against Miami's wide receivers.

We don't know if the Dolphins view their second preseason game as their "dress rehearsal," so it's possible that Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill won't even play on Saturday. If they do, however, it will be important for the Commanders' cornerbacks to put on a good show.

During the joint practice, at least, things went about as well as they could for Washington's defensive backs. Hill and Waddle certainly had their moments, but the Commanders' secondary also held their own. Mike Sainristil, for example, had a solid rep against Hill, getting a pass breakup in the red zone and keeping up with Hill step-for-step -- a difficult task for any defensive back in the NFL, regardless of the spot on the field.

Saturday's game will also be an opportunity for Emmanuel Forbes Jr. to bounce back from giving up a touchdown last week against the Jets. Forbes did have solid plays against the Jets aside from the touchdown he gave up, but the coaching staff wants him to continue working on his technique to put himself in better position.

It should also be a chance for the Commanders to get more answers on the overall rotation at cornerback. Forbes, Michael Davis and Benjamin St-Juste have gotten most of the starting reps, although Noah Igbinoghene and Tariq Castro-Fields have had solid moments in practice. If Washington wants more answers at the position, going against some of the league's top receivers should do that.

Get a larger sample size for Jayden Daniels.

Daniels got the fanbase excited during his only drive against the Jets, completing two of his three pass attempts, including the 42-yard third-down completion to Brown, while leading the offense on a 70-yar scoring drive.

As impressive as that was, Daniels was only on the field for 11 plays with most of those being runs. Like everything with Daniels, the staff is keeping how much he'll play on Saturday close to the chest, but it would be beneficial to see him with a larger sample size on Saturday.

Daniels had a much better joint practice with the Dolphins than he did against the Jets, tossing five touchdown passes, two of which were to Terry McLaurin, during red zone drills. He did throw two interceptions, although it could be argued that neither were his fault, as the first bounced off Cole Turner's hand and the second was the result of McLaurin slipping while running his route.

From a situational standpoint, a larger helping of snaps on Saturday would provide more insight into how Daniels will handle himself in a game. Now that the offensive line is healthier, we could see him pass the ball more than just three times in a drive. It would also be good to see how he deals with second-and-long as well as third-and-long scenarios. What's more, we could see more of Daniels showing his knowledge of the offense by making checks at the line of scrimmage, like he did against the Jets.

The Commanders have not named him the starter yet, although it does feel like that decision is getting closer by the day. If he performs well against a defense that was one of the league's best in 2023, it would be another example of him acing the tests that are put in front of him.

Get more answers at punt return and kick return.

The Commanders have tried out several options to find their primary returner for the 2024 season. Experienced vets like Jamison Crowder have been mixed with less proven players like Forbes, Dotson and several others. We can expect that experimentation to continue against the Dolphins.

Crowder was listed as the top punt returner on the unofficial depth chart last week, but it was Zaccheaus and Davion Davis who got all the snaps at that position. Zaccheaus had the most electric moment, as he returned a punt 19 yards.

On kick return, Kazmeir Allen and Byron Pringle were the primary options, rather than Igbinoghene, who was listed at the top of the unofficial depth chart. Allen has impressed Quinn with his ability over the past week, and the head coach did say that special teams would play a role in determining the final spots at receiver. Allen had a 32-yard return against the Jets, so perhaps another solid play would give him an advantage in the competition.

The Commanders likely won't show their full intentions for the new kickoff return structure, but they could continue to play with their possibilities until they find something they like. It's anyone's guess as to who will be back there to field kicks on Saturday.