- The Washington Times - Sunday, August 13, 2023

ASHBURN — When he looked at the tape of Friday’s 17-15 preseason win over the Cleveland Browns, Washington Commanders right tackle Andrew Wylie found plenty of areas to correct.  His technique wasn’t as sharp as he needed it to be. Wylie said he had to be more consistently square off the ball, do a better job of using both hands and let his hands go when the time came. 

Wylie’s performance left much to be desired for someone brought in on a three-year, $24 million contract this offseason to help fix Washington’s offensive line. He was called for two holding penalties — including one that resulted in a safety — and according to Pro Football Focus, allowed two pressures. 

“(There’s) definitely stuff to improve on this week,” Wylie said. 

As good as quarterback Sam Howell looked in Friday’s opener — the signal-caller made quick decisions and went 9 of 12 for 77 yards and a touchdown — his outing wasn’t enough to mask the concerns that Washington’s offensive line may still be a problem in 2023. 

After allowing the seventh-most sacks in the NFL last season, the Commanders overhauled the unit by bringing in Wylie and center Nick Gates, moving Sam Cosmi to right guard and having Saahdiq Charles and Chris Paul compete to start at left guard. In all, four of the five spots up front will have a new starter in place by Week 1 — with left tackle Charles Leno the lone holdover. But the jury is still very much out over whether the changes will ultimately prove to be effective. 

The starters’ production in Cleveland only created more questions about a group that has struggled throughout training camp. 

“I think they’re going to improve,” coach Ron Rivera said Sunday of the offensive line, later adding, “I like where they are. I think they’ve done some really good things. I think we’ve got some good quality, young quality depth. That bodes well for us and again, it’s just the first preseason game.”

The preseason, of course, isn’t always the best indicator of a group’s chances for the upcoming season. Teams simplify schemes to not let opposing clubs get a glimpse of what they have in store for the fall. And as Rivera noted, there’s still plenty of time for units to correct issues and get better as the year progresses. 

Wylie, too, attributed some of his play to rust — the action marked his first game against another team since he won the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in February.

“The anxiousness never leaves for the first preseason game,” he said.

Wylie played a total of 21 snaps across three drives. 

But Washington’s preseason opener perhaps demonstrated how the unit may disrupt the offense’s rhythm this coming season. Washington’s first two drives, for instance, were disrupted by penalties. After driving to its own 43-yard line on the first series, a holding call on Wylie put the Commanders back on the 33 on first-and-20. On the following two plays, Howell was sacked for a loss of 8 on a cornerback blitz and a screen pass to Brian Robinson went for a loss of 2 when a Browns linebacker beat Gates for the tackle. That set up third-and-30, which to no one’s surprise, then resulted in a punt. 

The line’s miscues on Washington’s second series, too, resulted in points for Cleveland. Browns pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith got a jump on Wylie, who was then flagged for holding in the end zone. That’s a safety by-rule. 

“Just not getting my feet all the way there, you know what I mean?” Wylie said.”It (has) happened a few times at practice, as well. I’ve just got to throw my hands, get my feet in the right spot, just not getting lazy with these reps. Just work until the whistle.” 

Despite the flaws, there were encouraging signs for the line on Washington’s third drive, which ended with a 26-yard touchdown to wideout Jahan Dotson. The line proved to be physical in the run game, freeing up room for Robinson and Antonio Gibson. The line also held its own on seven Howell dropbacks. Paul and Cosmi, in arguably the most positive development for the unit, looked stout on the interior. 

Rivera said he started to see the line “settle down” as the game went on. He said early on, linemen weren’t opening their hips, lowering their targets and weren’t consistently getting a “good vertical set.” But he saw those areas improve, he said.

“When you look at the third drive they were out there for, you saw some positive things, especially the way they finished it,” Rivera said. 

But that won’t be enough to quell skeptics. Three separate preseason rankings by Pro Football Focus, The 33rd Team and Sharp Football Analysis had Washington’s offensive line at 27th, 29th and 30th, respectively.  

Those rankings may mean nothing in the long run, especially if the Commanders’ line exceeds expectations. But for now, they highlight just how far the unit still has to go to be seen favorably.

“We got some good work in,” Wylie said. “But we definitely know what we’ve got to improve on.” 

• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.

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