The Ravens are playing it as safe as can be in the preseason.
We’ll see if that ends up being to their advantage with so many new coaches and pieces and philosophies in place, particularly on offense. But if nothing else, we know what we’re going to get in terms of availability and how much these new coaches think these exhibitions really matter to their most important players.
The preseason debut really could not have gone any better for rookie head coach Jesse Minter. The Ravens dominated play, they avoided any sort of pre-snap or operational issues, most of their key rookies soared and they suffered no injuries of note.
Duplicating that on the road, with a 30-year-old coordinator, in a dome, where that coordinator, Declan Doyle, is still figuring out where he wants to call plays from, could be a recipe for a much tougher football game that what transpired a week ago. In fact, I expect as much.
Here are some bold predictions for Saturday afternoon:
Busted By The Blitz
I believe undrafted rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano might be adroit and capable enough to survive this onslaught but it won’t be easy. Vikings defensive coordinator is going to blitz between 40-45% of the time, which you don’t often see in August. But it’s who he is.
I’d be astonished if the offensive line is nearly as clean as it was a week ago. I expect some false starts and delay of game penalties. I anticipate some protection breakdowns. This will look like a fire drill … If it doesn’t then it will be a real testament to whatever Doyle is building. But this will be a real test.
These young tight ends are going to be get blown up and time or five, I suspect.
The Joker Gets Active
The Ravens leaned heavily into converted receiver-to-running back Adam Randall in the run game last week. They know he can catch the ball and run routes and excel there, as Broncos coach Sean Payton, mentor to Doyle, explained to us on “The Daily Flock Show.“. But he was targeted just once.
I suspect that changes in a very big way Saturday because check downs and drop offs are going to be in order against this blitz-heavy defense. And I bet Randall makes at least of these three-yard receptions turn into a big gain with yards after the catch. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up with their longest reception.
Minter Gets After It
Minter is not very much like Flores at all when it comes to bringing numbers to attack the QB. But he did tick up a bit in that regard against the Eagles and I suspect he wants to see how well some of his depth defensive backs can get home from the slot.
And, well, if the opposing defensive play caller is attacking your QB like the game counts in the standings, don’t you think there’s a bit of an inclination to do the same thing? Eye for an eye? This would be a nice time for Zion Young to make something happen off the edge.
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