Ravens crush Commanders 41-3 in Battle of the Beltways preseason finale
By Brian Hradsky
The Baltimore Ravens closed the preseason with an emphatic statement Friday night, dominating the Washington Commanders 41-3 at M&T Bank Stadium.
Baltimore controlled essentially every phase of the Battle of the Beltways matchup. The Ravens built a 24-0 halftime advantage, piled up 456 total yards and held Washington to just 177 as Baltimore completed an undefeated 3-0 preseason. The 38-point margin was the largest preseason victory in Ravens franchise history.
Neither team’s collection of starters should be confused with what will take the field when the regular season begins. Washington held 41 players out of the game, while Baltimore also rested most of its established starters. Still, for players battling for the final few roster positions, the difference between the two teams was impossible to ignore.
Ravens strike immediately
Baltimore set the tone with its opening possession.
Tyler Huntley started at quarterback and needed just eight plays to guide the Ravens 69 yards. Huntley connected with veteran receiver Chris Moore for a 25-yard touchdown, which was initially ruled incomplete before replay overturned the call.
Huntley finished his brief appearance a perfect 4-for-4 for 61 yards and a touchdown.
Things immediately became worse for Washington.
On the Commanders’ first offensive snap, Ravens outside linebacker Ethan Burke forced a fumble from running back Kaytron Allen. Defensive lineman C.J. Okoye recovered it, handing Baltimore possession in Washington territory.
Rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano eventually finished the short-field opportunity himself with a one-yard touchdown run, and suddenly Baltimore had a 14-0 advantage before the Commanders could establish anything offensively.
It was the type of sequence coaches emphasize throughout training camp: create a turnover, turn it into seven points and make the opponent play from behind.
Baltimore did exactly that.
Fagnano makes another strong impression
With Huntley’s night finished, Fagnano took over the offense and continued what has been an impressive preseason.
The undrafted rookie completed 19 of 27 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown while also scoring on the ground.
His biggest first-half highlight came late in the second quarter. Facing third-and-8, Fagnano fired a 10-yard touchdown pass to LaJohntay Wester, who made an impressive one-handed catch in the end zone.
The score gave Baltimore a commanding 24-0 lead.
Fagnano completed 17 of 24 passes for 145 yards before halftime alone as Baltimore consistently moved the chains against Washington’s reserve defense.
The Ravens generated 17 first downs during the opening half. Washington had one.
That number tells the story better than almost anything else.
Baltimore was sustaining drives while Washington could barely keep its offense on the field.
Ravens defense overwhelms Washington
Baltimore’s defensive performance might have been even more impressive.
The Commanders failed to score a touchdown and managed just 177 total yards while averaging 3.4 yards per play.
Washington quarterbacks Sam Hartman and Athan Kaliakmanis combined for only 109 passing yards. Hartman completed 9 of 14 passes for 64 yards, while Kaliakmanis finished 7 of 13 for 45.
Washington’s rushing attack did not offer much help. Craig Reynolds led the Commanders with 38 yards on nine attempts, while Robert Henry Jr. added 33 yards on 10 carries.
The Ravens entered the night having already played outstanding preseason defense, and Friday reinforced that trend. Baltimore allowed only 13 total points and one touchdown across its three preseason games.
For a defense now being directed by head coach Jesse Minter, that is an encouraging way to finish August.
Commanders cannot find an offensive rhythm
Washington’s night was ugly almost from beginning to end.
The opening-play fumble immediately placed the Commanders behind the eight ball. Penalties then compounded the problem.
Washington was flagged nine times for 93 yards, frequently putting an already struggling offense into difficult down-and-distance situations.
Kaliakmanis had a couple of moments, including a 17-yard completion to Van Jefferson, but Washington could not sustain drives.
The Commanders even had an opportunity to get on the scoreboard in the first half when Drew Stevens attempted a 62-yard field goal. The kick had enough distance but went wide right.
By halftime, Washington trailed 24-0 and had been thoroughly controlled.
