The Washington Commanders are marching towards the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 8, and they faced their first real obstacle on that journey when they practiced and played against the New York Jets last week.

Though they are still a way off from being ready for Week 1, the Commanders know more about their roster now than they did a week ago. Now, it's time to break it down and have an open conversation about it. Head coach Dan Quinn even has a catch name for the day: Tell the Truth Monday.

"It's good to talk through the game -- the pluses, the minuses, all of it," Quinn said.

Starters for both teams played little to no snaps in the preseason opener at MetLife Stadium, but the 20-17 loss offered a wealth of insight into how the team stacks up against an opponent that is expected to be one of the more competitive squads in the AFC. There were obviously takeaways, such as Jayden Daniels' performance in a game scenario, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's play calling and the defense's overall energy, but with Washington's depth players on the field for most of the afternoon, the game also helped Quinn learn a little more about the rest of roster.

Among the Commanders' rookie class, tight end Ben Sinnott had one of the best days by leading the team with three catches for 57 yards, including a 44-yard catch-and-run that featured him running through multiple Jets defenders. Quinn mentioned that there are some things that can only be learned in a game, and Sinnott's physicality is one of them. Sinnott mentioned how he hasn't been able to show that side of his skill set due to the limitations in practice. With those limitations gone, it made Sinnott an even more potent threat as a pass-catcher.

"It was good to see Sinnott stretching the field in the passing game," Quinn said. "I had seen quite a bit of it in the running game, so to see some of that, I was pleased with that."

Of course, it wasn't all positive conversations on Monday. While Quinn was pleased with how the safeties - he name-dropped Percy Butler and Jeremy Reaves as standouts - the overall tackling from the defense could use some work. On special teams, there are still plenty of positions still up for grabs, from kicker to several others.

The conversations are blunt but honest, and that's something the players can appreciate.

"The eye in the sky don't lie," Sinnott said. "We still got a lot of stuff to improve on. I think the big thing [is] that we kind of heard the truth, just being able to finish that game."

Even players like Dyami Brown, who caught a 42-yard pass in the first quarter from Daniels, know that there is still plenty of work to do.

"There's a lot of things that we can work on as far as like little details that we can get together and do just to make things better," Brown said. "But at the end of the day, we saw all we can do, we saw what we have and we just learn from it."

And as the Commanders look to turn the page to a joint practice with the Miami Dolphins, that's the attitude Quinn wants his players to have.

"This is what we learned; this is what we need to do heading into this week," Quinn said.

Here are some more observations from Monday's practice.

-- We'll start off with some injury updates. There are several players considered to be "day-to-day" by the staff, including quarterback Sam Hartman, who injured his right shoulder during the Jets game. He, offensive tackle Brandon Coleman, defensive tackle Johnny Newton and linebacker Jordan Magee were all names listed as players the team will be cautious with over the next few days.

-- In other injury news, Andrew Wylie was back to participating in practice but was splitting reps with Cornelius Lucas at right tackle.

-- The Commanders went through a lighter practice as they continue preparations for the Dolphins, but Daniels' budding connection to Zach Ertz was clear throughout the afternoon. Daniels hit Ertz on the first play of 11-on-11 drills, and the tight end ran forward for a gain of at least 20 yards.

-- Another receiver who stood out was Olamide Zaccheaus, who had a solid game against the Jets with a 19-yard punt return and a 24-yard reception that was wiped away by a penalty. Zaccheaus finds ways to get open, creates separation from defensive backs and knows how to get yards after the catch. He has also gotten more reps as a returner, as he is normally with the group of players catching punts.

-- Like Sinnott's physicality, Jamin Davis' value might be best seen in games. Davis has spent the better part of camp learning how to play as a defensive end, and while there have been some rough patches in that transition, he's also shown growth. Quinn said Davis speed stood out to him on Saturday, and that helped the former first-round pick rack up four tackles, including back-to-back stops in the first quarter.