Official Game Thread - Preseason Week 2 - Commander @ Lions

Primus Porcus

Primus Porcus

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Washington Commanders @ Detroit Lions
(Preseason Week 2)




Commanders Away 2026.png
@
Lions - Clear Background (2).png


Jayden vs Lions.png



When: Saturday, August 22nd 2026 - 12:00 PM EST
Where: Ford Field - Detroit, MI


Notes:


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burgold said:
Love to see Jayden and the offensive starters get two solid series. Love to see Jayden not scramble a single time.
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Me too... but my gut says, with Mariota dinged up, we're not going to see Jayden in the preseason.
 
Yeah, I can see that happening. I do think Jayden needs a little live burn, but I can see them being scared to put him in.
 
After all the rah rah about intensity and the lack of it last offseason, I expected to see doses of it on display in the preseason.

After benching almost every starter for the first game, I’m now expecting more of the same. Dan may have PTSD after leaving Jayden in against the Seahawks.
 
CuredFromBatteredFanSyndrome said:
After all the rah rah about intensity and the lack of it last offseason, I expected to see doses of it on display in the preseason.

After benching almost every starter for the first game, I’m now expecting more of the same. Dan may have PTSD after leaving Jayden in against the Seahawks.
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Despite my earlier post... there is one more thing to consider.

Did they rest so many starters because of the joint practice? Might we see a different approach this week, because of that fact?

If i had to bet, I don't think we see Jayden, but I could see a path where we see more starters than last week.
 
Primus Porcus said:
Despite my earlier post... there is one more thing to consider.

Did they rest so many starters because of the joint practice? Might we see a different approach this week, because of that fact?

If i had to bet, I don't think we see Jayden, but I could see a path where we see more starters than last week.
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They have to play all starters at least a series or two. We’re starting anew with two coordinators and an absolutely BRUTAL stretch of games the 1st month of the season. They can’t afford to sit anyone the entire preseason. They all need some reps.

We’re not some juggernaut, who’s had the same coaching staff on hand for years, like the Rams or the 49ers. There’s no excuse for not playing your starters at minimum a couple of series or a whole quarter, to get some reps in. We can’t afford to look disorganized or discombobulated when we open up against Philly, and then Dallas, or we’re going to get our doors blown off.
 
Ashburn Dave said:
Jayden needs to build some confidence back after last year. He should play at least 1-2 series regardless of Mariota's status.

Injuries in the preseason suck, but you can't coach while being afraid of them either.
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That’s part of it, but the main reason they should play is because we have 2 new coaches essentially. Whenever you have changes to the coaching staff, and you’re implementing a new system on both sides, you need all the live reps you can get. If we still had Kingsbury & Whitt, I wouldn’t mind sitting the starters, since the system is already in place and the players are familiar with it. You can’t play around when you’re implementing a new system (especially when your schedule starts as brutal as ours does).
 
The problem might just be scheme. They don't want the starters out there doing a scheme they haven't been practicing because they don't want to show the Eagles the scheme they actually are practicing.

Cause Sonny Styles usage in Preseason Game 1 was not what they have been practicing.

Do they want players out there looking a little disheartened if they're underperforming their expectations despite not doing what they've been trained for?
 
Always Commander Never Captain said:
The problem might just be scheme. They don't want the starters out there doing a scheme they haven't been practicing because they don't want to show the Eagles the scheme they actually are practicing.

Cause Sonny Styles usage in Preseason Game 1 was not what they have been practicing.

Do they want players out there looking a little disheartened if they're underperforming their expectations despite not doing what they've been trained for?
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I think in the old days, vanilla scheme would not prevent starters getting SOME reps (just a few) and getting hit a few times and ultimately losing. From my understanding, just getting hit a few times has some value in prepping.

Gibbs and the winless preseasons.
 
SkinsNumberOne said:
I think in the old days, vanilla scheme would not prevent starters getting SOME reps (just a few) and getting hit a few times and ultimately losing. From my understanding, just getting hit a few times has some value in prepping.

Gibbs and the winless preseasons.
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Gibbs famously ran a 2 RB set (RB/FB) in preseason.

But in the regular season, they ran a single back set so they could block Lawrence Taylor.

Amazing how he changed the entire offense to account for one guy. And then kept it for the entire season. And eventually, basically the entire league adopted it and the fullback died and the H-back emerged.

Gibbs I was as much of an innovator as anybody except for maybe Bill Walsh.
 
I think the other thing to think about when considering the vanilla conversation is that while schemes differ, every team runs a hook, a post, and a fade. Every team has a dive play and an off tackle run or a sweep. So, there are lots of plays you can run that are plays you want to test out or see in live action without the window dressing of scheme.
 
