Lions beat Commanders 17-13, defense logs 26 stops in preseason win
Detroit defeated Washington 17-13 in a preseason game, with the Lions' defense limiting the Commanders to 35 rushing yards and recording 26 defensive stops.
Detroit earned its first preseason victory of 2026, beating the Washington Commanders 17-13 at Ford Field. The Lions' defense limited Washington to 35 rushing yards on 17 carries and allowed only nine first downs over 45 offensive plays.
Pro Football Focus data showed the Lions recorded 26 defensive stops, a metric that counts tackles that result in a failed offensive play. The performance came without contributions from starters Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill or Jack Campbell.
Guard Tate Ratledge posted a perfect 100.0 pass-blocking efficiency rating on seven pass-blocking snaps and received a 72.0 run-blocking grade, ranking him among the top preseason guards according to the same source.
Defensive newcomers Derrick Moore and DJ Wonnum each recorded a sack, while cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Rock Ya-Sin combined to allow only two receptions for nine yards.
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs, signed earlier in the month, faced pressure on five of his 13 dropbacks and posted a passing grade of 20.9 under pressure, the second-worst among quarterbacks in that category. Backup quarterback Luke Altmyer was also pressured but avoided turnovers.
Tight end Jackson Meeks, who transitioned from wide receiver, led the team with five receptions for 50 yards and averaged 2.75 yards per route run, ranking eighth among qualifying tight ends.
Running back Jacob Saylors carried the ball 14 times for 87 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry in the game and 6.2 yards per carry overall, placing him among the top preseason rushers.
The win highlighted the Lions' depth on both sides of the ball as they continue to evaluate personnel ahead of the regular season.