Game Preview: Redskins at Ravens

August 30, 2018

by Steve Thomas

 

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If you’re a long-time preseason veteran, you know that the fourth preseason game is traditionally reserved for back of the roster battles, with starters and roster locks either sitting on the bench or not even dressed.  It usually means absolutely nothing in terms of how a regular season team is going to look, and judging from head coach Jay Gruden’s comments this week, this game should be no exception.  We’re very likely going to see a battle of the backups on both sides, which if you’re a diehard Redskins fan is still interesting.  So sit back and enjoy a game played by a bunch of guys who you might never see again, but who’ll entertain you right now.

Game time & location:          Thursday, August 30, 7:30 p.m. ET, M&T Bank Stadium,                                                                    Baltimore, MD; Gates open 5:30 p.m. ET; parking lots open                                                        3:00 p.m.

Television:                              NBC4/NBC Sports Washington

Television announcers:        Kenny Albert/Joe Theismann/Clinton Portis

Television replay:                  NFL Network, Sunday, September 2, 7:30 a.m. ET

DC-area radio:                        ESPN 980

Redskins radio network:        Click here

Ravens radio network:           Click here

Satellite radio:                        XM: 227 (Ravens broad.); Sirius: 98 (Ravens broad.); internet: 831 (Redskins broad.)

Redskins roster:                      Click here

Redskins depth chart:            Click here

Ravens roster:                         Click here

Ravens depth chart:               Click here

What to Watch For

Receiver battle

The top four spots are locked down – Josh Doctson, Paul Richardson, Jr., Jamison Crowder, and Maurice Harris.  There were rumors this week that the Redskins are leaning towards keeping 6 instead of the usual 5, so two spots are still up for grabs.  Gruden apparently favors Ryan Grant’s younger brother, Trey Quinn, for the 5th spot, so that leaves 6 receivers, including veteran Brian Quick and fan favorite Cam Sims (if healthy) fighting for the last spot.  Watch for those receivers to get most of the time.  As a side note, if Sims can’t play again for a second week in a row, I could see him being in trouble in terms of the active roster no matter what we think.

The backup quarterbacks

Go ahead and bet the house that Kevin Hogan gets the start against Baltimore.  The team signed rookie Connor Jessop this week, so it’s possible that he gets some second half playing time.  The major question is whether the Redskins will keep 3 quarterbacks on the active roster, which seems unlikely, but if Hogan really does well, you never know.  Watch for whether Hogan can play himself onto the team.

Punt returner

The battle for the punt returner job has flown a bit under the radar thusfar, but it will reach its conclusion Thursday night.  The Redskins have given everybody but the equipment manager a shot at this role over the past month, and more will undoubtedly follow against the Ravens.  Watch for which player seems to have the most success, because he might just be Jamison Crowder’s long-awaited replacement.

Can anyone be an effective backup on the offensive line?

The performance of the offensive line behind the starters has been…..sub-optimal….this season.  They looked terrible overall against the Broncos, and considering the injury problems Washington suffered last year and the recent health struggles of both Trent Williams and Shawn Lauvao, the Redskins really need to find reliable backups besides just Ty Nsekhe.  Those reliable backups might not be on the team. Keep an eye out for which of the backup lineman look like they belong, and which don’t.

The return of Robert Griffin III

In what is surely some sort of strange Twilight Zone-esque alternate universe, the savior of the 2012 Redskins, Robert Griffin, faces off against his old team this week for the first time since he left Washington after the 2015 season.  Now, he’s in competition for a spot on the Ravens’ roster.  The idea that Griffin’s career could come to this seemed almost impossible during the heyday of 2012, but this is reality for him.  It’s going to be a must-watch event, for better or for worse.  Come on – just admit that you’re at least curious.

The Redskins’ regular season starts on September 9, so look for a regular season game preview next Thursday.