Here’s the skinny on Ravens to watch during Saturday’s game.
Courtesy: Baltimore City News
WHAT: Preseason Week Three
WHEN: 7 p.m.; Saturday, August 26
WHERE: M&T Bank Stadium; Baltimore (71,008)
2016 RECORDS: Bills, 7-9; Ravens, 8-8
LIFETIME SERIES (preseason): Bills lead, 2-1
TV: WBAL-TV (Channel 11) (Gerry Sandusky, Brian Billick, booth; Pete Gilbert, sidelines)
RADIO (simulcast): WIYY-FM, 97.9 (Sandusky, Billick, Gilbert)
TV RE-AIR: NFL Network (Ravens feed) – Monday, Aug. 28, 10 a.m.
REFEREE: Gene Steratore
TEN RAVENS TO WATCH VS. BILLS
1.QB JOSH WOODRUM: He’s the flavor of the month among a fan base starved for solid (and healthy) quarterback play in the wake of Joe Flacco’s uncertain back condition. He has earned a chance to play with the second-stringers, and perhaps the top group as well.
2. RB BUCK ALLEN: The muscular, upright runner burst through holes with a renewed sense of purpose in Miami, gaining a team-high 40 yards on ten carries. If Terrance West continues to underwhelm, Allen could resurrect his career as the every-down starter.
3. WR CHRIS MOORE: The speedy 2016 fourth-round pick from the University of Cincinnati would like to begin the regular season at his former stomping grounds as a viable member of the roster. But, so far, he has not stood out as much as the coaching staff would like.
4. TE BEN WATSON: The veteran TE tore his Achilles against Detroit on this same M&T Bank Stadium surface. He then missed his first Ravens campaign.
Watson needs to make plays and stay healthy.
5. RT AUSTIN HOWARD: Playing right tackle and wearing the #78 jersey of the late Orlando Brown is a huge legacy to follow. But the jersey fits. Howard provides needed bulk, experience, and toughness as the Ravens try to revive their long-moribund run game.
6. NT BRANDON WILLIAMS: He is one of the heaviest Ravens on the roster, but he moves with a quickness and agility rarely seen around the League. It’s preseason, but the Ravens’ defense leads the NFL in points per game (five), as well as allowing the fewest rush, pass, and total yards per contest. By contrast, Buffalo sported the league’s best run game last year (164 yards per game).
7. CB BRANDON CARR: The NFL’s current iron man among cornerbacks, Carr’s durability should give the Ravens fewer worries than they’ve had in the defensive back end.
It’s time to see if Carr can be just as spectacular as he is solid.
8. LB MATT JUDON: The Division II standout plays with a high motor and a chip on his shoulder. Judon is a pocket-pusher. The coaching staff is always saying pressures are as important as sacks. Judon provides both.
9. DE BRONSON KAUFUSI: Kaufusi missed his entire rookie season with a broken ankle. Now he’s doing his best to supplant — or maybe supplement — Brent Urban at the five-technique position. The team has an embarrassment of riches along the line, and Kaufusi wants to stay in the mix.
10. RB-RS TAQUAN MIZZELL: The Virginia product is the only ACC in league history to have 1500 rushing and 1500 receiving yards in the same season. But he’ll have to earn his keep on special teams to make an impact at this point.
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Joe Platania, a Baltimore native, was the 1998 Maryland Sportscaster of the Year, a 2010 Maryland Sportswriter of the Year finalist, and has covered the Ravens throughout their entire history. He has spent 38 years in Baltimore sports media.
