Yes, another backups versus backups match up… And these were mostly the deep backups. It’s important for current/in-game scouting consideration and historical reference to state the levels of players the teams put out there up front every time because we need to consider the level of talent these players are working against.
I’ve said two things about these individual teams this preseason…
1) The Baltimore Ravens look really buttoned up and well-coached with nice young depth-of-talent that will need about a year or so to come into fruition. It’s just the preseason, but I’m not surprised the Ravens went undefeated in the preseason. Not only did they go undefeated, but they pretty much kicked the *** of everybody that was put in front of them.
2) By contrast, the Washington Commanders have looked like crap the entire preseason. This is a bad team with a bad coach that already lost its most important player for the season, left tackle Laremy Tunsil. They are DOA before we even get started with this season.
Those two things being said, the Ravens winning 41-3 here should have been the most unshocking thing that’s ever happened in football history. The score reflects the state of these two teams in the preseason. But we do have some player things to talk about within this.
Player Notes…
– The Ravens went with five running backs working in this game. Most of them we’re not gonna make the 53-man roster, but for whatever reason, I need to comment on three of them nonetheless… Rasheen Ali (9-28-0, 3-18-0/6) worked first and that’s because of the group that worked in this game, he actually made the 53-man roster. I think he made it more because not only is he an OK enough running back, but he’s also their primary kick returner. Ali has never really caught fire in the NFL. Even though both Ross and I liked him coming out of college, he’s just not getting any type of run in the NFL. He’s probably closer to becoming an NFL journeyman than being any type of impact runner; with most of these guys, it takes a little bit of luck for them to get their break. He needs the two running backs ahead of him to go down to get a shot to show what he can do. He looked fine in his throwaway preseason game.
Adam Randall (5-25-0, 3-45-0/5) worked second RB in this game and he looked really good again. It’s possible that he’s just kinda hiding in the background among the rookie RBs that were not highly picked rookies–he may need to be mentioned or discussed with his talents versus what Mike Washington of the Raiders brings to the table. Randall has a ton of athleticism and size like Washington, but also Randall was a former wide receiver turned running back, so he’s still trying to come into his own. To me, he just looks better every week than I see him in the preseason. He got put on the IR after this game, so he’s gonna miss the first part of the season, but I bet that’s more of a “wink-wink” put on the IR so they can season him a little bit more before putting him on the 53-man roster and probably dropping Ali.
I’m just gonna note that Dontae McMillan (3-70-0, 0-0-0/0) reeled off a nice 63-yard run in this game. But he doesn’t appear to have the size of a legit NFL running back. And the speed is in some question because he broke away and was on his way to a long touchdown, but he got caught from behind by multiple defenders. A faster runner would have housed that.
– Let’s talk real-quick about the Washington running backs in this game… Rookie Kaytron Allen (3-4-0, 0-0-0/0) got the first carry of the game and promptly fumbled it over to the Ravens. He played three series and had three carries for four yards rushing. A disaster. Watching him this preseason I thought he did not deserve to make a 53-man roster, but of course he did. You don’t want to embarrass the GM who wasted a pick on this. After Allen went out then the better rookie running back,
UDFA RB Robert Henry Jr. (10-33-0, 1-1-0/1) came in and took a lot of carries. He looked pretty good, but this Washington offensive line is terrible right down to the backups, so with little room to run Henry didn’t produce any big numbers. He did get cut, but he also was put on the practice squad.
The running back who finished this out surprised me a little; I totally forgot that this is where Craig Reynolds (9-38-0, 1-4-0/1) was. I thought Reynolds was federally mandated to be on the Detroit Lions for the rest of his life. He has a friendship with offensive coordinator David Blough, and although he got cut, he got put on the practice squad. I’m surprised with all the Lions’ injuries that they didn’t grab Reynolds, but as we said on our “Two Scouts Talking” video: Jacob Saylors is the same running back as Reynolds in our scouting book.
– Everyone is still buzzing about Ravens rookie tight end Matthew Hibner (2-11-0/2), and he looks fine, but I just don’t see the cause for all this enthusiasm and claims that he’s going to go over Mark Andrews quickly. Maybe next year Hibner works his way into a tight end duo with Josh Cuevas (2-15-0/2), but I don’t think it’s gonna be much of anything in 2026, especially not the beginning part of the season. These rookie TEs need more time.
– We’ll finish it up on a high note, talking about the two sleeper rookie QBs who really performed well in the preseason. Ravens UDFA QB Joe Fagnano (19-27 for 162 yards, 1 TD/0 INT, 1-1-1) had another impressive, controlled, calm performance which led him to make the somewhat improbable leap from UDFA to the 53-man roster. He deserved it. We’ll be keeping an eye on him for the future because he’s a legit QB to develop.
Commanders late-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis (7-13 for 45 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 0-0-0) also impressed us this preseason looking a lot like Fagnano, but only with a better/stronger arm… but also playing behind a more dreadful offensive line. He’s got a future in this league under development. If anything comes of it, it’ll take a couple of years, and he may not even be on the Commanders by then. He was also impressive enough to make the 53-man roster.
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