The Washington Commanders kicked off the exhibition portion of their 2025 season against the New England Patriots. Suffice it to say, the result was less than ideal.
Washington lost 48-18 in a rout. Things got off to a rough start on the very first play of the game, when New England's rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson took the opening kickoff to the house. The Commanders' defense and special teams were a disaster all night, and the offense didn't start humming until the game was already all but out of reach.
Still, it's only preseason. And there's one obvious reason why nobody in Washington should be panicking.