Commanders Close Out the Preseason in Baltimore With an Offensive Line Alarm Bell Still Ringing
Preview: at Baltimore Ravens · generated Aug 28, 7:01 AM EDT
The Commanders close out the preseason tonight at M&T Bank Stadium against the Ravens in the annual Battle of the Beltway, and yes, the offensive line is still a thing that exists and still a problem. Those two facts are very much related.
Washington's offensive line is the story of this entire preseason, and it hit a new low in Wednesday's joint practice. Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic described it as "the worst I've ever seen the Commanders' offense in years" with an "inoperable offensive line", which is exactly the sentence Commanders fans have spent the last decade not wanting to hear. John Keim reported false starts, snap issues, a struggling run game, and tackle Brandon Coleman admitting it was "up and down", which is a very charitable way of describing what sounds like controlled chaos. Jeremy Reaves came out of it with the best quote, telling reporters that style of play is "how you win five games", which landed the way a cold bucket of water lands. The Commanders were also doing all of this without Sam Cosmi (illness) and Nick Allegretti, forcing Matt Gulbin and Julian Good-Jones into center duty, against, of all teams, the Ravens.
All of this traces back to Laremy Tunsil, whose torn triceps required surgery and is likely to keep him out for the season. Washington's response was to sign D.J. Humphries, who has 101 career starts and will work into the rotation at left tackle, though Brandon Coleman still appears on track to start the opener. Nicki Jhabvala framed Humphries as adding "depth and starter experience at LT", while Ben Standig noted the 32-year-old hasn't been a full-time starter since 2023 and got eight games with the Rams last year. Tunsil himself, despite being sidelined, showed up in Baltimore to support the team this week and reportedly brought food trucks for everyone, which is the kind of move that makes you root even harder for a guy who is already injured and cannot help you.
Even before Tunsil went down, center was already a problem, with Quinn conceding "we've got to figure out center" and that the team has "work to do" at the position. Jhabvala cut right through the diplomatic language in one of the week's more economical sentences: "The Commanders need a center. Badly. Still. That is all". That about covers it. With Allegretti banged up, Gulbin and Good-Jones have carried the center reps, and John Keim has repeatedly flagged that a trade or post-cuts pickup still looks like the most realistic fix.
Jayden Daniels was limited to three plays in the preseason opener against Detroit, called Wednesday's joint practice "not the best day that I thought we could've had" but insisted it's "an opportunity that we can learn from". Weeks ago he was already keeping expectations grounded, noting "you're not winning a Super Bowl right now" and that September 13 is when it actually matters. For all the noise around the line, he did produce a fourth-down touchdown to rookie receiver Antonio Williams while absorbing pressure in Baltimore, a play Jhabvala called "a beauty". Williams has quietly been one of the more encouraging things about this entire camp, with Daniels praising him as "a kid that wants to learn, he's always asking questions", which is the kind of thing you say about someone you actually trust.
Not everything has been a disaster. Safety Quan Martin has an interception in each of the first two preseason games and has drawn real praise from Quinn, who said he's "felt an intensity and urgency about him". Cornerback Mike Sainristil also picked off Lamar Jackson late in the joint practice, which is a sentence that deserves a moment. The injury report is still lengthy — Odafe Oweh (calf) and Trey Amos (ankle) both banged up, prompting what was described as a heavy sigh from Quinn before adding they're "both working hard and making progress". Washington also shuffled the roster this week, parting ways with safety Will Harris, adding linebacker Boogie Basham and two new safeties, with Jhabvala noting the roster crunch is playing out across nearly every position group except tight end, special teams and now safety.
Oddsmakers have Baltimore favored by 2.5, over/under of 33.5, and Washington's moneyline at +119, per DraftKings via ESPN. A Yahoo Sports/Covers report pegs the Ravens as a 60-cent favorite at Kalshi. The actual betting angle here is less about the final score — most of these players won't be on the field past the first quarter — and more about what you take away from watching an offensive line that currently runs on vibes and prayer try to hold up against one of the better defensive fronts in the AFC.