The Washington Commanders lost their second preseason game, 17-13, to the Detroit Lions on Saturday — a result that mattered less than what it revealed about a roster still being built under real pressure, with final cuts now just over a week away.
The starting defense looked like a different unit. Washington’s first-team defense played only a handful of snaps, but the difference from a year ago was immediate. The group was fast and physical, holding Lions quarterback Josh Dobbs to one completion across Detroit’s first two series and forcing two turnovers — a strip-sack recovered by Joshua Josephs after Amik Robertson jarred the ball loose, and an interception by Quan Martin, his second of the preseason. Washington ranked near the bottom of the league in takeaways in 2025, ahead of only the New York Jets; through two preseason games this year, they already have six.
Pressure never let up, even after the backups entered. Once reserves replaced the starters, the turnovers stopped, but the pressure didn’t. Dobbs and backup Luke Altmyer combined for just 110 yards on 16 completions and were sacked four times — Javontae Jean-Baptiste alone recorded a nine-yard sack that put Altmyer in a second-and-19 hole. Washington finished with five total sacks, a notable jump for a pass rush that struggled to generate consistent pressure last season, even with regular contributors Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson sidelined by injury.
Athan Kaliakmanis made a real case for the No. 3 quarterback job. Kaliakmanis completed 78% of his passes for 162 yards and wasn’t sacked, including a 55-yard connection with Nick Nash and a 30-yard gain to Jaden Bradley. He’s competing with Sam Hartman for the roster’s final quarterback spot behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota, a battle that will likely run through the preseason finale.
Jaden Bradley made the catch of the game. Early in the third quarter, the UNLV rookie hauled in a contested, one-handed grab down the sideline off a Kaliakmanis pass, drawing cheers from Washington’s sideline. With a crowded receiver room, Bradley’s roster path is unclear, but he’s building a strong case for at least a practice-squad spot.
One test left before the real thing. Washington opened the preseason with a 20-7 win over Miami and now moves to its final test: a joint practice against the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday, August 26, in Owings Mills, followed by the preseason finale at M&T Bank Stadium on Friday, August 28. Starters aren’t expected to see much action in that finale, making Wednesday’s joint practice the more meaningful measuring stick — Daniels and the first-team offense against a Ravens defense that remains one of the AFC’s better units under Lamar Jackson, even with a new coaching staff.
Beyond the Lions game itself, camp has been eventful. The offensive line took its biggest hit of the summer on August 8, when All-Pro left tackle Laremy Tunsil suffered a torn triceps that will require surgery and could sideline him for months — potentially the rest of the season. The injury landed the same week Washington signed veteran receiver Stefon Diggs, adding a jolt of good news to an otherwise rough stretch. With Tunsil out, Brandon Coleman has shifted back to left tackle, a spot he started at in 2024. Center Nick Allegretti, the favorite to start there after Washington released veteran Tyler Biadasz in the offseason, has been dealing with his own calf strain since July 29 and did not play against the Lions, though coach Dan Quinn has expressed optimism about a return around the Ravens week. Defensive lineman Johnny Newton also underwent successful pectoral surgery this month and will miss significant time, another blow to a front seven that otherwise looked much improved against Detroit.
The roster itself has been in constant motion. On August 18, Washington signed linebacker Krys Barnes, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II, tight end Tre’ McKitty and running back Craig Reynolds, while releasing punter Matt Haack and kicker Jake Moody; wide receiver River Cracraft and running back Jerome Ford, who suffered a hamstring injury in the Miami opener, were both moved to injured reserve. Earlier in camp, the team added offensive linemen Daniel Brunskill, Nicholas Petit-Frere and Max Scharping for depth. Quinn has also been giving extended looks to rookies linebacker Sonny Styles and wide receiver Antonio Williams, both viewed as key pieces of Washington’s draft class.
All of it builds toward August 30, when every NFL team — Washington included — must cut down to a 53-man roster by 6 p.m. ET, a deadline moved up a few days earlier than usual this year to accommodate the season’s Wednesday kickoff. For players still fighting for a spot, Friday’s game against Baltimore is the last real chance to make an impression before those decisions get made.
