The 2022 NFL regular season is just over two weeks away. But preseason he has another week of football to start before shifting all focus to the games that really matter.
The Washington Commanders will travel down Interstate 95 on Saturday for their final tune-up before the regular season and face their neighbors in Baltimore. Three days later, the final roster cut takes place.
Washington’s starter, changed from last year’s preseason finale, is expected to play Saturday in a “very limited” manner, according to Ron Rivera. The whole thing held out most of the starter.
So while Saturday’s contest will feature a number of mostly bottom-placed players, there are still plenty of subplots to follow.
Here are three stories to look for in Commanders-Ravens…
Sam Howell’s (longer) eyes
Saturday night is supposed to be Sam Howell’s show.
Head coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday that Washington’s starter will play “very limited” on Saturday. The head coach left it up to interpretation, but it sounds like Carson Wentz and his cronies, at most he only gets one drive.
Behind Wentz is Taylor Heinicke, who is firmly established as the team’s backup. Heinicke started 16 games for the Commanders last season. Washington knows what they have in him. I don’t need him to play for a long time. In fact, Heinicke, along with then-starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, last preseason he didn’t play a snap in the finale against Baltimore.
Rivera didn’t disclose how he plans to divide his time between quarterbacks on Saturday, but all signs point to Howell getting a significant amount of playing time. We firmly believe this season is all about developing Howell. Getting an extended rep in the preseason would support that.
Additionally, it should be noted that Howell will receive little to no reps once the season begins. As a third-string quarterback, Howell will likely run a scouting team for the Commanders to start the year.
Howell made his preseason debut against Carolina, throwing for 145 yards and rushing for two touchdowns. The North Carolina product was unable to replicate its success in Kansas City, but he finished 10 of 18 with 122 yards and interceptions.
Playing Howell long on Saturday makes the most sense. That’s what everyone should expect.
The battle for the final receiver spot:
Unlike years past, the commander’s wide receiver room is one of the deeper position groups on the roster. Many under the depth chart have also been impressed, and this could make Rivera’s decision about the roster reduction date even more difficult.
Here’s what we know going into the preseason finale. Terry McLoughlin, Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel are the obvious rocks. Cam Sims is almost certainly on the team as well. A second-year veteran, Dyami Brown feels safe, at least for now.
Dax Milne, Alex Ericsson, Marken Michele, Matt Cole and Killik McGowan are all battling for a spot or two.
Milne, a seventh-round pick in 2021, feels like the clubhouse leader for the sixth-round pick. It was a target.
However, each of the wideouts above show occasional flashes in camp. Ericsson has led the team in yardage gains in both preseason games. Michel has stood out in practices dating back to OTAs and mini-camps. Cole and McGowan also had their own moments.
So Saturday’s big game against Baltimore could be a long way, with a number of wideouts vying for the receiver’s final roster spot. Even if he didn’t make the 53-man roster, two of them could be on the practice team.
Streak Busters?
Anyone who follows the NFL at the semi-closed level knows at least the Ravens’ preseason winning streak. Baltimore has won a league-record 22 consecutive exhibition contests. The Ravens haven’t lost a preseason game since the 2015 finale.
It’s up to Washington, who lost to Baltimore four times during the streak, including a 37-3 crushing loss last August, to keep the streak from growing any further. Rivera hopes his team will be the one to end it.
“You go into every game hoping to win. It’s good for them. That’s their job. That’s what they do,” Rivera said Tuesday. “They come out and play a certain way, which is good for them. Like I said, play every game to win.”
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