BALTIMORE — The Ravens were clearly more interested in staying healthy than they were in their preseason winning streak, as nearly every starter watched from the sideline. But all those starters – and their replacements that were on the field — were still thrilled when Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell fired incomplete down the right side on fourth down with 1:23 left, essentially securing a 17-15 Ravens victory in the preseason finale at M&T Bank Stadium on Aug. 27.
The win wraps up a 3-0 preseason for the Ravens and extends their NFL-record preseason winning streak to 23 games.
Anthony Brown, who played the final three quarters at quarterback for the Ravens, threw for one score and ran for another and finished 15-for-19 for 256 yards in his most extensive action of the preseason.
Brown hit new Ravens receiver Demarcus Robinson on a 67-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline to give the Ravens the lead for good at 7-3 in the second quarter, and he later ran for a 6-yard score. Rookie kicker Cameron Dicker, signed earlier this week to give Justin Tucker a break, hit a 38-yard field goal.
The Ravens preserved their lead when cornerback Kevon Seymour broke up a two-point conversion with 5:31 left, but Seymour suffered an ankle injury on the play. That’s a big blow for Seymour, who is squarely on the roster bubble.
The next 72 hours will be tense for Seymour and others on the bubble, as the team must get its roster from 80 players to 53 by Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 4 p.m.
“There’s nothing that stood out just from the sideline that would make a decision for us,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “Once we see the tape, it might be a decision or two. You have to decide, not just between guys at a position, but how many guys you keep at one position across to another. Special teams plays a big factor in that. So, we’ll just see where we go tomorrow and the next day.”
Here are five quick impressions of the game for the Ravens, who have not lost a preseason game since Sept. 3, 2015:
1. John Harbaugh was not going to have another J.K. Dobbins moment.
Consider it a lesson learned. One of the defining images of last preseason was a dejected John Harbaugh being consoled by players on the sideline after running back J.K. Dobbins suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason finale at Washington. Several other major injuries during the Ravens’ scarred 2021 season came on the practice field, but Harbaugh made clear that he was not going to have to relive another Dobbins situation.
After playing it coy from week to week throughout training camp, Harbaugh opted against playing most of his key starters for even a snap the entire preseason. Quarterback Lamar Jackson watched all three games from the sideline, and so did tight end Mark Andrews, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, defensive lineman Calais Campbell, linebacker Patrick Queen and safety Marcus Williams, among others.
Harbaugh last year had tried to get his starters a bit of work in the preseason finale — Dobbins got hurt on the opening drive — but he refused to chance a repeat of any such injury this year.
There is understandably a risk that the top-line starters could be rusty once they hit the field for good at the New York Jets on Sept. 11 — that will be Jackson’s first game action since Dec. 12, Humphrey’s first since Dec. 5, and Marcus Peters’ first since the final game of the 2020 season – but that’s a risk the Ravens are clearly willing to take.
2. Demarcus Robinson quickly showed he can be a factor.
John Harbaugh said earlier this week that he hoped wide receiver Demarcus Robinson could “get going” in this game after signing with the team just six days ago. Early in the second quarter, Robinson practically juked Washington cornerback Danny Johnson out of his shoes on a double move and caught a 67-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Anthony Brown, with Robinson high-stepping into the end zone for the final 10 yards.
Robinson nearly caught another touchdown later, but officials ruled he had one foot out of bounds, a ruling upheld upon review. Robinson finished the game with four catches for 135 yards. He also returned two punts, for zero net yards.
Robinson, released by the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this month, smiled and said he hadn’t really grasped the Ravens’ playbook yet, seeing as he has been in Baltimore for less than a week, but he said he knew “enough to go out and make a couple plays.”
Robinson always had a supporting role in six seasons with Kansas City’s high-octane offense; he set career-highs with 45 catches for 466 yards in 2020 with the Chiefs. He figures to have a supporting role here in a run-first offense whose passing game is headlined by Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews, but Robinson showed that he is an accomplished, proven player who can still make a key contribution.
“He executed very well, and that’s what we expected,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “That’s what we thought we were getting. To see him go out and do it in a purple and black uniform is kind of nice to see.”
3. Isaiah Likely won the preseason.
As the Ravens went through their pregame warmups, Isaiah Likely watched from the sideline alongside All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews. To be sure, that is not usually the vantage point for a fourth-round rookie in the preseason finale — especially one who wasn’t even the first player in his position group drafted by the team this year.
