8/27/15

We survived our trip to Eagles territory but I’m not so sure the Ravens did. There was no Philadelphia brotherly love for the Ravens last week. What could go wrong, did go wrong. Week one, we scored on the first two possessions. Week two, we turned the ball over on the first two possessions and we lost Taliaferro to a knee injury when he made the tackle to stop the interception run back. The offensive line was hit hard with injuries. So let’s just move on and say it’s just preseason and it didn’t count.

The third preseason game is the most meaningful game of all. The starters will have the most playing time and will probably play into the third quarter. This week the coaches start to game plan for the other team and will start what they think could be the opening day lineup. But with the offensive line banged up we have no idea who is going to be able to play. I say rest the injured players and just get them ready for Denver.

Ravens vs. Washington

We play Washington at home this week. This won’t be much of a test. Washington is a mess, they don’t have a quarterback, the head coach could be the worst in the league, the offensive line can’t pass protect, and the defense lost their best free agent this week in practice. RGIII got beat up last week so I don’t know who will start at quarterback.

What to look for on the Ravens.

The Wide Receiver position is still wide open, Breshad Perriman,our #1 draft pick, has not practiced and we have no clue how long he will be out. The only receiver who stands out is the rookie Darren Waller. He may not have the speed of Perriman but Waller is 6’ 6” tall and can go up and get the ball. Look for him to start and line up opposite Steve Smith Sr.

Defensive Secondary is another major concern. We still don’t have a starting lineup for this squad. Webb and Jimmy Smith are limited in practice, if they practice at all. Take note of the starting lineup; look for Will Hill and Anthony Levine at safety, Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb at corner.

Offensive Line Wagner and Osemele did not start last week with a revolving door of other players getting hurt during the game. Joe will need to get rid of the ball quickly since his time in the pocket may be limited. So this week we may not have a good look of who will line up against Denver.

Running back was not suppose to be a question until Taliaferro hurt his knee and will be out for several weeks. Unfortunately with a make shift O line the young running backs may not have a good chance to show how good they are. Look for Justin Forsett and Jarvis Allen to tag team with the first unit.

Kick returner, Asa Jackson may not play so who will fill in? Nobody looked comfortable waiting on the kicks last week with muffed catches and running out of the end zone from 9½ yards deep. Someone needs to step up. I can’t wait to see who does.

Washington may not be the test we need to get ready but they are one of the teams we sometimes root for since we have so many Washington fan friends. This could be another really bad season for Washington. So far nothing has come together for them. The offensive line has a mix of veterans and rookies that just can’t protect the quarterback. Last week I felt sorry for Robert Griffin III who was sacked, hit and smashed by his own lineman while they were pushed back by the Lions D line. The Defense was going to be better this year but they have lost a couple of key players to injury and the secondary may be no better than last year. I was looking forward to a Washington team with an exciting RGIII offense and a more dominant defense but that doesn’t look like the case. Well, there’s always next year.

As always hope for an injury free game

And that’s just the view from 151

GO RAVENS!!!