Preseason Week 1: @ Baltimore

Ok, so who likes the Ravens anyway? I know it’s only preseason, but I can’t stand the bastards and I want to see a Redskins victory tonight. If I ever see another Ed Reed turnover/touchdown, it will be too soon. Here are a few things to look for (or not look for) tonight when our guys kick off the preseason…sweeeeeeeeeeet:

• Look for lots of defense. The Ravens are notorious for having not only a good defense, but a lot of defensive depth. The ‘Skins have done quite a bit of retooling, and seem to have added some pretty good, young depth as well. Both defenses should determine the tempo tonight, and whichever one wins the turnover battle will probably win the game.
• Speaking of young depth, keep an eye on a few lesser-knowns. Brian Orakpo is an obvious choice to watch for tonight, but look for guys like Kevin Barnes, Jeremy Jarmon, Justin Tryon, and Keith Eloi to try and show their stuff tonight. Tryon has been working with Darrell Green in the offseason and must have a strong preseason to keep his roster spot. Let see if #28 rubbed off on him at all.
• Don’t look for many big names, at least for the Redskins. If they are in there, don’t look for more than two series, but we already know that $100 million man Albert Haynesworth won’t play, as well as some vets like Randy Thomas and Santana Moss. I’m sure Clinton Portis will be kept on the sidelines kicking and screaming as well.
• We’ll see the first taste of Colt vs. Daniel vs. Collins. Brennan lives for the preseason right now, and has a good opportunity to show that he can be the no. 2 behind Jason Campbell. We really haven’t seen much of Collins since the ’07 playoffs, and coaches speak highly of Daniel, so it will be interesting to see how each one performs in their first action this year.
• Watch for the much maligned 2008 second round picks. Devin Thomas has been limited with a hamstring and Malcolm Kelly with a knee, but each have gotten better reviews this year when on the practice field. Combined with Fred Davis, let’s see how they show up in a game situation tonight.

I know it’s ridiculous to be this excited about a preseason game, but it’s football, and football means entertainment. I can’t wait.

My Prediction:

Redskins 13
Ravens 10