Obviously dependent on who Detroit plays/rests, but…

I’d like to see Daniels get a series, though I buy into the idea that joint practices are far more important from an evaluation standpoint (and far safer for qbs). Certain guys (particularly rooks) you want to see how they handle playing under the lights, but that’s not a concern with Daniels.

Would also be curious to see promising guys like Henry, Gulbin, and Togiai play vs Detroit’s 1s, the latter 2 after Daniels gets pulled (if he plays).

I’d consider keeping Terry and Diggs on the bench to give Williams and Bradley a chance against better competition. Of course, same could be said about Luke/Lane in terms of gauging their growth.

I’d give our starting dline a series and then see what Josephs and the DTs battling for a spot look like (Tuttle, Barber and Cowart all looked good vs Miami). Ditto Medrano and Kaho. Of course, if Settle, Newton and Magee are out, these guys should get some extra time regardless.

Would probably give the (projected) starting secondary a few series, including some reps vs the 2s.

Any word on Davis II’s injury? I kind of assumed it was pretty bad given how the training staff attended to him.
 
I don't necessarily buy into the joint practices are more important. Because they are scripted.

Games are chaos.

You can't get used to the chaos, and have the intensity of "if I don't get rid of the ball, I'm going to get flattened by a 300lb smelly dude" unless you play in games.

The starters need to play. At least a few series.
 
Voice_of_Reason said:
I don't necessarily buy into the joint practices are more important. Because they are scripted.

Games are chaos.

You can't get used to the chaos, and have the intensity of "if I don't get rid of the ball, I'm going to get flattened by a 300lb smelly dude" unless you play in games.

The starters need to play. At least a few series.
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They’re scripted on your side, but not on the other team’s side, just like parts of games are. And more importantly they’re scripted with things you know you want various looks at, which is productive. In preseason games it’s great if a backup RB hits the crease and goes 60 yards, but there goes an entire series of offensive information you could’ve gotten. In joint practices you reset and go again, moving onto the next thing you want to get a look at without wasting time or losing snaps. Plus you usually get an extended look at starters vs starters, 1vs 2’s and 2 vs 1’s, etc. in structured joint practices, which are all valuable reps and that tape is gold. In a preseason game, you’re getting much less direct work with worthy opponents across the ball, in general.

I’m not 100% either way but I definitely see where the argument comes from that the joint practices are more important and give more information. At least for 1st and 2nd string. For depth, it’s probable the preseason games give more to evaluate. Different purposes and all that
 
Conn said:
They’re scripted on your side, but not on the other team’s side, just like parts of games are. And more importantly they’re scripted with things you know you want various looks at, which is productive. In preseason games it’s great if a backup RB hits the crease and goes 60 yards, but there goes an entire series of offensive information you could’ve gotten. In joint practices you reset and go again, moving onto the next thing you want to get a look at without wasting time or losing snaps. Plus you usually get an extended look at starters vs starters, 1vs 2’s and 2 vs 1’s, etc. in structured joint practices, which are all valuable reps and that tape is gold. In a preseason game, you’re getting much less direct work with worthy opponents across the ball, in general.

I’m not 100% either way but I definitely see where the argument comes from that the joint practices are more important and give more information. At least for 1st and 2nd string. For depth, it’s probable the preseason games give more to evaluate. Different purposes and all that
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I’ll add that teams are willing to show ‘actual’ stuff in joint practices, which is particularly important for new schemes.

I could actually see the biggest beneficiary of these games being our new coordinators - getting the calls in on time, making the right subs, matching play calls to down and distance, etc.

And good point about backend roster guys, especially when judging ST play.
 
I like seeing the starters play a little in preseason but I also understand the question of how much are they really getting accomplished playing a series or two for the entire month of August. I think for rookies there is an exception since preseason is at least one step closer to what it will feel like for their first ever game, but once you have been in the league I am not so sure unless the coaches are having you out there for a quarter or more but then the opposite question arises which is whether it is worth the risk or not.

Maybe for Jayden Daniels specifically because he is coming off a season where he barely played there is some utility in a drive or two against Detroit but I to be honest I don't have a hard opinion on it either way.
 
I don't think there is a perfect approach. I guess in theory, the perfect plan would be to play the starters some, to get them as prepared for live action as possible, but not put anyone at risk for major injury. The problem is, it's not possible to play the starters and not put them at risk for major injury. It's fine to take an old school attitude 'it's football and the only way to get ready for the season is to play' but you have to accept ridiculously bad things can happen. It's a risk. There is literally no way around it.
 
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