Commanders set for a serious test before real games begin

The preseason presents a key opportunity for the Washington Commanders to tune up for the regular season, providing the chance to see their units in real action before the wins and losses begin to stick on the permanent record.

Joint practices are often considered more valuable than the preseason games themselves because the Commanders can get as close to full as possible with an element of control involved that doesn't exist in the games. They also get to employ some tactics they'll look to use in the regular season without the threat of television broadcast cameras capturing them for other teams to exploit.

Every time we get a joint practice for Washington, we hear the phrase “iron sharpens iron,” but the truth is, not all iron sharpens as well as others. It doesn't get much sharper than the Baltimore Ravens, however, the team the Commanders will practice and play against in the preseason finale, just before the regular season gets underway.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“It feels like now or never for the Ravens after general manager Eric DeCosta signed Jaire Alexander to put the finishing touches on the best roster in football,” says NFL.com's Bucky Brooks in his list of teams that 'won the offseason'.

Adding Alexander to an already stacked secondary with safety Kyle Hamilton and rookie Malaki Starks and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins almost seems unfair. As it pertains to the Commanders in this context, however, facing the unit will give quarterback Jayden Daniels and the offense a valuable opportunity to test themselves against arguably the best secondary in football.

On the other side of the ball, All-Pro MVP-caliber quarterback Lamar Jackson will be waiting to challenge coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.'s defense, along with weapons like receiver Zay Flowers and tight end Isaiah Likely.

With a lot of new pieces in his front and in the secondary, it'll be a good opportunity for his starters to get exposure to top-shelf talent before entering the regular season at home against the New York Giants.

Of course, it'll all lead to the preseason finale, and one last chance for bottom-of-the-roster guys to make a positive impression in hopes of securing one of the last active spots, or at least an offer to come back on the practice squad.

The impact of the preseason is negligible and debated by many. The positives of joint practices, however, are echoed by every head coach who opts to participate in them. Controlled competition at its highest level is the best preparation a team can get, and getting valuable reps against a team of the caliber of Baltimore won't guarantee victory in-season, but it will surely help set the stage for several of them.

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