Five takeaways from Washington’s 20-10 preseason win vs. New England

The Washington Commanders wrapped up the preseason with a 20-10 win over the New England Patriots. Here are five takeaways from the matchup, presented by Maryland Lottery.

1. KJ Henry stood out early.

The Commanders have been looking for depth at pass-rusher since camp began, and they may have found someone who could play that role in KJ Henry.

Henry, a fifth-round pick out of Clemson in 2023, has adapted well to defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.’s scheme over the course of camp, routinely showing up because of his abilities in the run game and his development as a pass-rusher. That progress showed itself Sunday night, as Henry blew through the Patriots’ offensive line from the defensive left and took down Jacoby Brissett for a seven-yard loss.

Henry topped the play off with a celebration.

Henry didn’t get much more action than that, recording just one tackle in the first half, but what he showed was enough to add to his case that he deserves a roster spot. Henry has been fighting with the rest of the defensive ends at the bottom of the roster to impress a coaching staff that didn’t draft him. So far, he has achieved that goal with his performances in practice and his contributions on special teams.

There are several factors for the team consider when formulating the initial 53-man roster, but at the very least, Henry ended things on a good note.