Earned and lost roster places in Commanders’ win in the preseason finale
The Cincinnati Bengals were defeated 21-19 by the Commanders on Saturday, their third consecutive preseason victory.
Does it create a sound if a third preseason game ends up in the woods? I’m joking.
On Saturday night, the Commanders defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 21-19 to win their third consecutive preseason game, in part because of several standout performances by roster bubble players.
Mitchell Tinsley, a wide receiver vying for a place on the final 53-man roster, may have had his greatest performance on video. He finished with three catches for 89 yards and a score. Tinsley made a great effort to get a place against Cincinnati, but it’s uncertain what Washington will do at the receiver position.
Conversely, Kazmeir Allen, an undrafted rookie wide receiver, did not show much promise. He mishandled a punt deep into his territory and dropped two passes. Allen’s greatest route to the team was as a kick returner and punt returner, and the mishandled punt may seriously cause coaches to reconsider using him in that capacity.
With eight rushes for 51 yards, local favorite Jared Patterson left a lasting impression on the Commanders coaches. Fans have supported Patterson, a native of Prince George’s County, ever since he joined the Washington roster in 2020, and he has shown that he is a capable NFL player.
This season, there may not be room for Patterson at running back on the 53-man roster. However, this may not be due to a lack of play; rather, it might be because Chris Rodriguez, a sixth-round rookie running back, has been showing signs of improvement. Ron Rivera, the head coach of the Commanders, has a history of nearly always preserving his draft selections, and he’s had a great summer.
Although it was always the intention, fans may have been upset not to see starting quarterback Sam Howell on Saturday. Up until his last pass of the game, a 39-yard touchdown to Tinsley in the second quarter, backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett had a lackluster effort.
It was Jake Fromm’s turn to play after Brissett left the game, and he did rather well. Fromm has had a promising preseason and training camp; nevertheless, it will be fascinating to see if that effort will surpass his prior NFL experience from a couple years ago with the Giants. Fromm’s career completion percentage in two genuine game starts is 45. That is just not good enough for an NFL quarterback.
Tight end Cole Turner, linebacker Khaleke Hudson, and cornerback Jace Whitaker were among the other guys that caught our attention. If you’ve gotten this far and are wondering why most of these names are unfamiliar, it’s because the Commanders rested some of their most important reserves and only played a small number of their starters.
The favorable tidings? With the exception of a persistent Terry McLaurin toe issue and Chase Young’s “stinger,” Washington avoided any significant ailments throughout the preseason.
Better news? After years of mediocre offensive output and strong defense, Eric Bieniemy, the new offensive coordinator, demonstrated in the three preseason games that he was capable of calling plays.
Inhale deeply. Cuts to the roster take place on Tuesday. In two weeks, real football will be back.
