Greetings From The Booth!

Can you feel it in the air? Fall is coming, and with it, “for-real” NFL games, not to be confused with the pre-season contests that whet our appetites this time of year. That being said, I have some takeaways from the Washington Commanders’ 17-13 loss to Detroit this past Saturday. No one cares about the score or the result–that will be forgotten by Tuesday, if it isn’t already. These are the things that concern and puzzle me as we get closer to teeing it up on September 13th in Philadelphia:

Why did Jayden Daniels even play? 3 snaps?!? Are you kidding me? I thought Week 2 of the preseason was supposed to be a “dress rehearsal” for the starters. Especially for a team with new coordinators, new systems, and new players. As for Daniels, his 3 plays consisted of a hurried incompletion, a 10-yard sack, and a “give-up” handoff on 3rd and 20. That was his day. I would have liked to see the starters play for at least a quarter. Nothing was accomplished here.

No running game. The Washington running game Saturday consisted of 45 yards. This paltry total is not so much a reflection of the Commanders running backs as it is an indictment of the offensive line. With several starters on the O-line, this was an opportunity for the “next man up,” and as John Lennon might say, they didn’t pass the audition.

The battle for QB3. Hands down, Athan Kaliakmanis is winning (or has already won) this duel with Sam Hartman. The former Illinois and Rutgers quarterback has good pocket presence and is not afraid to throw the ball downfield. On the other hand, Hartman looks for his check down receivers almost immediately after the snap. Look at the stats. Both have a pretty high completion percentage, but the yardage belongs to AK16, who simply looks to be the better option at QB3. With backup Marcus Mariotta injured, this matters.

Sonny Styles. There has been a lot of fan board and social media discussion about the Commanders linebacker and number one draft choice, who has not dazzled in the team’s first two preseason games. Styles at times looks to be out of position, as he was on a 50-yard quarterback read-option that went for a Lions touchdown. And there seems to be some concern about his size. 2 preseason games does not a season or career make, so he deserves the benefit of the doubt. That being said, maybe he would be a better (strong) safety in the pro game. Let’s give him some time.

Defensive takeaways. The Commanders’ defense has been a turnover machine in the preseason. I’m not sure how this will carry over into the regular season, but it’s an encouraging sign for a defense that couldn’t take candy from a baby in 2025. It was also fun to see a defensive touchdown on the game’s first series.

An overall sloppy effort. For a Week 2 dress rehearsal, Dan Quinn could not have been happy. The eye test revealed a sloppy effort, especially when you consider that this game was an opportunity for players who will not make the Commanders roster but are auditioning for other NFL teams.

Overall grade for Week 2: C-minus.

What can we really take away from the above? Probably nothing. Hopefully we will see a prepared and much different team when the Commanders begin a challenging schedule in Philadelphia in a few weeks. I’m ready…I just hope my team is.

Until the next visit from the Booth…HTTC!

RW