The Baltimore Ravens have finished off their fourth straight perfect postseason with a 20-7 win over the Washington Redskins. While it would be foolish to make regular-season predictions off the exhibition schedule, there are some things that we can glean from what happened tonight.
1. Marquise Brown should not be returning punts
It didn’t make sense for Brown to be out there. The Ravens already had capable returners Cyrus Jones and Tyler Ervin, so sending Brown out to return punts only put Brown in harm’s way, an unnecessary risk for a first-round pick that will be counted on to make an impact on offense this season. And his performance wasn’t encouraging either. Brown fumbled two punts before getting pulled for Ervin, who had a far better night. Hopefully, this will be the last time we see Brown playing special teams.
2. Jaleel Scott will make the roster
After failing to impress as a rookie and going on injured reserve before the season even started in 2018, Scott needed a big summer. That was amplified when the Ravens took two wide receivers in the 2019 NFL draft. And he did just that, by being a standout performer in training camp and throughout the preseason.
Against the Redskins, Scott solidified his claim for a roster spot by being the team’s leading receiver with six receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown. It earned him the game ball from us and showed just how far he’s developed from his rookie season.
Scott came into this game not guaranteed a roster spot but did everything the team could have asked of him and should have cemented his name on the Ravens’ 53-man roster.
3. The Ravens still possess impressive depth
The Ravens put up at least 20 points in all four of their victories this preseason, and they outscored their opponents by an average of 13.5 points. The Ravens’ second- and third-string players didn’t just defeat their opponents, they dominated.
It’s not a stretch to say Baltimore might possess the deepest overall roster in the NFL. Though they’ll have to trim it down to just 53 players, the Ravens are undoubtedly going to cut guys with starting potential this weekend.
