Washington traveled to Detroit for a preseason clash against the Lions at noon on Saturday. While the game was a snooze-fest, it did give fans a chance to see some of the starters in a bit more action.
The Commanders first-team defense made a big play where they scored a touchdown, while the first-team offense looked COMPLETELY out of sync. Overall, the team was able to head home after a 17-13 loss without any significant injuries – so in that respect, this was a win.
Below are my Studs and Duds of the game, followed by some notes.
Athan Kaliakmanis was under immense pressure during his time under center, but I thought he did a nice job moving around in the pocket and made some really nice throws. He finished 11-for-14 for 162 yards and did not get sacked. In my opinion he has VERY CLEARLY outplayed Sam Hartman over these first two games of the preseason.
Playing primarily with the second team, Antonio Williams hauled in three passes, including the BEAUTIFUL snag below, for 41 receiving yards. His routes looked crisp, he catches everything with his hands and his body control is exceptional.
Jaden Bradley made one HECK of a one-handed grab for a 30-yard gain in the third quarter. He also blocked really well and contributed on special teams. He’s making a solid case to somehow be included on the 53-man roster.
Mik didn’t get too many snaps, but he made the play of the game for Washington with his sack-fumble of Lions quarterback Joshua Dobbs (which was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown by Joshua Josephs) early in the first quarter on a picture-perfect hit. There was great pressure on the play by Josephs and Javontae Jean-Baptiste.
The former Michigan Wolverine was wreaking havoc against the Lions’ backup offensive linemen. The recent, in-camp signing tied for second on the team with five combined tackles and notched two sacks.
Washington’s interior offensive line
The run blocking by the group was pretty non-existent, and there were WAY too many missed blocks and mistakes, mainly by the backups. I didn’t think rookie Matt Gulbin played well at right guard, and I though Julian Good-Jones struggled at center. Foster Sarell and Nicholas Petit-Frere weren’t good either, but the interior play was a lot worse.
By all accounts, Will Harris has not had a good camp. He looked slow to react to some passes Saturday and had a bad whiff on a screen early in the second quarter. I don’t know how many safeties Washington will keep, but Harris is no longer a roster lock.
Someone fighting to make the team will need to prove they have special teams value. Robert Henry fumbling the kickoff in the fourth quarter was not a good look for the undrafted rookie. He had four carries for minus-three yards and missed a few blocks in pass protection.