Both teams close out the preseason at M&T Bank Stadium, but the real storyline is Jesse Minter getting his first taste of a game he can coach on the sideline as Baltimore's brand-new head man.
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FRI AUG 28 · 6:00 PM ET
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This one's less about the scoreboard and more about who's still standing. Jayden Daniels has spent camp learning David Blough's new under-center, play-action-heavy scheme and openly admitted he's still got "a long way to go" mastering it. Across the field, Lamar Jackson is working through his own installation under first-time playcaller Declan Doyle, who's borrowed pieces from Ben Johnson and Sean Payton offenses and has Jackson raving about his "mind-blowing" command of the playbook. Neither quarterback figures to play deep into this one, if at all, given it's the preseason finale for both clubs.
The absences matter as much as who suits up. Terry McLaurin arrived at camp without a new contract and opened on the PUP list with an ankle issue, which has only muddied a WR2 competition that was already unsettled behind him. On the Ravens' side, kicker Tyler Loop enters this preseason under a magnifying glass after his missed 44-yard field goal in Week 18 handed Pittsburgh the AFC North — Baltimore has stayed publicly confident in him, but a shaky exhibition slate won't quiet the noise.
Joint practices between these two in Owings Mills earlier in the week set the tone, and coaches on both sides have used the sessions to sort out bottom-of-the-roster battles more than to script a gameplan. Don't expect much star power once kickoff hits.
Washington Commanders
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Fully healthy — no injuries to report
Baltimore Ravens
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Fully healthy — no injuries to report
Derrick Henry remains the engine of whatever Doyle's offense becomes, and with nearly 3,500 rushing yards in Baltimore already, his fit in a heavier play-action design is the thing to watch even in limited snaps. Washington, meanwhile, is banking on Blough's scheme to protect Daniels and get McLaurin close to double-digit targets once healthy — none of which will be on display much in a preseason finale where roster bubble guys eat the bulk of the reps.
Washington Commanders
Baltimore Ravens
Washington enters off a January playoff win in Philly to cap last season, while Baltimore's finale skid — a missed kick, a lost division — still lingers over Minter's first camp. None of that decides Friday night, though. This is about depth charts, not standings.
