Commanders hope to put Patriots preseason loss behind them

The Washington Commanders are moving forward after their 48-18 blowout loss to the New England Patriots in the first week of the preseason.

Things didn't start off right for the Commanders, who surrendered a touchdown on the first play of the game on special teams.

"Surrendering a 100-yard kickoff return to a rookie on the opening kickoff of the preseason. C'mon man! It's the first play of actual football in months. Lock in and don't get embarrassed right from the jump like that. Pitiful effort to begin the preseason, and it's an effort that carried over to all three phases for the Commanders for the rest of the night," CBS Sports contributor Garett Podell wrote.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Lawrence Cager runs against the New England Patriots. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Commanders struggle vs. Patriots

Things didn't get better when the Commanders found themselves on offense. With Jayden Daniels on the sideline next to Marcus Mariota, the Commanders' third and fourth-string quarterbacks couldn't find a rhythm and committed costly turnovers.

"Both backups to 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, Josh Johnson and Sam Hartman, threw an interception. The offense struggled to move the ball all night as the Commanders went down 20-0 early in the second quarter, 27-3 at halftime and 41-11 early in the fourth quarter. Washington's offense and defense combined to accomplish almost nothing," Podell wrote.

While there was a lot of disappointment in the team's performance, there was a bright spot in second-round cornerback Trey Amos, who is competing for a starting role on defense.

"He played a total of just 13 snaps, but he had a strong all-around effort as one of the lone bright spots for Washington on Friday. He didn't allow a catch on his lone target while adding a couple of tackles," Podell wrote.

While there was a lot to dislike, it should be taken with a grain or two of salt. The Commanders sat 30 of their players likely to make the roster, so most of the players competing against the Patriots were fighting for practice squad opportunities.

Washington is back in action on Monday Night Football at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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