Baltimore Ravens: 3 Things to watch for in Preseason Week 2

The Baltimore Ravens offense will look to improve against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday in Week 2 of the 2018 preseason. Here’s what you need to watch for.

The Baltimore Ravens take on the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday night in Week 2 of the still-young 2018 NFL preseason. Ravens fans have plenty to be excited for in this, their third exhibition contest of the year.

The first, of course, came in the Hall of Fame Game as the Ravens took on the Chicago Bears. The Ravens treated the game as if it was a Week 4 preseason tilt, resting virtually every key contributor in the contest. In the official Week 1 of the preseason, the Ravens took on the Rams. This time, the Baltimore starters played, but they played against the Rams backups. 

Perhaps this week against the Colts, we’ll get to see the Ravens first-string against Indianapolis’. With that in mind, here’s what you need to watch for from Baltimore in Week 2 of the preseason.

The quarterback situation

The Ravens have three capable quarterbacks. Joe Flacco is expected to start Week 1 of the regular season. Flacco has had an excellent camp and seems motivated by the Ravens management taking a quarterback in the first round of the 2018 draft. Watch for Flacco to continue to mesh with the new offense.

Robert Griffin III is fighting for a roster spot. Two things need to happen for him to earn one: first, RG3 is going to have to ball out, and then Lamar Jackson is going to have to prove he cannot handle the role as backup quarterback as a rookie. Griffin has performed very well in the preseason thus far. Watch for him to continue this success.

Jackson is the guy everyone wants to see. He will be under the lights for another primetime event on Monday in just his third preseason game. Jackson has shown incredible athleticism, but most of the time, has proven himself inaccurate and inconsistent throwing the ball. Clearly, he hopes to improve in his third taste of NFL action.

Tight ends battle for the starting job

There are currently seven tight ends on the Ravens roster, and four of them have a real shot at becoming the starter. Nick Boyle is the guy who holds down the top spot right now, but with all the talent around him, it is unlikely he will start the season as the first-string tight end. 

Hayden Hurst is another Ravens first-round pick from this year. He has shown he can play in this league, and the Ravens love his versatility, lining up both in-line and out of the slot seamlessly. He is a capable receiver, but will need to prove he can block adequately if he wants to overtake Boyle.

Another rookie, Mark Andrews, and Maxx Williams are the other tight ends in consideration for the starting job. Williams was once expected to be the answer at tight end, but he has not proven he can stay healthy.

Ravens first-team offense against Colts first-team defense

The Ravens first-team offense looked unstoppable against the Los Angeles Rames a week ago. However, it was only against L.A.’s second-team defense. Finally, we get to see this new look Baltimore offense take on some real first-team NFL talent.

Keep an eye on Flacco and his chemistry with these new receivers. Also, keep an eye on the offense line and Orlando Brown. Brown has been solid in camp and the preseason so far, but let’s see how he fairs in a real, game-time situation.