Baltimore Ravens: 10 players to watch against the Dolphins

Players to watch on offense

Keenan Reynolds

If Keenan Reynolds is going to make the 53-man roster, it’s going to have to be as a wide receiver. He can impress in the return game all he wants, but we need to see production catching the ball. With the top receivers likely out tomorrow, Reynolds should see a solid amount of snaps. He needs to take advantage of each on of the balls thrown his way. The Ravens pass attack was stagnant against the Redskins and Reynolds can help turn that around.

Taquan Mizzell

The Ravens got great performances from two former University of Virginia players last week, one being undrafted rookie running back Taquan Mizzell. Mizzell was the leading rusher against the Redskins, racking up 15 carries for 51 rushing yards. He’ll need another strong game to keep competition for the third running back spot. The big thing for Mizzell is ball security. He has to hold on to the ball. Fumbles are an easy way to get into John Harbaugh’s dog house. Once you’re in, it’s hard to get out.

The knock against Mizzell is that he’s too similar to Danny Woodhead, but that doesn’t matter. If he continues his impressive offensive production, the Ravens will have some tough decisions to make come cut time.

Ryan Mallett

Ryan Mallett didn’t silence any critics with his performance against the Redskins last week. He was without his top receivers, but still struggled. Twice he under-threw a wide open Michael Campanaro. There were some nice passes, but Mallett was sporadic at best.

The Ravens continue to shuffle around quarterbacks, most recently adding Thad Lewis to the roster. Mallett’s job isn’t in danger right now, but he’s going to need to come out strong against the Dolphins. Another poor performance won’t help his cause.

Chris Matthews

After spending all of last season on injured reserve, Chris Matthews was talked about as a player to watch this offseason. The Ravens have lacked a possession wide receiver since Anquan Boldin. Towering at 6-5, Matthews is the perfect candidate.  But so far, we haven’t seen much. Matthews was targeted just once against the Redskins didn’t catch a single ball. He is going to need to show up on Thursday if he wants to stay in competition for a roster spot.

Jermaine Eluemunor

Jermaine Eluemunor made his first career start last week and will most likely do the same tomorrow night. He wasn’t seen as a player to come and contribute right away, but things have changed. With all of the injuries on the offensive line, Eluemunor is now a key back up heading into the season. He held his own against the Redskins and put together some nice plays, but there were also times where you could tell that there needs to be more polishing. Eluemunor will continue to improve with increased reps. He’ll be tested against a talented Dolphins defensive line with the likes of Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Jordan.