Preseason Week 1 Preview

Ah it’s that sweet time of the year again! Over-hyped backups, vanilla play-calling, and meticulously long interviews with mind-numbing coach speak. Yes, preseason football is finally upon us! The Redskins begin their preseason as they mostly do, with the Baltimore Ravens. Here is a small preview or what to watch for.

What to watch for:

The Alabama Rookies: Jonathan Allen (#95) and Ryan Anderson (#52) accounted for 19.5 of the 26 sacks on the #1 defense of all of college football last year. Reports out of camp are Allen is every bit of the talent he was projected to be and is already beating the skins backup offensive lineman soundly. Ryan Anderson has shown flashes, but is getting mixed reviews. He appears to be better at setting the edge in the running game then anything else. Allen is currently the backup RE and 1st DE off the bench. Anderson, even with his lackluster camp, 3rd off the bench behind suspended Trent Murphy.
Is the Matt Ioaniddis hype real? Staying with the d-line, Matt Ioaniddis (DT #98) has received a lot of praise this training camp. The 5th round pick from last year, who was beaten out in camp by an undrafted FA, has added some weight in the offseason and has bull rushed his way through every guard on the roster, including our pro-bowler. More young defensive lineman, the better.
Rookie WR Zack Pascal
Which pass catcher is going to step up with Doctson, Crowder, and Reed out? This is a prime opportunity for rookies Robert Davis WR (#19), Zack Pascal (WR #16), and Jeremy Sprinkle (TE #87) to get some playing time and make plays especially if Harris (WR #13) cannot go. However, my gut is expecting the Ryan Grant (WR #14) show. I’m particularly excited to see Pascal who is from the DC area, who went to ODU and has a knack for making spectacular catches.
How does Su’a Cravens (#30) adjust to life as safety? Last year’s 2nd round pick was having a good year as the dime MLB until he got injured. One of the big stories this offseason was his shift to strong safety. He now sits atop the strong safety depth chart heading into preseason week 1 and should get a majority of snaps in the first half. With the Ravens pitiful run game, I expect to see a lot of deep balls heading in Craven’s direction. Let’s see if he can make the same plays he did at USC.
CB Kendall Fuller
Battle for starting CB? Kendall Fuller (CB #29) has been having a good camp. Bashaud Breeland (CB #26), not so much. Breeland was thrown out of a walk through today for instigating a fight. Yes, you read that right, a walkthrough. Kendall Fuller has played well enough to cement himself as the nickel corner and took first team reps across from Norman after Breelands antics today. Again, I fully expect to see the ravens air it out after their running game fails. Lots of opportunities for these two to make plays.
Red Zone Offense: Last but certainly not least, lets see how the pitiful red zone offense looks this year. The Redskins ranked 30th in the league in red-zone TD efficiency (TD/ ATT). The Ravens boast one of the better defensive lines in the league led by Ngata so the running lanes will be tight. Look for Pryor (WR #11) to be targeted early and often. Pryor is having an unreal training camp, making highlight reel plays day after day. After the twos come in, expect a heavy dose of Samaje Perine (RB #32) and Mack Brown (RB #34).