For the first time this century, the Burgundy and Gold took the field without Dan Snyder as owner.
The Washington Commanders defeated the Cleveland Browns 17-15 in their first preseason game Friday night. But no matter what happened on the field, new owner Josh Harris sitting in the front row watching his new team take on the Browns was the day’s most important news.
As for what did happen on the field, not much of it was pretty, at least when it mattered.
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In the first quarter, Washington’s offense looked inept.
Even when second-year quarterback Sam Howell made plays, he was frequently betrayed by a subpar offensive line. Howell had a good, encouraging night, but the line questions that crept up throughout training camp seemed like very real concerns on Friday. Things got better with a nice touchdown drive in the second quarter, but many of Cleveland’s defensive starters had been pulled from the game at that point.
As for Washington’s much celebrated defense? They got gashed early.
The Browns' first drive was surgical, as Cleveland marched right down the field before the Commanders pushed back with an impressive goal line stand. Still, when Browns QB1 Deshaun Watson was on the field, he did whatever he wanted, rushing three times for 20 yards and connecting on all three of his pass attempts. Cleveland’s stud running back Nick Chubb didn’t play in this game, but backup RB Demetric Felton ran five times for 25 yards. The defensive line got pushed around until they reached the goal line, while Washington refused to set the edge against the Browns perimeter rush attack.
Still, give Emannuel Forbes and Montez Sweat credit for nice tackles on 3rd and 4th downs, respectively, that stopped the Browns from taking an early 7-0 lead. Any questions about the rookie Forbes’ physicality considering his slight demeanor appear to be answered.
Cleveland did take the lead on the next series, only with a safety instead of a touchdown. Washington right tackle Andrew Wylie committed a holding penalty in the end zone as he was beat bad on the play (and for most of his night).
All in, Washington’s first two drives went for nine plays, five net yards, a sack and 15 penalty yards. And oh yeah, they took a safety. It was rough.
Things got better on Howell’s last drive of the game. He looked sharp, and Brian Robinson finally got a bit of daylight to run.
Howell looked particularly impressive on a two-play sequence that finished in the end zone. With the ball at the Browns' 39-yardline and facing fourth down, Howell got quickly flushed from the pocket and rolled to his right to buy time before finding tight end Cole Turner for a 13-yard gain. The play picked up a crucial first down to keep the drive going, and showed off Howell’s athleticism, live arm and ability to extend plays.
On the next snap, Howell fired deep down the left sideline for a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson. The ball was a little high, but Dotson hauled it in and broke free from two defenders before powering in for the score. It was by far the best part of the Commanders' night.
Howell finished the night 9 of 12 for 77 yards with the touchdown and another eight yards on the ground. If Friday night offered a glimmer into the Commanders' future with Howell, that glimmer was definitely encouraging.
As for the rest of the game, let’s be real, it was preseason and hard to judge.
Washington QB2 Jacoby Brissett engineered a TD drive but also had an interception on a deep ball that fluttered a bit too long. Percy Butler grabbed an interception off Browns QB Joshua Dobbs. A second-year player, Butler has shown solid growth this summer, and coaches will be pleased to see that carry over into game action.
Rookie runningback Chris Rodriguez had a nice night, rushing five times for 39 yards, good for an outrageous 7.8 yards-per-carry. Rodriguez runs hard. Bryon Pringle showed why he has a real chance at a roster spot at wide receiver, making a tough catch on a deep pass from Brissett that gained 32 yards. Second-year tight end Cole Turner grabbed four passes and showed real chemistry with Howell.
The preseason only offers so much, and Commanders fans should be wary of drawing conclusions from August action. Washington’s season won’t be made or broken based on the game in Cleveland.
Two things definitely stand out, however, and one is pretty much expected. Washington’s offensive line seemed like its weakest unit going into training camp, and through one preseason game, that certainly seems to be the case. And keep in mind Browns All Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett didn’t even play in this game.
The other area of concern would be the first-team defensive performance. Washington has four first-round picks on its starting defensive line, but that group could not contain the Browns' rushing attack.
Put short, Washington’s starters lost the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball Friday night. Was that an anomaly? Ron Rivera better hope so.
