Commanders Win Final Preseason Game vs Patriots 20-10

By Arabia Tillery | August 26, 2024 1:39 PM ET

(Landover, MD) - The Washington Commanders won their final preseason game versus the New England Patriots on August 25th, 2024. The final score was 20-10, with 17 of Washington's 20 points occurring in the final quarter. In fact, the Commanders did not score the entire first half, compared to the Patriots scoring 7 in the first quarter and 3 points in the third quarter, which was the last time New England scored in the game.



Offensive Play

As expected, Jayden Daniels did not play. The team announced prior to Sunday's game that the No. 2 overall pick would be on the sidelines for the final preseason game. QBs Trace McSorley and Jeff Driskel saw the field instead. McSorley finished with 12 completions on 21 attempts, 125 yds, 1 TD, and 0 INTs. The Commanders had 10 total drives, 1 less than their opponent. Of Washington's 10 total drives, 5 were with McSorley at QB, and 5 were with Driskel at QB. Of McSorley's 5 total drives, 1 resulted in a punt and the remaining 4 were scoring drives: 2 drives resulting in field goals, 1 passing touchdown to Martavis Bryant, and 1 rushing TD by Michael Wiley for 9 yards. In contrast, of Driskel's 5 total drives, 4 resulted in punts and 1 resulted in an interception.

Needless to say Trace McSorley had the better game. Jeff Driskel started at QB and played the entire 1st half while McSorley came in for the 2nd half. In addition to his 125 passing yards, McSorley lead the team with 40 rushing yards on 4 carries, compared to Driskel's 3 rushing yards on 1 carry.

The Commanders had 139 total rushing yards on 28 carries, most of which coming from McSorley (40 yds, 4 car), Michael Wiley (26 yds, 7 car), Jeremy McNichols (23 yds, 5 car), and Austin Jones (19 yds, 8 car). Kazmir Allen and Chris Rodriguez, Jr. also had carries (2 yds, 2 car & 1 yd, 1 car, respectively).

Chris Rodriguez Jr., Mitchell Tinsley and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint all had 4 receptions each, with Rodriguez leading the pack with 39 yards. Rosemy-Jacksaint led the group with 6 targets.

Defensive Play

Phidarian Mathis led the defense with 2 passes defended. The Commanders and Patriots each had one sack, Washington's sack coming from KJ Henry who, in addition to the team's lone sack, also had 1 tackle for loss. The Commanders defense largely kept New England scoreless after the 1st quarter. After Drake Maye's 18-yard touchdown pass to K. Harris, they only scored once more - a field goal towards the end of the 3rd quarter. Washington's defense also caused the Patriots to turnover on downs in the 4th quarter.

Overall

The Patriots were in a position to score 6 additional points, potentially making the score 20-16, which still would not have been enough to overcome Washington. Although New England controlled time of possession, the Commanders were more efficient with their usage of time, specifically in the final quarter. Final 53-man rosters are due Tuesday, August 27TH @ 4:00 PM ET, just 2 days after this game. Many will not make the final roster, some will sign to the practice squad, others may sign on other NFL teams. Either way, this game was the last game some players will see in a Commanders uniform.