Commanders Humbled in Preseason Finale, Fall 41-3 vs. Baltimore

One week after concerns emerged in the loss against the Detroit Lions and two days after a humbling performance in a joint practice against the Baltimore Ravens, the Washington Commanders found themselves humbled once again.

The Commanders closed out the preseason slate with a 41-3 loss against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in what was maybe the most sobering performance in August as head coach Dan Quinn and his staff now turn to answering the growing questions.

Washington wasn't expected to feature many starters on Friday night with 41 inactives proving to make that a reality, giving a chance for a long list of fringe players to create separation ahead of looming roster cuts. Yet outside of safety Tyler Owens, those fringe pieces struggled to make much of anything in their final showing ahead of roster decisions.

Washington registered just 60 yards of offense and one first down in the first half with seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis drew the bulk of the snaps under center. That also includes a fumble by running back Kaytron Allen on Washington's first offensive play of the game, but it set the tone for the rest of the night after totaling just 177 yards of total offense and 3.4 yards per play in the loss.

Wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, the lone receiver viewed to be in the mix for the 53-man roster who did play, made an impressive catch for a 17 yard gain in the opening minutes of the second quarter, in a contested play as Athan Kaliakmanis faced pressure. Yet that also marked his only catch of the night while his performance came with a handful of drops, including one on third down. Tight end Lawrence Cager played in his hometown for the first time since high school to post a team-high six catches.

Washington's first and only highlight of the night came midway through the third quarter after defensive back Quindell Johnson, who signed with the team earlier this week, came down with an interception to set up Drew Stevens for an eventual 39 yard field goal, ending the shutout bid.

Of course, that came after Baltimore turned all but one of their first five drives into points after amassing a 24-0 lead ahead of the two minute warning in the first half. Five consecutive three-and-outs by Washington's offense only helped Baltimore keep momentum as the poor tackling that plagued the defense last year resurfaced once again. Baltimore ended with 456 yards of total offense, including 195 yards on the ground and 6.5 yards per carry.

Washington ends the preseason slate at 1-2 and will now shift attention to the regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 13 with roster cuts now looming.