Takeaways: Run Game Highlights Commanders Preseason Win vs. Miami

The Washington Commanders opened the preseason slate with a 20-7 win over the Miami Dolphins with a handful of good and bad that emerged as we break down everything you need to know from Friday night:

Run Game Emerges

With the top of the room resting and Jeremy McNichols sidelined due to a quad injury, Friday night marked a chance for the depth to prove themselves. Enter Kaytron "FatMan" Allen and UDFA signing Robert Henry Jr. The duo combined for 160 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 35 carries as Henry was the first into the end zone on a 22 yard patient run followed by Allen punching in a one yard touchdown.

Yet the duo flashed enough with Allen showcasing his hard running, bouncing off tackles to generate positive plays. Henry's blend of burst and patience helped prove why he arrived as an intriguing piece in the room despite his 5-foot-9 frame.

Though Allen was limited in the passing game, an area he isn't expected to play a huge role in, how White and Croskey-Merritt impact the passing game will be one for maybe the end of preseason, but likely the start of the regular season, to answer.

Quarterback Update

With Jayden Daniels among the veterans who were held out of the preseason opener as expected, Marcus Mariota drew the start but appeared to suffer an injury on the Commanders' opening drive, leading Sam Hartman to replace him as the veteran made his way to the medical tent then locker room.

The first half was for Hartman to impress, which was met with more lows than highs. The first drive replacing Mariota ended in a punt by Matt Haack, then his next drive ended after just six plays after a potential scoring drive ended into an easy Dolphins interception following a clear-cut overthrow by Hartman. Full drive number two was highlighted by the run game and a 14 yard catch by Van Jefferson as the offense drew a fresh set of downs at the six yard line. But an incompletion on second down followed by a sack on third down squandered the chance to tie the game, instead forcing Jake Moody to rattle in a 29-yard field goal to cut into the deficit. Hartman was more efficient over his last two drives, finding Jaylin Lane on a pair of throws along with Ben Sinnott for an 11 yard pickup before Robert Henry Jr. punched in his first NFL touchdown on a 22 yard run. The final drive of the half was highlighted by Hartman's 17 yard completion to Jaylin Lane before Kaytron Allen's first NFL touchdown gave Washington a ten point halftime lead.

Hartman took the field for one final drive in the second half, ending his day 8-of-15 with 80 yards and an interception, before seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis took the field for the rest of the game. The rookie finished 6-of-10 with 87 yards, including 33 yards on his first two throws to rookie Antonio Williams then Colson Yankoff, followed by a completion over 20 yards to Jacoby Jones then short gain to Jaden Bradley. While the big plays may not have always been there, the rookie's arm strength was evident in his unofficial debut.

The question now is, with Mariota exiting the game with a possible non-contact leg injury, can Kaliakmanis potentially stabilize the backup quarterback spot?

Defense Settles In

With quarterback Malik Willis in the game, the Commanders defense suffered a deflating start for the defense after a 14 play drive featured 13 plays with positive yards headlined by a 28 yard circus catch by wide receiver Caleb Douglas. The deflating part was it featured rookie linebacker Sonny Styles, Leo Chenal and cornerback Rasul Douglas on the field. It marked the last time the Dolphins' offense would threaten Washington the rest of the way, allowing just 153 yards of offense while amassing three sacks and three interceptions over the next ten drives.

Ale Kaho and Jordan Magee stepped in for Styles and Chenal on the second drive that ended much better after the defense held a Quinn Ewers-led Dolphins offense on fourth down after Ewers tried to scramble up the middle for the first down. The third drive, facing another 90-plus yard field to defend, ended quickly after an overthrow by Ewers easily sailed into the hands of safety Quan Martin to set up a scoring position.

Linebacker Ale Kaho came down with the second interception after newly-signed defensive tackle Byron Cowart generated pressure midway through the fourth quarter, setting the offense up with an eventual field goal opportunity. UDFA safety Malik Spencer would then come down with the third and final interception to end Miami's three-play drive on the next series after another misfire.

It was to be expected that the Commanders would stay conservative with its playbooks on both sides of the ball, especially with so many starters sidelined, but the adjustments and consistent pressure the depth pieces were able to generate add to the preseason encouragement. CB Antonio Hamilton tied with DT Ricky Barber for a team-high five tackles in the win.

Other Notes