The upstart Washington Commanders played host to the Baltimore Ravens on NFL’s preseason version of “Monday Night Football” to conclude Week 2 of the exhibition slate.
In the end, the Washington Commanders came from behind with a 29-28 win via a last-second field goal, ending Baltimore’s record 24-game preseason winning streak.
There were a lot of positives for the Commanders. That included Sam Howell putting up a tremendous performance in his first game as Washington’s unquestioned starter. Here, we provide a recap of the Commanders one-point win in what was a well-played preseason game.
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Top performances from Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders game
Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
This rookie first-round pick from Boston College didn’t see the field a whole heck of a lot Monday night. But in the action that the youngster did see, he showed up big time. That included a brilliant 26-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown to open the scoring.
The 5-foot-10 Flowers opened eyes during Baltimore’s offseason program and training camp. He’s now continuing it in live-game action. This has to be music to the ears of head coach John Harbaugh and Co. After all, the Ravens’ have a completely revamped wide receiver group for Lamar Jackson in that of Flowers, free-agent signing Odell Beckham Jr. and a former first-round pick in Rashod Bateman who is returning from an injury-plagued 2022 campaign.
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Sam Howell, Washington Commanders
Just days after being named Washington’s starter, Howell was given the green light to throw the ball all around the field in the first half of Monday night’s game. The results were resounding for the second-year signal caller from North Carolina.
- Sam Howell stats (Monday night): 19-of-25 passing, 188 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 123.4 QB rating
With all of 19 regular season passes under his belt, the Commanders thought it made sense to give Howell extensive play. He responded by throwing crisp ball after crisp ball, catching his receivers in stride and displaying pinpoint accuracy. It’s too early to say that Howell is the Commanders’ franchise quarterback. But what we’ve seen from him this summer has been nothing less than positive.
Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens
Hill, 25, is battling for both touches and a roster spot with Pro Bowl running back Melvin Gordon in Baltimore. Based on what we saw Monday night, the Oklahoma State product seems to be a lock. He opened the game as the Ravens’ starter with both JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards sitting. Hill gained 25 yards on two runs, including a solid 15 yarder.
A fourth-round pick back in 2019, Hill has displayed flashes in limited playing time during his three-year career. That included averaging 5.3 yards on 49 attempts a season ago. Given the injury issues relating to both Dobbins and Edwards, it’s no small thing that Hill looked solid in limited action against the Commanders.
Jartavius Martin, Washington Commanders
A lot has been made about Commanders rookie first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes. For good reason. The cornerback played well in limited action Monday night. However, it was all about fellow rookie cornerback Jartavius Martin against the Ravens. Despite being beat early on this play, the second-round pick responded by picking off Josh Johnson and taking it back 59 yards to set the Commanders up for their first touchdown of the game.
They always tell young cornerbacks out on the boundary not to give up on a play. Obviously, Martin has been coached up in this regard during training camp. His ability to rebound after being beat initially was eye-opening.
Charlie Kolar, Baltimore Ravens
Kolar is stuck behind Pro Bowler Mark Andrews and youngster Isaiah Likely on the Ravens’ depth chart at tight end. A fourth-round pick out of Iowa State in 2022, Kolar didn’t do much as a rookie (four catches in two games). He’s being given an opportunity this summer and has done everything possible to prove himself to the Ravens’ brass.
All said, Kolar caught two passes for 61 yards on three targets against Washington. This comes after he caught both of his targets in the preseason opener. Given how much Lamar Jackson likes to use his tight ends, having a No. 3 at this position step up can’t be seen as anything but great news for the Ravens.
Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders
We focused on Dotson as someone to watch ahead of Monday night. The former Penn State star excelled as a secondary option as a rookie last season, catching seven touchdowns on 35 receptions. He’s now slated to be WR2 in Washington behind Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin. Playing with Howell Monday night, Dotson showed out in a big way.
Including that 21-yarder, the youngster caught 5-of-7 targets for 76 yards. It seems that he’s on the same page as Howell. That has to be music to the ears of the Commanders’ brass with the young quarterback set to start Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals.
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Top takeaways from “Monday Night Football”
Here is a look at the top takeaways from the Washington Commanders win over the Baltimore Ravens on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”
Baltimore Ravens backup QB situation
Veteran Josh Johnson got the start over a resting Lamar Jackson Monday night. The journeyman proceeded to complete 10-of-12 passes for 145 yards, including two touchdowns and an interception. It was just the continuation of Johnson continuing to show well this summer.
We’re not 100% sure that Anthony Brown has earned the QB3 job over Johnson through two preseason games. Though, Brown did come in and relieve Johnson Monday evening. He played well, completing 6-of-10 passes for 40 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while adding 37 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, Tyler Huntley did not suit up in this one. It’ll be interesting to see how this unfolds heading into the final week of the preseason.
Terry McLaurin injury
On one hand, it made sense for Washington to keep its No. 1 receiver on the field late in the second quarter given that Sam Howell was still playing. On the other hand, it made no sense to risk injury to one of the most-important players on the roster.
Unfortunately, McLaurin went down before halftime with a toe injury. While X-rays were negative, he’s going to get more tests moving forward on the week. If this is a more serious injury than what is initially believed, Rivera’s decision to play McLaurin will obviously come into question.
Baltimore Ravens stats from Monday night
- Josh Johnson: 10-of-12 passing, 145 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
- Anthony Brown: 6-of-10 passing, 40 yards, 37 rushing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
- Melvin Gordon: 8 attempts, 34 yards, 4.3 average
- Keaton Mitchell: 1 attempt, 31 yards
- Justice Hill: 2 attempts, 25 yards
- Charlie Kolar: 2 receptions, 61 yards
- Zay Flowers: 2 receptions, 37 yards, 1 TD
- Travis Vokolek: 3 receptions, 28 yards, 1 TD
Washington Commanders stats from Monday night
- Sam Howell: 19-of-25 passing, 188 yards, 17 rushing yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
- Jacoby Brissett: 7-of-11 passing, 47 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
- Jake Fromm: 10-of-16 passing, 91 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
- Chris Rodriguez: 5 attempts, 31 yards
- Brian Robinson: 5 attempts, 21 yards, 4 receptions, 17 yards
- Antonio Gibson: 4 attempts, 15 yards, 3 receptions, 10 yards, 1 TD
- Jahan Dotson: 5 receptions, 76 yards
- Terry McLaurin: 3 receptions, 39 yards
- Dyami Brown: 2 receptions, 27 yards, 1 TD