Baltimore Ravens: Preseason Game Two Watchlist
Jun 19, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Terrence Brooks (33) puts his helmet away after minicamp at the Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
The Baltimore Ravens have their second preseason game on Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys.
As the second game, the starters are going to begin to play a little deeper into the game, not as much as likely in the third game, but enough to bring more of what is expected from the Ravens this season.
Aaron Wilson reported on Twitter that some younger starters could play as much as the entire first half.
john harbaugh said some starters will play a quarter against Dallas some younger ones will play as much as a half including rick wagner
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 14, 2014
There has been very little separation among the wide receivers, so I would expect to see a bit more playing time out of them.
I would keep an eye on the receivers to see if any of them stand out. More playing time means that they will have more chances to create separation between each other.
The offense has played one series as a whole, so this game should present a better picture of how they will play together over several series. I would think the Ravens’ first-string offense would get two, maybe three series in the first quarter, but this depends on how well the defense can hold down the Cowboys.
The running backs are a specific interest with Ray Rice receiving little playing time against the San Francisco 49ers. So this week, he should receive more carries and show Baltimore that he can maintain a higher run-per-carry over more than three rushes.
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Bernard Pierce needs to step up with ball security as well as be a strong replacement for Rice. He should get substantially more playing time than Rice, so he should have enough time to give a good example of his abilities.
Along with watching the offense, the defense started slowly last week, so a key aspect to watch is how fast they are to start the game.
The 49ers were able to run the ball effectively, so the linebackers’ ability to stop the ball carrier is key. C.J. Mosley was impressive last week, so I expect nothing less from him this week. The starting Inside Linebacker position is his to lose at this point.
Safety Terrence Brooks is another rookie to keep an eye on during the game. He has been showing promise at safety, but with Ladarius Webb out with injury as well as Asa Jackson dealing with injury, Brooks has taken practice snaps at cornerback as well.
The game against the Cowboys is really going to test Brooks to see how well he is adapting to the Ravens’ playbook as a safety, but possibly as a cornerback as well.
This game will not be quite as important as the third preseason game, but for the younger players, this game is a time for them to display their talents.