For those that thought the preseason match up between the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens would be a game of intensity and defensive will, the two quarters of football played at soggy FedEx Field was what it was billed to be. Unfortunately for those fans in attendance, Mother Nature was the most dominant player on the field.
Amidst torrential downpours, bolts of lightning, heavy claps of thunder and an hour late start, these two powerhouse defensive teams showed their respective power on the field. For the Washington Redskins, no one proved more devastating than rookie LaRon Landry.
Landry set the tone for this game with a jarring hit on Ravens return man B. J. Sams on the opening kick-off. The LSU Tiger has shown throughout preseason that his knack for being near the ball and his instincts around the line of scrimmage will make the 'Skins defense infinitely more dangerous for opposing quarterbacks. Combine the pass rush skill of Landry with the playmaking ability of Sean Taylor, and the Redskins have a devastating safety corps that will have to be accounted for at all times.
Not to be outdone by his defensive backfield counterparts, Pierson Prioleau had the hit of the night on the first offensive play of the second half. Ravens second string quarterback Kyle Boller dropped back to pass. Anthony Trucks came from the right and hit Boller low, just as Prioleau broke through the line and drove the unsuspecting signal caller to the turf. Boller's arm was in motion, but Prioleau's slobberknocker deflected the ball off of Jared Gaither, the former Terp starting at left tackle for the Ravens, and into the hands of Dallas Sartz, who easily took the interception three yards for the go-ahead score.
A few minutes later, Mother Nature intervened, and the NFL league office ended the contest due to weather, giving the Redskins their second victory of the 2007 preseason.
News and Notes:
* The weather not only ended the game early, it also negated the last chance of some of the bubble players hoping to survive the mandatory cut to 75 players this Tuesday. Stay tuned to THN for updates on who stays and who goes.
* THN friend Brandon Lloyd had another solid outing. On the last offensive drive of the first half, Lloyd drew a pass interference call for a first down. Three plays later, Lloyd made a catch to give the Skins fourth and one, when the Skins got away with illegal motion and drew Ravens linebacker Bart Scott offsides. Finally, B. Lloyd made a heads up play when Mike Sellers fumbled the ball along the sidelines with just 43 seconds left in the half, which led to Suisham's second field goal of the evening.
* None of the newly acquired Redskins - Todd Pinkston, Pete Kendall, Fred Beasley and Randall Godfrey - saw the field this week.
* The signing of Kendall likely signals the end of Todd Wade's switch to guard, although one can guarantee that Buges will start the player he feels give the team it's best chance to win.
* Shaun Suisham turned in another solid performance. Suisham went two-for-two on field goal attempts and nailed his only extra point attempt. His kick-offs were also consistently deep.
* The speed and athleticism that the team has been targeting in their acquisitions has shown up no place more substantially than in the coverage units, particularly in the punt coverage.
* The offensive line had perhaps their best outing, particularly against and aggressive defense like the Ravens. The holes are still slow to open and quick to close in the run game, but the addition of Kendall and the return of Samuels should help this quite a bit.
* Todd Collins was not as sharp as in week's past, but Mark Brunell only had two throws to make his case for the number two spot. Coach Gibbs has stated that Brunell will be the starter next week should Campbell not be able to go, otherwise, he'll be the back-up.
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