The Ravens officially close out their preseason with a 30-3 victory over the Washington Commanders. The Ravens dominated and numerous players stood out.
MVP: Tyler Loop
The Ravens drafted a star-on-the-rise kicker, who capped his preseason performance with a 61-yard field goal.
Looped finished the preseason 9-of-11 on field goals and is proving quickly he can be trusted when the Ravens need points on the board.
Winners
DB Keyon Martin
Martin’s Twitter
bio is accurate when it came to this game: “Water Covers 3/4 Of The World, I Cover The Rest.” He closed out this preseason with a multiple tackles for loss, a safety, an interception and a touchdown. A defensive back finished the preseason putting eight points on the board. If the Ravens don’t keep him, it’s hard to envision another team passing up a waiver claim to nab a depth defensive back with splash-play ability.
ILB Trenton Simpson
Simpson hasn’t had a loud preseason. Which is neither good nor bad, just a consistent player. But against the Commanders, Simpson made the Commanders’ offense march to the sideline twice with a swatted ball (intercepted by Jalyn Armour-Davis) and a forced fumble (recovered by Malik Hamm). In all, Simpson tallied six tackles, 1.5 sacks, two QB hits, one TFL, one pass swat and one forced fumble.
ILB Teddye Buchanan
Technically, the biggest play from the Commanders’ offense today was in/near his zone on a play-action pass that went for ~50 yards. But he also showed out with a half-sack and excellent pursuit on a third down to force a fourth and short, which resulted in a turnover on downs after the Commanders forgot to block David Ojabo.
CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
What a final showing for Armour-Davis, who was already a 99% lock for the roster. Great coverage, two pass breakups, an interception and all-around good decision making. The Ravens’ starting talent at cornerback is among the NFL’s best, but their depth surely is the best in the NFL if things hold up.
DB Thomas Graham Jr.
The Ravens wanted to keep the Chargers from the end zone and a red zone interception from the veteran denied them their greatest opportunity. The Ravens’ defense has been one of the NFL’s best the past few seasons, but their turnover numbers must improve. Four takeaways today surely answered the call.
DB Reuben Lowery III
The Ravens appear to have their newest member of the UDFA-to-53 club in Lowery. He has been a contributor since rookie minicamp. With today’s performance, including a chase-down tackle on the 50-yard gain from the Commanders, he appears all but set in the initial 53-man roster.
Second-String Offensive Line
The Ravens thrashed the Commanders’ second-string defensive line. In the first quarter, the Ravens ran the ball 14 times and passed it three times. They finished their first two drives with touchdowns. At no point could the Commanders slow them. The depth looked great today.
RB Rasheen Ali
After an impressive preseason, Head Coach John Harbaugh has repeatedly praised the running back for his game. After their game against the Commanders, Harbaugh made it sound pretty certain he will be on the 53-man roster.
Losers
S Beau Brade
Last season, Brade was the UDFA star and earned a spot on the 53-man roster. But with the emergence of Lowery, Martin and Sanoussi Kane, it appears he is the one on the outside looking in. He was in the game at its end, rather than the others. That’s a telltale sign his time on the roster is over. Though, he may be back on the practice squad if not scooped up.
ILB Jay Higgins IV
Higgins did nothing wrong in this game, nor really the preseason. But the impact delivered by Simpson, Teddye Buchanan and others vying for roster spots may have outpaced him. As Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr said earlier in the week, Higgins is an NFL caliber linebacker and could be in the league for awhile. But, it may not be in Baltimore.
C Nick Samac
Samac was snapping in the end of the game, with Darrian Dalcourt and Corey Bullock on the sideline. The Ravens’ 2024 seventh-rounder was on the cusp entering this offseason and the impact from others makes it more likely he’ll be on a practice squad than a 53-man roster for the Ravens.
