Ravens vs. Commanders Notebook: Sam Howell Stars, Terry McLaurin Injured
The Washington Commanders walked out of Monday night's game against the Baltimore Ravens with a 29-28 win at FedEx Field, ending the visitors' 24-game preseason win streak.
But not to be lost in the score is that Commanders coach Ron Rivera departed with several valuable lessons learned about his team, some of which may bring concern.
From quarterback Sam Howell's impressive outing to the latest on injured receiver Terry McLaurin and more, here are three takeaways from Washington's win against Baltimore ...
HOWELL PROVES COMMANDERS RIGHT ON PRIMETIME
Just days after officially being named the Commanders' starting quarterback, Howell had a strong showing under the lights on primetime television, completing 19 of 25 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns while adding three rushes for 17 yards.
It was an efficient showing from the second-year pro, one that highlighted his pocket presence, ability to make tight window throws and quickened processing speed.
By all accounts, Howell looked in control and ready to lead Washington's offense, fresh off a steady first preseason appearance in which he went nine of 12 for 77 yards and a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns.
Given the spotlight in a standalone game on ESPN, Howell had a lot of eyes on him considering the nature of the preseason ... and delivered in convincing fashion.
MCLAURIN INJURED; STATUS UPDATE?
Apart from getting quality evaluations, perhaps the most important aspect of the preseason is surviving without injuries to starters ... and the Commanders couldn't quite check the box on Monday night, as star receiver Terry McLaurin walked off the field in frustration late in the first half.
Washington announced that McLaurin suffered an injury to his toe and, shortly thereafter, underwent X-Rays, which came back to be negative.
Following the game, Rivera told reporters that McLaurin will be evaluated day-by-day, which seemingly indicates his absence will be short-term ... but the question now becomes whether he'll be at full health come Week 1 in less than three weeks.
MARTIN LEADS UP-AND-DOWN DEFENSIVE EFFORT
Washington's defense had a difficult time defending the pass for much of the night, allowing Baltimore quarterbacks Josh Johnson and Anthony Brown to complete 16 of 22 passes for 185 yards and four touchdowns ... but also two interceptions, although one was an end-of-game heave from Brown to rookie defensive back Kendall Smith.
Against the run, the Commanders allowed 149 yards on 27 carries, an average of 5.5 yards per attempt, a number that Rivera and staff will hope is much smaller during the regular season.
The Commanders, who didn't play a majority of their first-team defense, saw rookie Jartavius Martin shine, reeling in a difficult interception and being credited with an additional pass defended.
First-round cornerback Emmanuel Forbes had a key tackle to stop an outside rush attempt on 3rd and 1, but also allowed a lengthy completion to Ravens first-round receiver Zay Flowers.
Elsewhere, three defenders - linebacker David Mayo, cornerback Rachad Wildgoose and safety Percy Butler - tied for the team lead with four tackles.
Up front, the Commanders received a quarterback hit from Benning Potoa'e and a tackle for loss from seventh-round rookie Andre Jones Jr., who's been a noticeable standout this summer.
In all, Washington's defense provided a few signs of encouragement, especially with its draftees, but also has work to do down the depth chart.
FROMM LEADS GAME-WINNING, STREAK-ENDING DRIVE
It's not often that the score of a preseason game has meaning, but this is one of those special occasions, as the Commanders' victory snapped the Ravens' NFL record 24 consecutive preseason wins, with their last loss coming in 2015.
Trailing 28-20 and forced to punt with just over 10 minutes to play, things looked bleak for Washington ... but third-string quarterback Jake Fromm led the offense to consecutive scores, the first being a 59-yard touchdown drive and the second ending with kicker Joey Slye's go-ahead 49-yard field goal with only 10 seconds left.
Fromm finished the night 10 of 16 for 91 yards and a touchdown in his lone two drives of work while making big plays in key moments.
Like with Howell, Slye's game-winning kick only adds conviction to Rivera's decision to keep him in favor of Michael Badgley, who was cut Sunday.
Monday night's game proved to be exciting in many ways, with Howell opening eyes and the Commanders breaking a league record along the way ... while also providing some scare with McLaurin's injury.
Nonetheless, Washington is now two-thirds of the way through the preseason and will look to finish undefeated when it hosts the Cincinnati Bengals this Saturday, Aug. 26, at FedEx Field, with kickoff set for 6:05 p.m. EST.
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