The Washington Commanders travelled to Miami for their second preseason game and lost to the Dolphins, 13-6. Here are five takeaways from the matchup, presented by Maryland Lottery.

1. Jayden Daniels passes another test.

You can consider it another successful outing for the Commanders rookie quarterback.

Daniels put together a solid joint practice with the Dolphins earlier this week, throwing five touchdowns during red zone drills against one of the league's top defenses in 2023. Daniels, who saw an increased workload from the 11 snaps he got against the Jets, built upon that during the preseason game, completing 10 of his 12 pass attempts for 78 yards.

Though only one of Daniels' two drives ended in points, it was clear that his command of the Commanders' offense has improved over the past week. He completed his first four passes of the night, converting two third downs along the way. He also showed awareness to get rid of the ball under pressure, as he threw the ball away when feeling pressure on his right facing a third-and-6 at the Dolphins' 31-yard line.

Another positive sign from Daniels was that he was throwing players into opportunities to make plays after the catch. That was the case on a pass to Terry McLaurin, who caught the pass on a comeback route and turned it into a 20-yard gain.

The only negative that Daniels had on the night was electing not to slide after a 13-yard gain, which earned a few words from head coach Dan Quinn on the sideline. That was a problem for Daniels in college, and it led to some distressing hits.

Aside from that one mistake, Daniels took another step towards being the team's starting quarterback.

2. Frankie Luvu and Mike Sainristil are an exciting duo.

Though we've only seen two preseason games worth of action from the Commanders' defense, it's clear that flying to the ball is a strength for the unit. Frankie Luvu and Mike Sainristil are the poster boys for that philosophy.

Luvu made his presence known early in the evening, contributing to tackles on all four of the Dolphins' first four plays. On third-and-1 from the Commanders' 36-yard line, Luvu busted through the line of scrimmage to stall Raheem Moster for no gain on the play.

Sainristil, who has impressed coaches with his maturity and intelligence on the field, was just as active as Luvu. His first tackle on a fourth-and-1 play didn't stop the conversion, but he showed good pursuit to prevent the play from going any further.

A better example of Sainristil's tackling came three plays later. He worked with Mykal Walker to bring Mostert down for no gain.

This might be the last we see of Luvu or Sainristil until the season opener, but there's been plenty to hint that both players will be pivotal to the defense's success.

3. Jamin Davis shows progress.

The Commanders' coaching staff has been trying to transition Jamin Davis from a standup linebacker to more of a pass-rusher role. The efforts have been mixed so far, but Davis showed a bit of what he could do with his athleticism.

Davis had a pair of impressive plays in the second half, both of which showed off the speed and quickness that made him a first-round pick in 2021. He was nearly fooled on a play-action pass, but he recovered and closed in on Mike White to force an incompletion.

The next play created even more excitement. He beat his competition on the edge facing a second-and-10 at Washington's 14-yard line, drilling White and forcing a fumble that was recovered by Andre Jones.

Davis has worked hard to change his role and prove that he can fit into the new coaching staff's plans for the Commanders' defense. While it hasn't always been an easy task, he has been enthusiastic about the opportunity and showed progress in the last week. It might take some more time for him to get truly settled into being a pure pass-rusher, but plays like the fumble he forced could become more common.

4. Jeff Driskel has wheels.

The Commanders' quarterback situation outside of Daniels and Marcus Mariota is in flux right now. Rookie Sam Hartman did not play on Saturday because of a shoulder injury, leaving veteran Jeff Driskel with more snaps to convince the staff that perhaps they should keep three quarterbacks on the roster.

Driskel had a solid day as a passer, completing 11 of his 15 attempts, but what he did with his legs stood out the most.

Driskel, who has been in the league since 2016, had the second-longest run from either team in the second quarter, escaping pressure and gashing the Dolphins' defense for 41 yards and putting the Commanders in field goal range. That resulted in Driskel leading the team with 45 rushing yards on four carries.

It's unclear what the Commanders intend to do at quarterback outside of their top two options. Hartman looked impressive against the Jets, but his shoulder injury does put his immediate future in doubt. It's possible that Washington will keep three quarterbacks on the roster, and perhaps it would make sense to put two veterans who can run the offense behind Daniels if the rookie were to miss time for whatever reason.

If the Commanders do decide to make that choice, Driskel has proven himself capable of that task.

5. More questions at kicker.

The Commanders have been looking for an answer at kicker since OTAs. With just a week left of camp, it looks like they are still looking for that solution.

Patterson, who was waived by the Jaguars before being picked up by the Commanders, struggled against the Dolphins by going 2-of-4 on his kicks with his misses coming from 49 and 43 yards. The first was wide left, while the second was wide right.

Patterson is the only kicker on the Commanders' roster right now, but it would not be a surprise if the team brought in more competition at the position. It's possible that could happen after the initial 53-man roster is constructed, as several kickers currently on other rosters will be free to sign with other teams.

The Commanders have done a good job of churning the bottom of their roster over the past two weeks. Expect that to continue at one of the team's most important positions.