Ravens coach Jesse Minter is taking the same hard-line approach to preseason football that he brought to the first game: keep the veterans as protected as possible and let the young players do the heavy lifting.
That philosophy has already pushed some of the roster’s more recognizable names to the sideline, and it figures to shape Saturday afternoon’s matchup against the Vikings the same way. Even after joint practices in Minnesota this week, Minter made clear that his thinking hasn’t changed. The result is a game loaded with pressure on rookies, second-year players and a handful of other fringe pieces trying to force their way into the conversation.
One of the clearest pressure points is at kicker. The Ravens have shown no real sign that they want to turn this into an open competition, and they appear committed to their second-year kicker for now.
But another miss on Saturday would make that stance harder to defend. Failing to get even close from 50 yards in a dome should be enough to push the team toward one of the available proven veterans.
The kickoff work hasn’t inspired much confidence either, and if the Ravens truly see themselves in Super Bowl-or-bust terms, they need more reliability from distance.
Center is another spot worth watching closely, and this one has taken a turn. The Ravens were expected to land him, and the fit always looked obvious from the outside.
Now that Pocic is fully recovered from Achilles surgery, the competition has tilted sharply in his direction. Journeyman Danny Pinter suffered what looks like a season-ending injury, though Minter would not confirm a timeline.
Pocic is the most experienced and proven snapper on the roster, and that matters even more with a new offense being installed. After playing 13 snaps last week, this feels like his final real preseason tuneup before Week 1.
“I felt like we kind of targeted this second week of the preseason of kind of ramping up into more of the action anyway,” Minter sai
The quarterback who stole the spotlight last Saturday is back in focus, too. No one in the organization expected undrafted quarterback Joe Fagnano to come close to that kind of outing, and Evan Washburn of the Ravens broadcast team even said on “The Daily Flock Show” that “his name never even really came up in the production meeting.” If he can come anywhere near that performance again, the practice squad becomes a very real destination - with upside attached.
There are other young offensive players who could see their workloads swing depending on how the staff wants to manage them. Adam Randall is expected to handle plenty of work as a runner and in pass protection, especially since the Ravens know he can also handle the pass-catching responsibilities for The Joker role he’ll be tested in.
Ja’Kobi Lane may not get more than a few series at this point if he keeps performing the way he has. Matthew Hibner, meanwhile, needs to keep building confidence as a receiver.
And then there’s the linebacker situation, which is tied as much to the team’s cautious preseason style as it is to the injuries around the group. The former walk-on linebacker at Penn State could be wearing the green dot in this game, but the larger story is the uncertainty around the position. The Ravens are still looking at depth options elsewhere, including a former third-round pick of theirs, and the final 53-man picture at linebacker looks like it could keep shifting.
In Other News...
Ravens Rookie QB Just Forced His Way Into A Real Debate
Joe Fagnano has already done enough in one preseason outing to make the Ravens take a longer look at him. The undrafted rookie out of UConn stood out against a Vic Fangio defense, finishing Week 1 of the preseason with the most completions and passing yards among quarterbacks, a showing that quickly pushed him from afterthought to conversation piece in Baltimores quarterback room.
Now the challenge gets sharper against a Minnesota defense coordinated by Brian Flores, one that is built to pressure young passers and force fast decisions. Ravens coaches Jesse Minter and Declan Doyle have acknowledged the test ahead and expect Fagnano to pick up valuable experience, but his recent performance has already sparked talk about whether he can develop into a backup option worth keeping around. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Camp Just Exposed One Encouraging Sign And One Real Concern
Joint practices with the Vikings gave the Ravens a useful midcamp measuring stick, and they came away with at least one bright spot. Rookie wide receiver JaKobi Lane stood out with a strong showing, while the secondary, led by Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins, held up well against Minnesotas top targets and gave Baltimore something to feel good about on the defensive side.
The more troubling takeaway came on the other side of the ball, where the offense looked sluggish and had trouble coping with pressure. Ronnie Stanley had a rough day against the Vikings pass rush, and the unit as a whole struggled when the blitz got home, leaving the Ravens with a reminder that camp progress can be uneven even when a few individual performances pop. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Defense Is Sending An Early Message Under Jesse Minter
The Ravens used their joint practices against the Vikings to make an early point about how this defense wants to operate under new coordinator Jesse Minter. Baltimores emphasis has been on detail, technique and fundamentals, and players such as Rashod Bateman and Ronnie Stanley have already noticed the change in coaching focus as the team works through the first stretch of camp.
Marlon Humphrey helped underline the message with a strong showing on the field, part of a defense that looked sharp while the offense continued stressing precision before speed. For Baltimore, the bigger question now is how quickly that attention to detail translates once the practices stop being controlled and the real test arrives. [Read more 🡒]