​The Washington Commanders opened the preseason with a resounding 20-7 win over the Miami Dolphins on Friday. Miami opened the game with a 14-play, 93-yard drive, capped off by a one-yard touchdown run from superstar running back De’Von Achane. Want to know what happened on Miami’s next 11 possessions? Six punts, three interceptions, a turnover on downs, and halftime. And this was Washington’s backup defense, with head coach Dan Quinn choosing to rest almost all of his starters on both sides of the ball. Here are five quick takeaways from Friday night’s preseason opener:Running back position is deeper than initially thoughtRemember when people had questions about the Commanders’ running backs? Some wondered if Jacory Croskey-Merritt could be a lead back. Others wondered why Rachaad White had little interest around the league this offseason. The same goes for Jerome Ford and Jeremy McNichols. Then the Commanders had a pair of rookies, sixth-round pick Kaytron Allen and UDFA Robert Henry Jr. Croskey-Merritt, White and McNichols had the night off. Henry and Allen virtually had the game to themselves and they put on a show, combining for 158 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Henry showed excellent vision, cut-back ability and the potential to break off a long run. Allen banged in between the tackles, didn’t lose yardage and kept the chains moving. The Commanders will likely keep four backs, with many assuming Croskey-Merritt, White, McNichols, and Allen will win those four spots. Henry is now firmly in the mix. Each of these running backs offers a different skill set. There is excellent depth. This spot became more intriguing over the final two preseason games and one joint practice. Athan Kaliakmanis won the 3rd QB jobSam Hartman is in his third season with Washington, having spent the first two seasons on the practice squad, essentially serving as the fourth quarterback. Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota are back in the top two spots, but there is no veteran QB3 like Jeff Driskel or Josh Johnson in 2026. Washington may only keep two quarterbacks, but Mariota’s injury status is unknown and could affect that strategy. Kaliakmanis entered the game in the third quarter and immediately moved the offense. He looked comfortable and had a live arm. He was accurate. Two preseason games remain, but Kaliakmanis took the job on Friday. Whether he serves as the QB3 on the 53-man roster or on the practice squad, he’s sticking over Hartman. No separation at WRWe thought someone would separate themselves at receiver on Friday, but it didn’t really happen. Dyami Brown, Treylon Burks, Antonio Williams, and Van Jefferson all caught one pass. Jaylin Lane caught three, while Jaden Bradley caught two. Luke McCaffrey didn’t have a catch. I wouldn’t sound any alarm bells over that. To judge these receivers fairly, they need to play with Daniels and/or Mariota. The Commanders could keep seven wide receivers, but if they keep four tight ends and running bac