For Jesse Minter, the biggest payoff from his first preseason game in charge wasn’t buried in a stack of film cutups or some deep-dive grading session. It was simpler than that: the Ravens lined up, got the call, and mostly just handled business.
In a preseason game loaded with new faces and a roster full of players trying to find their footing, Baltimore looked unusually sharp before the snap. There were no obvious signs of chaos, no widespread confusion, and not much of the usual exhibition football slop that can make a debut feel more like damage control than evaluation. For a first-time head coach working with a first-time offensive play caller in Declan Doyle, that was enough to leave a mark.
“Honestly, one of the things was just the pre-snap operation was really well done on both sides of the ball,” Minter said of his biggest reflection point from his first game in charge. “In and out of plays and in and out of some run checks, things like that … We were never really up against the play clock, which was awesome.”
That kind of control showed up in the box score, too: only three penalties for 25 yards. In a preseason setting, with rookies heavily involved and so many moving parts, that borders on remarkable. It doesn’t guarantee anything once Week 1 arrives, but it does suggest the staff has players who are hearing the message, lining up correctly and moving without hesitation.
Doyle came away with the same impression after Monday’s practice.
“A clean game,” as Doyle put it after practice Monday, still seeming a little shocked it went this well himself. “Being able to hear the offensive staff (on headset) … Declan did a great job on the offensive side of the ball really staying in rhythm and staying in control and going one play at a time.”
Doyle called the game from the pressbox and had planned to work from the sideline next Saturday. After what Baltimore put together at M&T Bank Stadium, it would have made sense if he reconsidered. But that does not appear to be the plan.
The Ravens are also heading into a different kind of week. Minter said the same group that played against the Eagles should be the one that faces the Vikings this weekend, unless injuries change things. The team will go through a walkthrough Tuesday before traveling to Minnesota for joint scrimmages.
Health is trending in the right direction up front, too. Minter said the defensive line should be fully available for those practices with the Vikings. Linebacker Teddye Buchanan is still working back after being activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list, but Minter sounded encouraged by where that group stands.
The secondary is getting healthier as well. Cornerbacks Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey are back at practice and taking part in 11-on-11 work. Minter was clearly pleased to have both on the field.
“Credit to them - they were able to overcome some small little thing and get back out there ready to roll,” Minter said of the duo. “They are very eager.”
Baltimore also brought in a veteran running back while Rasheen Ali remains banged up. Minter downplayed the concern.
“Working through some stuff - again I don’t think it will be anything crazy.”
At kicker, the conversation has not changed much. Tyler Loop missed from 49 early in Saturday’s game, and his rookie season did not include a make from 50 yards or longer.
His year also ended with a missed kick in Pittsburgh that knocked Baltimore out of the playoffs. Even so, Minter said he is staying with the rookie.
He pointed to the fact that the Ravens had not had a normal previous practice at M&T Bank Stadium, since it took place at College Park instead, and also noted the home surface is new. Through it all, he continues to back Loop.
“I feel good about where Tyler’s at,” Minter reiterated Monday. “He’s had a really good camp … We’ll keep trying to put him out there as much as we can.”
There was also a notable update on Trenton Simpson. The linebacker, a third-round pick who has had trouble locking down a role and had previously been passed by Buchanan on the depth chart, did not dress Saturday. From the way Minter talked about him, that does not sound like a player on the fringe.
Simpson can work inside or outside, brings speed and pass-rush ability, and Minter described him like a versatile reserve rather than someone fighting for survival.
“He’s had an unbelievable camp,” Minter said. “I would say we feel really good about him.”
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