The Ravens can extend their winning streak in the preseason to 12 games Saturday against the Miami Dolphins. However, coach John Harbaugh might decide to hold out some key players because the team is playing a stretch of three games in 11 days.
Here are five things to watch:
Harbaugh was non-committal about how much quarterback Joe Flacco will play, especially with offensive linemen Ronnie Stanley and James Hurst potentially out with injuries. Flacco has been solid in his other two preseason appearances, going 12 of 16 for 143 yards with two touchdowns in just four drives. The Ravens could opt on the side of caution and hold Flacco out. “We’ll do what we need to do to do that, and then we’ll just play Joe as much as we think he needs to get ready for the regular season,” Harbaugh said.
Lamar Jackson will get some work, but he needs to be smarter when carrying the ball. Jackson has taken some hard hits over the preseason and the Ravens wants to make sure he is healthy for the opener Sept. 9 against Buffalo. “Between the numbers, now, we want to get down underneath the hits, unless you think you can score, and typically you’re one-on-one,”offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. “Outside the numbers, we want to get up and get out. And, we’d rather get down a step too early than a step too late or get up and out a step too early than a step too late. As you can see, that’s an ongoing process.” Jackson is second on the team with 72 yards on 17 carries behind rookie Gus Edwards.
The Ravens should get more clarity with the battle for the top returner on special teams. Tim White appeared to have the inside track to win the job but he had a costly fumble in the last game against the Colts. Rookie Janarion Grant failed to capitalize on his opportunity because he also had a key fumble. “The race is on, and it has been on. It continues,” special teams coach Jerry Rosburg said. “We have two more preseason games left, and as I said early on, the depth chart will be determined by who plays the best – at all positions, but at the returner position, certainly. The results of this last game were disappointing, because the most important thing that a returner does for us is secure the ball. That’s No. 1.”
Veterans Willie Snead and Chris Moore could also be in the mix to handle those responsibilities.
The Ravens focused on improving their pass rush this offseason. So, far, the results have been positive. Baltimore leads the league with 12 sacks in the preseason. Second-year player Tim Williams has sacks in back-to-back games and is showing he could be a force this season. When asked whether the coaching staff has done anything different with him, defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale replied: “I’ll say, ‘Go get them, Timmy!’ No, I mean, you can see that he’s expanded his rush game. He’s got different moves. He had a sack, and I think four quarterback hits, and every time he used a different move. When you get a guy that’s doing that, you’ve got something.”
Cornerback Jimmy Smith was suspended the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Coach John Harbaugh said that Smith will play in both of the final two preseason contests and it will be interesting to see how he responds to the adversity. This will also be an opportunity for rookie Anthony Averett to show he can make a big impact this season.
