The Baltimore Ravens take on the Washington Redskins in Week 4 of the preseason. It’s the final tuneup for both teams ahead of the regular season and the final chance for players to impress coaching staffs on their own team and around the league.
To get a little closer look at what the Redskins have going for them this season and specifically in this game, I turned to Zachary Neel, the managing editor of Redskins Wire. Also make sure to check out my answers in their “Behind Enemy Lines” piece.
1) Will we see any of the Redskins’ starters in this game?
It’s unlikely that many starters will play on Thursday night, but what we could see is players who are close to becoming starters getting a lot of action. For instance, running back Derrius Guice made his return to the field last week, and he could suit up again on Thursday in order to regain some feel for things. Guice has not yet surpassed Adrian Peterson for the starting spot, but he’s a couple of nice outings from usurping the role.
Likewise, one of the most contentious position battles in Washington resides at the left guard position, where Ereck Flowers was named the starter this week, more due to seniority rather than skill. Rookie guard Wes Martin has gotten some run at the position this preseason, and many are hoping that he can make the last step towards taking over the starting job from Flowers, who has been hard to watch so far this year.
2) While Case Keenum has been tagged as Week 1’s starter, should we expect to see Dwayne Haskins at some point this year?
If all goes right, Keenum will prove to be the Minnesota version of himself, rather than the Denver or St. Louis version, and the Redskins find a way to win a handful of games. If this is the case, there’s no need for Haskins to be thrown into the game before he’s fully ready.
Of course, this is Washington, so it’s safe to say that not all will go right. If I were to venture a guess, I would say that Haskins comes in to replace Keenum after the Redskins go 2-4 over the first six weeks. Whether or not Haskins can turn things around is up for debate, but don’t be surprised if he gets a few starts under his belt this year.
3) Who are some players on the roster bubble Ravens fans should be watching?
A couple of bigger names are on the bubble this season for the Redskins, namely running back Samaje Perine and wide receiver Josh Doctson. Both players have been with the team for several years now, and it appears that Washington is getting tired of waiting for them to take that next step. A rumor resurfaced earlier this week that the Redskins are looking to trade Doctson before the season, so it’s possible that he isn’t even on the field Thursday night. But if both players play, and both players fail to play well, there’s a good chance that they could be cut loose in the near future.
4) Are there any undrafted players making a push for the 53-man roster?
There are currently four undrafted players who are probably on the wrong side of the bubble, but one more nice performance could change that. Remember the names Steven Sims Jr. (WR), JoJo McIntosh (S), B.J. Blunt (LB) and Ryan Bee (LB). If I had to venture a guess, Sims will be the only one to make the team, as he has been pretty impressive this preseason, but the door hasn’t closed on any of them just yet.
5) Which Redskins player(s) make the biggest impact in this game?
That’s an easy answer for me: Haskins. The rookie quarterback has been named the starter for this game and coach Gruden said earlier in the week that he is expected to play for a lot of the contest. With Keenum being named the starter for Week 1, now is the time for Haskins to really let it fly and show the type of upside he has. He has progressively improved week-to-week this preseason and he very well could take over this game.
