By admin 
Before their final preseason game Friday, the Commanders headed north on I-95 to visit the Baltimore Ravens for a joint practice. After facing a Dolphins team that lacked identity in their first preseason game, the momentum and confidence within the team dropped at a rapid pace. With injuries beginning to pile up on both sides of the ball, the Commanders are scrambling to find answers before their Week 1 matchup against the Eagles.
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Offensive line appears unrecognizable
There’s no shortchanging the importance Laremy Tunsil and Nick Allegretti bring to the offensive line. Seasoned veterans, the two were supposed to be pillars of the new scheme designed to put Jayden Daniels under center more often. While Allegretti is optimistic he can return by the start of the regular season, finding his replacement has been a revolving door of disappointment.
“This is the worst I’ve ever seen the Commanders’ offense in years. Inoperable offensive line,” Nicki Jhabvala posted on X.
With a little more than two weeks for Allegretti and Sam Cosmi to return from injury, the alarms don’t need to be on high alert quite yet. However, Washington still has to face an Eagles defensive line consisting of Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith and potentially Jonathan Greenard, no easy task for any unit.
Defense inches toward success but not quite ready
If a defense can generate five turnovers in two games, even in the preseason, one would assume it’s a top-tier unit. Yet the Commanders’ defenders struggled all day to keep Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers in check.
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When asked for his assessment of the day and the current state of the team, Jeremy Reaves did not hold back, saying, “How we started, that’s how you win five games. We have to be way better. The season is a couple weeks away, and we start off in the division. The margin of error is very slim, and if you’re not on top of it now, you can’t wait until you’re in the fire to realize it’s hot.”
After releasing safety Will Harris on Tuesday, Washington is looking to fill his roster spot with players that can communicate effectively and prevent explosive plays down the field.
Even though the secondary had a rough day, Sonny Styles continues to improve with each practice. Styles has been reading plays well in pass-rush scenarios and had an interception during one-on-one coverage drills.
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This story was originally published August 26, 2026 at 1:42 PM.