But the 6-foot-4, 241-pounder from Coastal Carolina was the breakout star of training camp. He proved to be a reliable target and matchup problem in one practice after another, and he carried that over to the games. He had eight catches for 100 yards and a touchdown in the first half at Arizona last week. In rapid order, Likely went from Day 3 pick to a player the Ravens didn’t want to risk getting injured before the regular season begins.
Likely’s emergence could also cost a wide receiver a roster spot; do the Ravens, looking to fill some other spots in the 53-man equation, need to keep five wide receivers with Likely emerging as one of the top receiving targets? Or can they get away with keeping just four?
Tylan Wallace would seem most vulnerable. He suffered a sprained knee in the preseason opener and missed the past two games, including this one. When he’s healthy, Wallace is one of their best special teams players, but with the arrival of Robinson, and the quick star turn of Likely, the opportunity for a No. 5 receiver would seem to be fleeting.
4. Josh Ross is making a push to join a select group of Ravens.
In the first quarter, linebacker Josh Ross gashed up the middle and hammered Washington running back Jaret Patterson for a 2-yard loss. It was yet another standout play for Ross, who is seeking to become the latest undrafted rookie inside linebacker to make the team. That list includes Bart Scott, Jameel McClain, Dannell Ellerbe, Albert McClellan, Zach Orr, Patrick Onwuasor, and Kristian Welch, who is potentially competing with Ross for a final roster spot.
Some scouts did not think Ross’ size (6-foot, 229 pounds) or speed could translate to the NFL, but new Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald coached Ross in his final season at Michigan, so he became a priority rookie free agent.
Ross finished this game with a team-high 11 tackles, though he failed to wrap up Commanders quarterback Sam Howell on what appeared to be a sure sack in the second half. In three preseason games, Ross led the Ravens with 20 tackles, showing good instinct and a high motor.
He figures to be competing with Kristian Welch for a final roster spot behind Patrick Queen, Josh Bynes and Malik Harrison. Welch, incidentally, finished with nine tackles and 2.5 sacks, and he has been a core special teams player for the past two years.
The Ravens have some tough decisions over the next three days, and one might be in the linebacker room; they probably can’t afford to keep both Welch and Ross on the 53-man roster.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t an important time of year for … a large percentage of the team,” Welch said.
Through two preseason games, Ross had earned the highest grade of all rookies by Pro Football Focus. Teams passed on Ross during the draft, but with preseason tape available, Ross might not make it through waivers and back to the practice squad if the Ravens cut him.
5. The edge rush was the biggest question in February. It’s still the biggest question in August.
The Ravens’ biggest roster concern in February was the pass rush, and the biggest roster concern coming out of training camp is the pass rush. The team announced on Aug. 26 that outside linebacker Tyus Bowser had been placed on the Reserve/PUP list, meaning he is sidelined for a minimum of four games. Bowser, who led the team with seven sacks last year, is coming off a torn Achilles suffered in the season finale in January. The Ravens had hoped he would be fully healed by Week 1 but that is clearly not the case.
Vince Biegel, who appeared in line for a substantial role, suffered a torn Achilles in early August, and summer signing Trent Harris is on injured reserve after also being hurt in training camp. This comes after the tragic death of outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson in June.
The good news is that Odafe Oweh appears primed for a breakout season. The second-year player has been virtually unblockable by Ravens linemen this summer. The Ravens re-signed Justin Houston for his second season with the team, and he brings 102 career sacks, including 4.5 with the Ravens last season.
Houston, at age 33, will not be an every down player, but there is little proven behind him and Oweh, at least until Bowser and second-round rookie David Ojabo can take the field. Ojabo has great promise but tore an Achilles in March and is not expected to hit the field until midseason at the earliest.
Steven Means is back with the team after a brief stint in 2014, but the seven-year veteran has just six career sacks. Daelin Hayes, who played just one game as a rookie last year, flashed during spring OTAs but has been a nonfactor much of the summer and is dealing with an undisclosed injury. He did not play against Washington. The only other edge rushers in camp are undrafted rookies Jeremiah Moon and Noah Wiley.
The Ravens will surely be watching other teams roster cuts closely, and the addition of a veteran edge rusher seems likely.
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