Hartman replaced Kaliakmanis in the second half, but the results did not change significantly.
Washington’s only points came after an interception gave the Commanders possession at Baltimore’s 24-yard line. Stevens converted a 39-yard field goal, preventing the shutout and cutting the score to 31-3.
That was all Washington would get.
Ward puts the game away
Jonathan Ward helped Baltimore continue its domination in the second half.
Ward scored on a two-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and finished with 53 rushing yards on seven attempts, averaging 7.6 yards per carry.
Dontae McMillan provided the Ravens’ biggest rushing play, exploding for 63 yards as part of a three-carry, 70-yard performance.
Baltimore ultimately rushed 30 times while consistently finding running room against Washington.
The Ravens were not finished through the air, either.
Austin Reed entered at quarterback later in the game and connected with Cornelius Johnson for a 20-yard fourth-quarter touchdown that extended Baltimore’s lead to 41-3.
By that point, the only remaining question was when the clock would expire.
Chris Moore makes his case
Moore made the most of his opportunities.
The veteran receiver caught three passes for 54 yards, including the opening 25-yard touchdown from Huntley.
Ty Pezza added five receptions for 47 yards, while Adam Randall caught three passes for 45 yards.
Wester’s touchdown provided one of the game’s biggest highlights and added another strong moment to his preseason. After going without a reception during both the 2025 preseason and regular season, Wester finished this preseason with two receiving touchdowns.
Those performances matter considerably at this stage of August.
Preseason finales are often less about the final score and more about players giving coaches one final piece of evidence before roster decisions are made.
Several Ravens made their cases difficult to ignore.
One concern: Tyler Loop
There was one obvious blemish on an otherwise dominant Baltimore performance.
Kicker Tyler Loop had an inconsistent night.
Loop missed a 58-yard field goal in the first quarter, converted from 51 yards in the second quarter and then missed another 51-yard attempt before halftime. He later made a 24-yard field goal and converted all five of his extra-point attempts.
With the Ravens evaluating their kicking situation, two misses in one night will certainly receive attention despite the lopsided victory.
It was about the only area where Baltimore walked away with an obvious question.
A perfect Ravens preseason
Preseason records do not carry into September, but Baltimore could hardly have asked for a better three-game stretch defensively.
The Ravens finished 3-0 while allowing only 13 points.
Friday represented their most complete performance.
Baltimore gained 456 yards to Washington’s 177, averaged 6.6 yards per play compared with Washington’s 3.4 and possessed the ball for 33:45.
The Ravens led 14-0 after the first quarter, 24-0 at halftime and 34-3 after three quarters.
It was domination from start to finish.
The preseason is now over, and Baltimore’s attention turns toward the games that actually count. The Ravens open the regular season Sept. 13 on the road against the Indianapolis Colts.
Washington, meanwhile, leaves Baltimore with considerably more to evaluate after finishing its preseason 1-2.
For the players who were on the field Friday, roster decisions now await.
MSB Take
Nobody should overreact to a preseason score, particularly when Washington sat 41 players and Baltimore rested most of its established starters. But 41-3 is still 41-3.
The Ravens’ backups looked faster, deeper and considerably more prepared than Washington’s for most of the night.
What should excite Ravens fans most was not necessarily the 41 points. It was another outstanding defensive performance. Baltimore allowed just one touchdown during the entire preseason, and the younger players consistently looked comfortable in Jesse Minter’s defense.
Joe Fagnano also deserves plenty of credit. Every preseason seems to produce a player who forces his way into the conversation, and Fagnano did everything possible to make Baltimore’s quarterback decision interesting.
For Washington, this was simply a bad night. The Commanders rested most of the players who will determine their regular-season success, so there is little reason for panic. Still, the players fighting for roster spots were thoroughly beaten by Baltimore’s group doing the exact same thing.
The Battle of the Beltways may have only been a preseason game, but Baltimore unquestionably won this round.
Final: Baltimore Ravens 41, Washington Commanders 3.
