Quinn raves about Diggs' fire heading into Week 1
Dan Quinn says he didn't know how much fire Stefon Diggs would bring to camp, and with Odafe Oweh's calf on track and Jayden Daniels sharpening his decision-making, Washington turns from roster to opponent for the first time all summer.
Diggs brought a fire Quinn didn't know was there
Dan Quinn's press conference on Wednesday sounded different than the ones that came before it, if only because for the first time in camp he was talking about an opponent instead of a roster spot. Asked about Stefon Diggs, Quinn didn't hold back: "I knew he was a good competitor. I didn't know how good the fire was around others, the skill work and the huddle. He's the one, 'Let's go, we're gonna...'" It's the kind of quote a coach reaches for when a room has stopped counting practices and started counting days to Philadelphia.
The health report leans encouraging. Quinn said edge rusher Odafe Oweh "has hit all the markers we wanted to hit" on his calf and is expected back to full practice work next week, though the coach stopped short of declaring him ready for the opener: "I'd rather comment on that after he goes through some of the practices." Getting Oweh back matters for a pass rush about to see an Eagles offensive line for real.
The quarterback got his own compliment, of a quieter kind. Quinn pointed to Jayden Daniels' growth in knowing when to throw a football away rather than absorb a hit: "I think that's the part that I've seen that we worked on the most, to make some decisions where, on this particular play, a throw out of bounds is the right call." It is meaningful praise for a passer who, per Washington's own notes, played just 1 possession across the entire 3-game preseason slate and didn't complete his only attempt — the whole point of resting him being to have him ready, and sharper, for a game that finally counts.
The preseason closed on the ugliest tape of camp
Washington closed the exhibition slate 1-2 in the preseason after a 41-3 wipeout in Baltimore on August 28, a game the Commanders were outgained 456 yards to 177. Quinn didn't dress it up afterward: "I just thought, man, we looked just without a lot of energy and juice to go for it right from the long drive start, turned it over, didn't get going," he said, per SI's Onsi.
Ravens3-41
Lions13-17
Dolphins20-7The box score wasn't kind to the names still fighting for depth-chart spots. Luke McCaffrey caught 1 of 3 targets for 17 yards, and Kaytron Allen managed 3 carries for 4 yards and lost a fumble, though he did add a 9-yard kickoff return.
It's preseason math, not season math — a blowout loss to a Baltimore team playing mostly its own reserves says plenty about who makes the 53 and nothing about how this offense looks once the games count. As of this week, they finally do.
Roster set, and Brandon Coleman's left tackle audition begins
The 53-man roster is set, and the picture at receiver is a good one: Terry McLaurin is set to lead a group of 7 wide receivers that made the initial roster, with Stefon Diggs among them. At tight end, Chig Okonkwo is listed as a starter on the unofficial depth chart.
The offensive line is where the roster got interesting for less happy reasons. With Laremy Tunsil's torn triceps landing him on injured reserve, Brandon Coleman — the 2024 third-round pick who started 12 games at left tackle that year and closed out last season in Tunsil's place — is positioned to open the year there, per Hogs Haven's rundown of the line's contingency options. Jer'Zhan Newton (pectoral) joined Tunsil on IR the same week, and Curtis Jacobs, Quentin Moore and Jacoby Jones all reverted to injured reserve Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.
There was better news in the middle of the defense: linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson (knee) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports. The practice squad, meanwhile, is up to 17 players after cornerback Terrell Smith signed Monday, per John Keim of ESPN.com.
Washington opens against an Eagles offense breaking in a third playcaller
Washington's season opener is a Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia, at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles enter having gone 0-3 in the preseason themselves, their last tune-up a 30-13 loss to the Bengals, and they're doing it under offensive coordinator Sean Mannion — Jalen Hurts' third playcaller in as many seasons, brought in this offseason to install a new system, per ESPN's training-camp coverage.
The number reflects the mismatch on paper: Philadelphia opened as the favorite, with Washington an underdog and the line opened at 4.5 points. The total was set at 47.5, a middling number for a game between 2 clubs that spent camp still figuring out who they are on offense.