Commanders Beat Dolphins 20-7 as Rookie Backs, Quan Martin Stand Out
Updated
Updated · Hogs Haven · Aug 15
Commanders Beat Dolphins 20-7 as Rookie Backs, Quan Martin Stand Out
3 articles · Updated · Hogs Haven · Aug 15
Summary
Washington opened its preseason with a 20-7 win over Miami, yielding a first-drive touchdown before shutting the Dolphins out the rest of the night at Northwest Stadium.
Two rookie running backs fueled the strongest positives: Robert Henry Jr. and Fatman Allen both scored, while safety Quan Martin added an interception and looked starter-ready with the second-team defense.
Up front, Shy Tuttle and Rickey Barber combined for 8 tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss, and rookie center Matt Gulbin drew praise for steady pass protection and second-level blocking.
Quarterback Sam Hartman drew the harshest criticism for poor accuracy, weak arm strength and shaky pocket presence, while Athan Kaliakmanis was judged clearly better in command and ball placement.
The broader takeaway was Washington’s clean execution: despite vanilla schemes from new coordinators David Blough and Daronte Jones, the Commanders avoided the sloppy mistakes common in a preseason opener.