Game Review: Preseason Game 1 VS Redskins

On Thursday night, the Baltimore Ravens took on the Washington Redskins in the first preseason game of the 2017 season. The night was filled with excitement, as the Ravens performed well. Baltimore won the game, 23-3. The preseason is always an exciting time for NFL fans, as they get to see players who are on the cusp of making the 53 man roster. This was no exception for the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, as many young players stepped up to make an impact for this team.

First Quarter (0-0)

The Ravens kicked the ball to start the first quarter. The starting defensive unit came out in full force early on, forcing a three and out for the Redskins offense. The drive was highlighted by Anthony Levine’s 8-yard sack on Kirk Cousins on third down. The Ravens were poised for an excellent offensive start after the defense set them up on their own 38-yard line. However, the Joe Flaccoless offense struggled early. Quarterback Ryan Mallet was visibly uncomfortable, underthrowing balls more often than not. The Ravens offense found no success on their first drive either, and punted it back to the Redskins. This continued for the for another drive from each team. However, the Ravens offense finally found some daylight after the Redskins punted it to the Ravens for the third time. The Ravens almost came away with nothing on the drive, but two penalties kept them fighting. One flag was thrown on a deep pass to Michael Campanaro, as Joshua Hosley was called for pass interference, setting up a first down. The second penalty came as kicker Justin Tucker missed a field goal, but an illegal formation on Washington gave Baltimore five yards and a first down. The drive was capped off with two runs by Terrance West, an 18 yard run to the two-yard line, and a 2 yard run for a touchdown. Tucker’s PAT was good, putting the Ravens ahead by 7 points. With Colt McCoy in at quarterback, the Redskins started to move the ball down the field but came up short of the first down at Baltimore’s 42-yard line to end the quarter.

Second Quarter (7-0 Ravens)

The Redskins opened the second quarter by gambling on fourth down. Rookie running back Samaje Perine picked up a yard on the play to move the chains. The Redskins were moving the ball, and it seemed like they might put a dent in the Ravens’ lead. However, an offensive holding penalty set Washington back from the Baltimore 38 to the Baltimore 48. After a tackle for no gain by Brent Urban, the Redskins were again flagged, this time for illegal formation. However, the penalty was declined, as McCoy threw an incompletion to set up fourth down. The Ravens took over at the 7-yard line after a holding call on linebacker Bam Bradley. The Ravens again got the ball moving, this time both through the air and ground. Ryan Mallet found his footing, making better throws than in the first quarter. The Ravens also were lead on the ground by running back Buck Allen and rookie Taquan Mizzell. Despite some success, the drive stalled out at the Baltimore 47, and Sam Kock was forced to punt the ball. Washington ended their drive quickly, not moving past their own 17-yard line, and punted the ball back to the Ravens. The Ravens started the drive in great field position, at their own 47-yard line. The drive lasted 6 minutes and 8 seconds and was spearheaded by Ryan Mallet. Mallet and company were able to get the Ravens down to the 19-yard line, to set up a 37-yard field goal for Justin Tucker. Tucker’s kick was good, increasing Baltimore’s lead to 10. The Redskins attempted to answer to Baltimore’s success through the air. However, this effort came up fruitless, as McCoy’s pass was intercepted by Jaylen Hill at Baltimore’s 46-yard line. Quarterback Ryan Mallet quickly got the team into Washington territory, setting up another field goal attempt for Justin Tucker. The kick was a 59-yard attempt, and Tucker nailed it to end the half.

Third Quarter (13-0 Ravens)

The Ravens had kicked the ball at the beginning of the game and thus received the ball to start the third quarter. This time with Dustin Vaughan in at quarterback, the Ravens failed to get moving. Running back Bobby Rainey moved the ball up 7 yards on the first two plays, but Vaughan was sacked on third down, resulting in a punt. Kenny Allen, now in at punter for Sam Koch, punted the ball out of bounds at Baltimore’s 49-yard line, setting up Washington in an excellent position. Washington was able to move the ball down to the Baltimore 31, and kick a field goal. Dustin Hopkins had enough leg on the kick to score Washington’s first points of the game, chipping into the Ravens’ lead. With the game now 13-3, the Ravens were looking to keep Washington behind. The drive started great for the Ravens. On the second play, Dustin Vaughan passed over the middle to Griff Whalen for a 10 yard gain. However, two plays later, Vaughan was sacked on second down at the 17-yard line. Baltimore was unable to recover from the loss and punted. The Redskins had an opportunity to put points on the board, however, an offensive holding on the first play of the drive set them back 10 yards. Washington was unable to come up with a first down on 3rd and 4 and disappointingly had to punt the ball away. For the next two drives, the Ravens and the Redskins were unable to score, with both offenses continuing to struggle. However, with 25 seconds left in the quarter, Washington punted from the 20-yard line to Keenan Reynolds. Reynolds found a lane and bolted, almost breaking free for a touchdown if not for the punter tackling him. After the 46 return, the Ravens were set up at the Redskins 33 yard line. On the first play of the drive, quarterback Josh Woodrum launched a missile to Tim White in the corner of the end zone. The pass was caught for a touchdown. With the point after, the lead extended to 20-3 for the Ravens.

Fourth Quarter (20-3 Ravens)

The Ravens entered the final quarter with a commanding 20-3 lead. The defense continued to dominate, only giving up one yard on the ensuing drive. After the Washington punt, the Ravens started on their own 20-yard line. The drive got off to a great start with Tawuan Mizzell running for 6 yards in two plays, and Josh Woodrum scrambling for 13 right after. Mizzell again ran for a big gain of 11 yards. Shortly after Woodrum threw a 14-yard pass to Quincy Adeboyejo. One play later Woodrum tossed up a long, 28-yard pass for the same receiver, but he was not able to haul it in, as pass interference was called on the Redskins’ cornerback. The Ravens offense stalled out in the red zone, and Baltimore settled for a 21-yard field goal by Justin Tucker. The Redskins had one last attempt at scoring against the Ravens. Starting at their own 25-yard line, quarterback Nate Sudfeld lead the team to mid field but came up short on a 4th and 18 play. With 3:17 left in the game, the Ravens milked the clock out to win the game, 23-3.