The Washington Commanders completed the 2025 preseason with a 30-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. Washington ends the preseason 0-3 and now turns its attention to Week 1 and the New York Giants.
Saturday’s preseason finale was ugly for the Commanders. Quarterback Sam Hartman turned the ball over three times, one of which was returned for a touchdown, while Josh Johnson was picked off in the end zone. In total, the Commanders turned the ball over four times, directly leading to 17 Baltimore points.
Most of Washington’s starters sat, although left guard Brandon Coleman and cornerback Trey Amos saw some action. Coleman and Amos played because they were sidelined with injuries recently. It’s nothing more than that. The coaches wanted them to have some reps before the regular season.
What can we learn from Saturday’s preseason blowout loss? Here are six takeaways.
It’s only the preseason…….but
Washington lost all three preseason games by a combined 71 points. That’s gross. Sure, the Commanders didn’t play their starters most of the time and, when they did, it was brief. But what does it say about the backups and players trying to make the team? Is the depth that bad? Remember, for the most part, other teams were playing backups, too.
Fans shouldn’t see this as doom and gloom. But to say you shouldn’t be concerned at all is untrue. What will Terry McLaurin look like after missing all summer? What if Deebo Samuel pulls a hamstring? How do you feel about that WR depth? Noah Brown can’t seem to stay healthy either.
Defensively, we haven’t seen enough from the starters to know if the run defense improved. From all indications, it has, but how much? If nothing else, we leave the preseason with more questions and answers, which isn’t ideal for a team with such high expectations.
There is no 3rd QB here
Sam Hartman was a terrific college quarterback. He’s a good guy, and he’s close to Jayden Daniels. He’s not an NFL quarterback, and no amount of time on the practice squad is going to change that.
Josh Johnson has had a long and fun career. He is probably ideal as a No. 3 quarterback, but he didn’t perform well in the final two preseason games. Has he actually earned a spot on the 53? I would say no. Could the Commanders keep him on the practice squad and elevate him if needed? Sure, that sounds the most reasonable solution, but don’t be surprised if GM Adam Peters doesn’t watch the waiver wire for a developmental quarterback who could serve as a No. 3 QB. Ideally, you don’t need a third quarterback. If you do, your season is over anyway. This position will be interesting to watch.
Ale Kaho was the most impressive young linebacker
Sixth-round pick Kain Medrano has shown flashes all summer and should be kept around. His speed and aggressiveness are worth developing. Second-year linebacker Jordan Magee, injured again this summer, played against the Ravens. He was around the ball when he was on the field. However, it was Medrano’s college teammate at UCLA, undrafted LB Ale Kaho, who shined the brightest.
A former five-star recruit, Kaho didn’t have the college career he envisioned, partially due to injuries. However, he appears to be making the most out of this opportunity. When training camp began, no one had Kaho on the roster bubble. He was considered training camp depth. He quietly had a good summer, and in the preseason finale, Kaho finished with seven tackles, including one for loss. He was always around the ball. Now there’s a good chance that Washington could stick him on the practice squad.
Whether he lands on the initial 53 or not, Kaho was better than Magee and Medrano.
Still hard to judge wide receivers
You could tell the Commanders made a concentrated effort to involve Luke McCaffrey more. Almost everything was at or near the line of scrimmage. McCaffrey did what he could, making one notable play where he successfully evaded a defender. We needed to see more of McCaffrey down the field. The same goes for every other receiver. However, due to the QB struggles, we didn’t get to see much of that. That’s unfortunate for the players on the bubble, fighting for their careers because they didn’t receive a fair evaluation.
McCaffrey isn’t going anywhere, nor should he. He needs to play better. But for players like Ja’Corey Brooks, the quarterback struggles made a larger impact. Brooks had an up-and-down camp, but showed lots of promise. One of his best skills is making plays down the field. That part of Washington’s playbook was nonexistent this preseason.
Colson Yankoff is more than just a special teamer
The Commanders kept Yankoff last summer as an undrafted free agent because he stood out on special teams. Yankoff has terrific size, strength, and athleticism. His versatility is intriguing. He’s played quarterback, wide receiver, running back, and now tight end. His one catch against the Ravens on Saturday showed his speed and strength. He’s probably had a better training camp than last year’s second-round pick Ben Sinnott. And that’s not a knock on Sinnott: Yankoff has been impressive. Yankoff’s special teams play should keep him active on game days, meaning he could have a role on offense in 2025.
Still not on sold on K Matt Gay
For the second time this preseason, kicker Matt Gay missed a field goal. Sure, it’s the preseason (we’ve been saying that a lot), but what about Gay inspires confidence right now? Washington gave him decent guaranteed money because it wanted to end the kicker merry-go-round from last season. Dan Quinn said this summer there would be no competition for Gay, and that will likely remain into the regular season. But what if Gay misses some field goals in the season’s first month?
Signing Gay was a solid move, but treating him like he should have Tress Way’s job security could come back to bite the Commanders. They should have kept Zane Gonzalez in camp, just to push Gay. The season begins in two weeks, and it’s fair to say Washington’s kicker position is again a concern until Gay proves otherwise.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: 6 takeaways from preseason loss to Ravens