It’s been a long and painful offseason, but tonight we will finally get the taste of football when the Baltimore Ravens travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles. There are several questions surrounding tonight’s matchup. Plenty of rookies will be vying for roster spots, and fans want to see which ones are willing to step up.
Three things to look for tonight after the jump…
1. Right Tackle
During tonight’s game, my eyes will be glued to the right tackle spot. It’s by far the most questionable position on the Ravens roster. The battle will be between Oniel Cousins and rookie Jah Reid. Many have praised Reid’s intensity during this week’s practice sessions, but will it translate on the field? Oniel Cousins has primarily been a backup for the Ravens, but is currently the starter at right tackle. I hope to see some improvement from him as I was not very impressed in previous seasons. No matter what way you look at it, someone will need to step up. I can not stress how important the offensive line is to this team. Without a solid line, Ray Rice has no holes to run through, and Joe Flacco will be picking grass out of his facemask. For the Ravens to run successfully and close out games, the line has to be flawless.
2. Sergio Kindle
Sergio Kindle sat out last season after an off the field injury. Many doubted his return, but he will play in his first NFL game tonight. Sergio showed a lot of promise coming out of the 2010 draft, but that was soon crushed after he took a stumble down a flight of stairs subsequently fracturing his skull. I’m interested to see his intensity level and whether or not he’s hesitant before making contact. His pass rushing skills will be put to the test against NFL lineman for the first time and I’d like to see how he sheds blockers on his way to the quarterback.
3. Rookie Wideouts
The Ravens drafted Tandon Doss and Torrey Smith in this year’s draft. Torrey is suppose to be the Ravens answer to a deep threat as his speed helped him take the top off the defense in college. Whether or not he can do that in the NFL has yet to be seen, but I hope we will know the answer by the end of tonight. Tandon Doss was very successful with the Hoosiers in college and will now take his first step on to the professional gridiron. I loved what I saw from him in college and I hope it can translate to the next level. He has great hands and will hopefully provide the Ravens with another possession receiver.
I’m very excited to see how the Ravens’ rookies manage in their first NFL action. Tonight’s game may leave us with more questions than answers but luckily, there’s still three more preseason games.
Please follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for all news, NFL and Ravens. Also, make sure to +1 our articles!