The Washington Commanders opened the 2024 preseason with a road matchup against the Jets and lost, 20-17. Here are five takeaways from the matchup.
1. Jayden Daniels looks as advertised.
Jayden Daniels' first pass was about as uneventful as one could imagine. It was intended for Austin Ekeler on a screen but zoomed over the running back's head, bringing up third-and-6.
On the next play, however, Daniels showed a glimpse of why the Commanders took him No. 2 overall. He laid out a pass to Dyami Brown deep downfield on the right sideline, despite the defensive back providing tight coverage, the window was just enough for Brown to come down with the catch.
The 42-yard reception -- one of the longest for the day from the Commanders -- was the highlight of the 11-play, 70-yard scoring drive, but it was just one aspect of how impressive Daniels looked in his first bit of preseason action. Although the series consisted of eight runs, Daniels looked calm in the backfield as he directed the offense. He even made the check at the line of scrimmage that led to Brown's explosive play.
And with the ball at the 3-yard line on third down, Daniels showed the other part of his game that has the team excited: his ability to make plays with his legs. He took a read-option to the right and had almost no opposition as he ran for the end zone.
Daniels finished the day completing 2-of-3 passes for 45 yards, including a three-yard completion by Terry McLaurin. He only had one drive, but the 11 plays he was on the field were more than enough to get fans excited about the rookie.
2. The starting defense swarmed to the ball.
Context is always important during the preseason. The Jets announced that 28 of their players would not dress out for Saturday's game, meaning just one starter on either side of the ball was on the field.
With that said, it was a good showing for the Commanders' defense. The unit has looked fast and physical since the start of training camp, and it had a lot of the same energy in a game scenario. The Jets' opening drive resulted in a loss of five yards, and the home team was off the field after three plays.
The best moments of the drive came on third-and-14 when Frankie Luvu and Mike Sainristil corralled Malachi Corley, who was trying to reverse the field on a pass from Tyrod Taylor.
The most encouraging sign from the defense was that the unit has bought into the philosophies defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. Is trying to instill. Every player is running to the ball and contributing to tackles -- something that did not happen as often in 2023. The players are also energetic after plays, congratulating each other after big stops.
It wasn't all perfect (more on that in a bit), but there was a lot to like about the performance from Washington's starters.
3. The defensive depth needs to iron out some issues.
There were certainly some positive moments from Washington's backup defense. Benning Potoa'e had a sack on Taylor that forced a fourth down, and Jamin Davis, who is still adjusting to playing closer to the line of scrimmage, had back-to-back tackles that forced minimal gains.
It was still rough at times, and problems from last season -- particularly explosive plays -- continued to haunt the unit at times.
It was most prevalent during the Jets' only touchdown drive of the first half. Braelen Allen escaped for a 16-yard gain on the first play of the drive. Two plays later, Allen was at it again, this time with a 24-yard pickup that moved the Jets to the Commanders' 35-yard line.
Then, there were back-to-back daggers. Isaiah Davis caught a 24-yard pass from Adrew Peasley, which set up a 12-yard touchdown catch by Jason Brownlee in the corner of the end zone that tied the score, 7-7.
Washington's backups settled in after that, allowing just seven points for the rest of the first half and three punts in the third quarter. Washington will face a much more explosive offense when they travel to Miami next week, so it will need to clean some things up before then.
4. Ben Sinnott is a baller.
Sinnott is listed as the third tight end on the unofficial depth chart, but the Kansas State rookie was making waves during his preseason debut.
Sinnott, the second tight end taken in the draft back in April, was one of the best receivers for his position in program history at the college level. He put those skills on display in the second quarter, taking advantage of a gap in the Jets coverage and rumbling forward for a 44-yard gain, breaking multiple tackles along the way.
Later in the third quarter, now with Sam Hartman in at quarterback, Sinnott was at it again with a 12-yard gain that earned Washington a first down and moved the offense to the 40-yard line.
Sinnott ended up leading the Commanders with 57 yards on three catches and as many targets. It's still early, but the rookie has proven that he deserves more attention in the passing game.
5. Lingering questions at kicker.
The Commanders had a big question at kicker entering training camp, and after a game of preseason action, that question is still there.
Washington, in an effort to bring in competition for Ramiz Ahmed, picked up veteran Riley Patterson off waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars. The two have been relatively even in terms of made kicks since Patterson joined the team, but the real test has always been how they would perform in a game. This is where Patterson was supposed to have an advantage, as Ahmed had never kicked in an NFL game, preseason or regular season, prior to the Jets game.
But when it came time for Patterson to hit a 39-yard field goal that would have given Washington the lead, the kick bounced off the right upright. Ahmed, however, did hit his 40-yard field goal attempt, giving Washington a 10-7 lead with less than two minutes left in the first half.
Head coach Dan Quinn said the kicking competition would take a while to sort itself out, and after one game of action, it looks like that will be the case.
