5 takeaways from Commanders' preseason loss to Lions

The Washington Commanders fell to 1-1 in the preseason with Saturday’s 17-13 loss to the Detroit Lions. It’s the preseason, so wins and losses aren’t the most important things. It’s the limited reps the starters get, combined with breakthrough performances from younger players.

For Washington, it had a little bit of both on Saturday. The starting offense only played three snaps after the Commanders failed to protect quarterback Jayden Daniels on the first two plays. Meanwhile, young players like quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, wide receivers Jaden Bradley and Antonio Williams, and edge Joshua Josephs are getting playing time and thriving.

So, what do we make of Washington after two preseason games? Here are five takeaways from the Commanders’ loss at Detroit.

Two plays stand out, and they happened to be the Commanders’ first two plays from scrimmage. On the first play, center Julian Good-Jones failed to do his job, leading to pressure on Daniels. On the second play, both tight ends, John Bates and Chig Okonkwo, missed blocks, leading to a sack. It’s quite possible that the Commanders clean some of these things up before Week 1. It’s also possible that Nick Allegretti’s return at center makes things look much better. Even if both are true, this preseason has shown us Washington could be one play away from disaster. What if Allegretti is hurt during the season and forced to miss multiple games? While Brandon Coleman is not Laremy Tunsil — no one is — Washington is extremely lucky to have him. The Commanders don’t have a Coleman at center.

GM Adam Peters should be on the phone every day looking for more interior offensive line help.

Remember, one week ago, everyone praised the Commanders’ ground game? Rookie running backs Kaytron Allen and Robert Henry Jr. combined for 160 yards and two touchdowns. On Saturday, Washington rushed for 35 yards on 17 attempts. Henry and Allen combined for 27 yards on 14 carries. Henry had four carries for -3 yards. That’s quite a reality check for the undrafted rookie. It just feels like there will be some weeks where the Commanders will struggle to run the ball. Again, this could be traced back to the offensive line, too. In the scheme that David Blough plans to run, the ground game is important.

GM Adam Peters will have some difficult decisions to make next week, specifically at wide receiver. It’s a good problem to have. How many receivers will Washington keep? Could the Commanders maybe trade a receiver for some offensive line depth over the next week? On Saturday, third-round pick Antonio Williams made a couple of catches, including an impressive one in traffic. Undrafted rookie Jaden Bradley continues to shine, making a one-handed catch. Bradley is on the outside looking in through no fault of his own. He’s earned a spot, but the Commanders have impressive receiver depth. It will be interesting to see if Washington keeps six or seven receivers.

Washington had only one sack last week against Miami, but there was consistent pressure. Against the Lions, the Commanders had five sacks, including on the very first series, which led to a defensive touchdown. And Washington was playing without top edge rushers Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson and Dorance Armstrong. They still found ways to get to the quarterback. If this continues, it will help Washington’s cornerbacks play more freely and with more confidence. When Oweh, Chaisson and Armstrong are all back, there’s no reason to believe that Washington’s pass rush won’t be a team strength. Everything goes hand in hand when it comes to pass rush and coverage. The Commanders have lacked a consistent pass rush in recent years, which made the secondary look worse. While the run defense still has some concerns, this defense is on the right track. We aren’t piling on the run defense because Washington was without players like Daron Payne and Tim Settle. It’s just something to watch.

This is more of a continuation from the last one. When you consistently create pressure, it leads to turnovers. Last week, the Commanders forced three turnovers — all interceptions. Against Detroit, they forced a fumble that led to a defensive touchdown, and the pressure forced another interception. The Commanders could go weeks without forcing a turnover last season. For the second straight week, safety Quan Martin came away with an interception. He needed those interceptions for his confidence, while the Commanders needed to see Martin make some plays after a difficult 2025. Washington’s defensive success is lost in the talk about how disappointing the offense, specifically the offensive line, was. New defensive coordinator Daronte Jones could prove to be one of the Commanders’ MVPs in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 5 takeaways from Commanders' preseason loss to Lions