In the final week of the preseason, bubble players will try to secure their roster spots with one last standout performance, and starters will likely be covered in bubble wrap, as teams look to get to the regular season at full strength.
The Washington Redskins will travel to Maryland on Thursday to take on the Baltimore Ravens in the last exhibition before the real fun begins. Ahead of this matchup, we took the time to hold a Q&A with Ravens Wire managing editor Matthew Stevens.
Redskins Wire: The national narrative coming out of Baltimore this offseason is that coach John Harbaugh and the Ravens are going to reinvent the wheel this season and run the ball more than most fans are accustomed to. What have you seen in the preseason that points to this, and what can we expect to see on Thursday?
Matthew Stevens: Well, the Ravens ran the ball more than any team in the NFL last season, so running more than other fans are accustomed to is simply a way of life here in Baltimore. But what has been talked about more is the use of quarterback Lamar Jackson in the ground game and how inventive the offense will become after more than two decades in what closely resembles a scheme from the 1950s. There have been dramatically differing things said from the Ravens on these fronts, including Harbaugh saying Jackson will run more frequently to owner Steve Bisciotti saying Jackson won’t run nearly as often as he did last year. That doubletalk makes it difficult to really pin down exactly what the offense’s philosophy will actually end up being.
What we have seen is Jackson not being afraid to tuck the ball and run with it, especially if the defense is in man coverage. It’s exactly the way Michael Vick was utilized with the Atlanta Falcons and it makes the most sense when combined with all the speed at the skill positions Baltimore has. I think we’ll see the Ravens be a little more inventive with their schemes with the idea of getting as many playmakers on the field as possible and making the defense pick their poison. If they move a safety to cover the tight ends, wide receivers like Marquise Brown should be open for a big play. If a defense puts more defensive backs on the field to cover everyone, the Ravens are going to run it right down their throats.
RW: The Ravens roster had two big additions this offseason, adding both RB Mark Ingram and S Earl Thomas. How have they looked so far this preseason, and is there any chance that we will see them take the field on Thursday night?
MS: I think there’s absolutely no chance either Ingram or Thomas plays Thursday. Both have well-known injury histories, and they’re both experienced enough to get the job done come Week 1 without any extra snaps this preseason. But both players have done exactly what was expected of them. Ingram is a big body that’s tough to tackle and he’s surprisingly adept in the passing game as well. Thomas looks to lay the wood with every hit and he’s got the range that makes you think of Ed Reed. Both are pretty easy upgrades at their positions, which is saying something considering how well Baltimore played there last season.
RW: You recently wrote about Trace McSorley’s chance to actually make the roster in Baltimore. What are the reasons behind this? Is there any chance that McSorley could assume some sort of role on the roster, or would he just be there because the team likes his talent and doesn’t want to let him go?
MS: McSorley played really well in the third preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles. More importantly, he clearly learned from his previous mistakes and put them to use in this last game to solid results. Given his late-round draft status and how unpolished he was coming out, Baltimore likely thought they could stash him on the practice squad and continue to develop him. But that showing Thursday undoubtedly put his tape in front of a bunch of general managers, and I don’t think he’d make it through the waiver wire now. The Ravens don’t necessarily need a third quarterback with Robert Griffin III backing up Jackson, but McSorley’s fit in the scheme and his versatility make him an ideal heir to Griffin’s backup role. That might be worth keeping McSorley around this year as a third quarterback, especially if he can play on special teams, which appears to be the plan for this game.
RW: The Baltimore offense is starting to be viewed as a fantasy football haven this season, with multiple players projected to have outstanding years. If you had to draft a single Raven, based on their expectations versus average draft position, who would it be: QB Lamar Jackson, RB Mark Ingram, WR Marquise Brown or RB Gus Edwards?
MS: I think tight end Mark Andrews is the real fantasy bang for the buck, especially if you’re in a tight end premium league. While tight ends might not usually be thought of as huge fantasy boons, Andrews is on a team that absolutely loves throwing the football to the position. So much so that tight ends have led this team in receptions in two of the last three years, including 37-year-old Benjamin Watson in 2017. It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility for Andrews to reach near 60 receptions this season, and considering he put up 16.2 yards per reception as a rookie, that would be WR2 numbers (60 receptions for 972 yards and six touchdowns when extrapolated out — 193 points in standard PPR leagues ) from a tight end fans can grab late in the draft.
RW: This is the last dress rehearsal before the regular season kicks off, so instead of asking you for a meaningless score prediction, I’ll ask a more pertinent question: What is one thing you’re looking to see from either side of the ball that would show a marked improvement from the start of the preseason?
RW: I want to see the offensive line depth dramatically improve. Though I’m not as concerned about the starting lineup for Baltimore, no offensive line makes it through 16 games without an injury, meaning the depth players are going to be counted on to start at some point. With how awful they looked last week, that’s tough for a team that’s expected to run the football a lot and try to keep Jackson upright this season.
Beyond that, I want to see some positions like wide receiver, cornerback and outside linebacker begin to sort themselves out. There are some tough decisions to make, and having someone step up in this game would make things a lot easier for everyone.
