The Washington Commanders defeated the Miami Dolphins 20 to 7 in a preseason NFL fixture on the evening of 14 August 2026. The match, played under the preseason banner, offered a glimpse of both sides before the regular campaign begins. And here's the thing — these early encounters rarely tell the full story.
Preseason matches serve a different purpose entirely. They allow coaches to evaluate depth, test new combinations, and manage player workloads. The Commanders made their statement with a comfortable margin, though one does not read too much into such results.
The scoreline suggests the Commanders controlled territory and maintained possession for meaningful stretches. To be fair, a twenty-point advantage in any contest indicates one side found its rhythm while the other struggled to respond.
By then, the Dolphins had yet to find their footing. Preseason performances often reveal more about preparation than ability, and this result points to a Commanders side that looked sharper in its approach.
The final tally leaves the Commanders with momentum heading into the next fixture. Whether this translates to the regular season remains an open question — and perhaps it should.