Podcast: Commanders Preseason Win, Running Backs Shine, Week Two

Hosted by Tyler Lochte and Ahmed Ghafir on the next episode of DC Roundtable diving into the Washington Commanders, we have preseason football to talk about with plenty to sort out.

The Washington Commanders officially kicked off the preseason slate at Northwest Stadium with a 20-7 win over the Miami Dolphins on Friday night, giving head coach Dan Quinn a chance to evaluate his new-look roster along with a pair of first year coordinators in David Blough and Daronte Jones.

Though veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota went down in the opening drive of the game, that also gave the Commanders a chance to evaluate the rest of the quarterback room as rookie Athan Kaliakmanis looks to play spoiler as Sam Hartman looks to make the roster for the third consecutive year.

Yet the biggest takeaway was what materialized in the running back room after a pair of rookie in Kaytron Allen and Robert Henry Jr. stole the show to combine for 160 yards and two touchdowns, adding intrigue to what could become of the unit this season. Did they both do enough to cement their roles on the 2026 roster? Washington made another move on Monday with Jeremy McNichols sidelined, but we talk about what's to come.

Of course, the first roster battle winner was declared on Monday afternoon after Jake Moody was released, paving the way for undrafted free agent Drew Stevens to become the starting kicker in 2026. Was it deserved? Was it too early?

The Commanders set to also hit the road this upcoming weekend for the first of two consecutive preseason games on the road, along with the first of four straight on the road until the Seattle Seahawks arrive week three home opener. With the Detroit Lions set to serve as the host on Saturday afternoon with kickoff set for noon ET, what is one thing we want to see from the Commanders? Will -- and should -- the starters play after seeing over two dozen sit out during the opener?

We also dive into the noise surrounding quarterback Jayden Daniels, whether it's valid noise, whether it's a distraction and whether it was handled the right way.

Make sure to like and subscribe to the show as we dive into everything you need to know surrounding the Washington Commanders through preseason into a pivotal 2026 season in year three for head coach Dan Quinn. Watch the full episode here.