The Baltimore Ravens lead the Washington Commanders 7-6 at halftime in the preseason finale from M&T Bank Stadium.
The Commanders sat almost every starter for the game except linebacker Jamin Davis and cornerback Benjamin St-Juste. Rookie quarterback Sam Howell got the start under center for the Commanders.
Howell looked good early, connecting with former college teammate Dyami Brown on two completions for 45 yards. However, Brown dropped a third-down pass on one possession, leading to a field-goal attempt, which Washington kicker Joey Slye missed.
On the next possession, Howell found Brown down the right sideline, but with a Baltimore defender approaching, the ball skipped off Brown’s hands, and Slye came in for another field goal, making it this time for a 3-0 lead.
Washington’s defense was solid except for one breakdown when cornerback Danny Johnson lost his coverage on a 67-yard touchdown from Anthony Brown to Demarcus Robinson to give Baltimore a 7-3 lead.
The Commanders would have a first & goal but came up short, settling for another field.
Howell completed 10 of 16 passes for 116 yards in the first half. Running back Jaret Patterson led the Commanders with 34 rushing yards, while Brown had two receptions for 45 yards. Dax Milne caught four passes for 37 yards.