Raven Country

Winners and Losers From Ravens Win Over Commanders

The Baltimore Ravens had several young players shine in their final action of the preseason.
Josh Reed|
Aug 23, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (5) celebrates after making an interception during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
Aug 23, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (5) celebrates after making an interception during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens finished the 2025 preseason undefeated following yet another dominant performance and their best defensive effort to date in a 30-3 blowout of the Washington Commanders in the annual Battle of the Beltway on Saturday afternoon.

Powering them to victory were strong performances by several members of their rookie class, both drafted and undrafted, along with some other young first-contract players who made the most of extended playing time. Here are the biggest winners and losers from the team's second taste of exhibition action.

Winners

CB Keyon Martin: No player made a bigger or better case to make the final roster than the undrafted rookie. He was a holy terror for the Commanders' offense and the brightest of a handful of stars for the Ravens' defense in the first half. Two of his four tackles went for a loss. On one, he shed a block from a wide receiver. On the other, he knifed into the backfield. His biggest and most impressive play, not only of this game but of the entire preseason, was an interception return for a touchdown. He read the quarterback's eyes and came off his man to undercut the intended pass, then trotted to the end zone. In a post-game interview on the field, he shared that it was the first pick-six of his career at any level.

QB Cooper Rush: Although the veteran signal caller only played for the Ravens' first two drives, he made the most of his time by leading a pair of touchdown drives. He went a perfect 5-of-5 for 59 yards, averaged 11.8 yards per attempt, logged a passing rating of 115.8 and most importantly, didn't turn the ball over for the first time.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush (15) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders.
Aug 23, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush (15) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

ILB Trenton Simpson: The third-year pro went from leaving the door cracked for one of the Ravens' standout rookies to challenge him for the starting WILL linebacker spot to slamming it shut with his performance in the finale. Simpson was partially and fully responsible for half of the defense's four total turnovers after tipping a pass that was intercepted and delivering a big hit for a strip-sack. He also recorded half a sack on a third-down stop to force a field goal attempt, tied for the second-most total tackles on the team with six, including one for a loss and a pair of quarterback hits.

RB Rasheen Ali: With Keaton Mitchell out for the second straight week, the second-year pro got the starting nod and played well once again. Even though he didn't lead the team in carries or rushing yards, he looked good running the ball and catching it out of the backfield and was very active on special teams.

DB Jalyn Armour-Davis: Last week, the fourth-year pro only saw the field for less than five total snaps and came back with a vengeance in this game and was fantastic. His first impactful play was an incompletion he forced by making a great break on the ball, which led to a fourth down where the Commanders were forced to settle for a field goal that they missed wide left. He also was the one who corralled the pass Simpson tipped up in the air and broke up another pass.

QB Devin Leary: Following a rough start to the game after taking over for Rush in the second quarter, the second-year pro settled down in the second half and showed enough positive signs to warrant consideration for a practice squad spot.

ILB Teddye Buchanan: Even though he didn't shine quite as brightly as Simpson, the fourth-round rookie's performance was sterling nonetheless, with how he flew around from sideline to sideline making plays in space and especially the backfield. He split a sack with Simpson and recorded a quarterback hit to go along with four total tackles, including two solos.

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman (15) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Teddye Buchanan (40).
Aug 23, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman (15) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Teddye Buchanan (40) during the second quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

OLB David Ojabo: The fourth-year pro was left unblocked off the right side of the opponent's offensive line and came up with a big play in the backfield once again. This time around, it was a huge tackle for a loss that resulted in a turnover on downs.

K Tyler Loop: As if the Ravens' confidence in their sixth-round rookie kicker wasn't already high, it will skyrocket even further following his outstanding performance in the finale where he made all of his field goal attempts for the first time this preseason. Loop went 3-of-3 with a pair of 50-plus yarders, including a long of 61 that he crushed with room to spare as it hit the net behind the uprights.

DB Reuben Lowery: Not only did the undrafted rookie training camp star start the game at free safety, he didn't play much in the second half, further signaling that he has proved his value and both made the roster and earned a role on defense. He led the team with seven total tackles, including a trio of solos.

OLB Malik Hamm: The third-year pro played hard and hustled to the ball, which allowed him to get in on a trio of tackles, including a pair of solos, as well as record a quarterback hit and recover Simpson's forced fumble.

Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Malik Hamm (59) smiles after intercepting a pass from the Washington Commanders.
Aug 23, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Malik Hamm (59) smiles after intercepting a pass from the Washington Commanders in the second quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordyn Harris-Imagn Images | Jordyn Harris-Imagn Images

P Jordan Stout: For the second week in a row, the fourth-year specialist quietly had another monster performance in which all of his attempts were downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. His ability to flip the field played a key role in the defense being able to give the offense the ball back with favorable field position. Stout averaged 43.8 yards per punt with a long of 51 and his hangtime was consistently excellent.

WR LaJohntay Wester: After a rough outing as a pass catcher last week, in which he didn't come down with any of his four targets, the sixth-round rookie caught both of the balls that came his way in the passing game and finished with 28 receiving yards to lead the team for the second time this preseason. Wester was able to shake loose on his lone punt return attempt and was only able to gain three yards.

Second-string O-line: The Ravens' top reserves in the trenches set the tone and dominated the line of scrimmage to open the game. They were the driving force behind the offense's first two drives, finishing in the end zone with the way they kept Rush clean and blew the Commanders off the ball. Baltimore ran the ball on 12 of their first 14 plays on the opening possession and allowed veteran running back D'Ernest Johnson to go untouched across the goal line to cap off the second.

Baltimore Ravens running back Rasheen Ali (26) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Washington Commanders.
Aug 23, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Rasheen Ali (26) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Losers

DB Beau Brade: With Martin balling out and Lowery getting to start the game alongside his fellow second-year pro Sanoussi Kane, the odds of the former undrafted gem making the final cut seem slim. He didn't check into the game on defense until after halftime and was primarily playing nickel and not safety, further showing that he is firmly behind both rookies on the depth chart in the eyes of the coaching staff.

DT CJ Okoye: The third-year pro had a chance to put a stamp on his bid for a roster spot had he stood out in this game, but it didn't happen. He was on the field early and often in the game when the Ravens were getting gashed on the ground and blown off the line of scrimmage, finishing with just one assisted tackle.

ILB Jay Higgins: For the first time this preseason, the undrafted rookie finds himself in unfamiliar territory in the losers' section, but it wasn't a result of poor play. While he didn't record a splash play for a turnover for the third week in a row, Simpson and Buchanan combined to make several. He tied for the second-most total tackles on the team with six, including a solo, and got a quarterback hit on former Ravens quarterback Josh Johnson that forced an errant pass that resulted in an incompletion.

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Josh Reed
JOSH REED

Josh is a writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI focusing primarily on original content and reporting. He provides analysis, breakdowns, profiles, and reports on important news and transactions from and about the Ravens. His professional resume as a sports reporter includes covering local events, teams, and athletes in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska for Anchorage Daily News. His coverage on the Ravens and other NFL teams has been featured on Heavy.com/sports, Maryland Sports Blog and most recently Baltimore Beatdown from 2021 until 2025.

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