MIAMI GARDENS, Fl. — After a good day of practice against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday the Washington Commanders rejoined their host on the playing field Saturday night for each team’s second preseason game of the year.
As is the tradition in the preseason, however, the Commanders were without several key players including offensive tackle Brandon Coleman, defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, linebacker Bobby Wagner, quarterback Marcus Mariota, defensive end Clelin Ferrell, and tight end Zach Ertz who stayed back in Virginia for personal reasons.
Despite those absences the Washington offense came into this preseason game more established on the offensive line with right tackle Andrew Wylie returning to action and left tackle Cornelius Lucas stepping in for Coleman who continues to rehab a shoulder injury that held him out of the first contest against the New York Jets as well.
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As they did against the Jets in Week 1 of the preseason the Commanders started on offense, and once again quarterback Jayden Daniels led the team down the field. This time the drive didn’t end in a touchdown, but did put them in position for a 49-yard Riley Patterson field goal try.
Unfortunately, Patterson missed the kick, but the good news is in two preseason drives Daniels has helped put his team in position to score 10 points. On Saturday night he completed five of his seven pass attempts on the first drive for 46 yards and connected with receivers Terry McLaurin and Dyami Brown along the way.
Unfortunately, Miami didn’t have the same problem and its first drive ended with a touchdown after quarterback Tua Tagovailoa found receiver River Cracraft in the back right corner of the end zone on a fade route to beat Washington cornerback Benjamin St-Juste on a 13-yard scoring toss.
To make matters worse, the score came on fourth and one, and was the second converted fourth down of the drive.
That meant we got to see something out of Daniels that we haven’t yet, playing from behind.
Starting his second drive of the night from his own 20-yard line Daniels watched as running back Brian Robinson Jr. ripped off two 11-yard runs hitting gaps opened up by the right side of the offensive line which welcomed tackle Andrew Wylie back into the mix this week.
From there, Daniels took a run play of his own around the right side for a 16-yard gain giving the team three explosive runs in the one drive alone.
Unfortunately a holding call on Wylie negated what would have been a converted third down nearing the red zone and Washington settled for a 46-yard field goal.
For those counting at home that’s three drives, three scoring opportunities with Daniels in at quarterback. In this game, however, all of that led to a 7-3 deficit after two possessions.
That was it for Daniels, and after the Commanders defense forced a three-and-out Jeff Driskel came in at quarterback and promptly ripped off a 41-yard run from his own 30 to the Miami 29 yard line.
The drive stalled from there, however, leaving Patterson to try a third field goal of the half. This one from 43-yards, and once again he missed the kick leaving the score 7-3 in favor of the Dolphins.
Calling it a wrap for both first teams, the second team defense came in for Washington after that and safety Darrick Forrest got his first preseason action of the year. Unfortunately that first drive for the second team resulted in a scoring opportunity, but wasn’t as bad in the record books as it could have been.
Thanks to Dolphins receiver Braxton Berrios who dropped an easy touchdown pass in the end zone the deficit only grew by three after a Jason Sanders 39-yard field goal made the score 10-3 with just under eight minutes left in the half.
With the first half clock ticking down Driskel led the Commanders offense down the field for one last field goal try for Patterson, this one from 38-yards out. Despite his early struggles, Patterson made that one, and Washington trimmed the lead to 10-6.
That’s the score at halftime of the Commanders preseason game No. 2, and the Dolphins will receive the ball to start the second half.
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