OTL: What to Watch for Against Colts Thursday Night

Flock, I’ve waited all summer to say this: we have a Ravens game THIS WEEK.

Ravens host Colts Thursday for preseason. Game notes out and first depth chart. HOWEVER, this provided via the PR staff. So we won’t see anything we don’t know right now. *Tylan Wallace lead PR and Justice Hill KOR. pic.twitter.com/sRyz2Ktw7E

— Morgan Adsit (@MorganAdsit) August 3, 2025

Yes, I’m aware that it’s preseason and I should temper my enthusiasm for anything resembling what we know to be Ravens football…

“Preseason football games are Civil War reenactments” – @Dameshek pic.twitter.com/RogGBMpVrr

— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) July 31, 2025

…but even so, seeing the guys take the field at The Bank signals that we’re getting closer to the start of the season. Watching the stadium practice over the weekend was a nice appetizer, and our guy Chris covered it in yesterday’s column. What I’d like to do on the heels of that is shift our attention to Thursday, when yours truly will be in attendance, and talk about the things that will be worth watching at a time of the year when the games don’t mean much.

Loop is good!@tyler_loop pic.twitter.com/eGv3glOnbO

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 3, 2025

Can Tyler Loop maintain consistency in a game situation?

Rookie kicker Tyler Loop is now the sole kicker on the roster after the Ravens chose to waive John Hoyland. Loop has shown throughout the Training Camp process that he has a big leg, but strength as a kicker is only part of the equation. I’ll be interested in seeing how he handles live-game situations at the NFL level, including the kickoffs, and especially given what the coaches have been known to do in the past using preseason games as environments to test getting the kicking team on the field and set quickly. That’s as close to a pressure situation as you can create before the games count for real, and I’d feel a lot better if he handles them well.

LaJohntay Wester put this Ravens defender through one of the NASTIEST spin cycles.

Wester has reportedly been one of the “twitchiest” players on the field at all times at Ravens training camp.

Wester has reportedly been seeing most of his work coming out of special teams, but… pic.twitter.com/uSQH4oaRGX

— Rookie Watch (@RookieWatxh) August 4, 2025

Lamar Jackson just had his most dynamic period of camp. In the span of 6 drop-backs:

Deep bomb to Dayton Wade down the sideline despite tight coverage
Deep out to Wade on the other sideline, just over a DB’s head
No-look (?) pass to Malik Cunningham on a fake screen

— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) July 31, 2025

Who emerges from the wide receiver battle?

Right now, the top five receivers on the depth chart don’t seem to be any question. Your top trio of Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and DeAndre Hopkins have been joined at the hip for most of camp, with Tylan Wallace having earned his stripes on this roster and Tez Walker continuously receiving votes of confidence from the coaching staff. Outside of that group, though, it stands to reason that they’ll roster at least one more receiver, and if they choose to only roster six wideouts, I don’t envy the coaching staff in trying to decide who gets that spot. Rookie LaJohntay Wester has looked good in special teams situations as a sure-handed returner who can make some moves, and the coaches have expressed that they like the bones to his game in his ability to separate. Still, it’s hard to overlook what Dayton Wade has been able to do the last two offseasons, as he seems to always have a knack for getting open on chunk plays. I’ll be interested to see if one of these guys can stamp their name on the highlight reel.

#Ravens QBs coach Tee Martin on backup Cooper Rush:

“I’m so pleased with Cooper. Just a professional. … Student of the game. Came in, new system, picked it up. … A little different world from where he came from.” pic.twitter.com/cNpZ4SvY5E

— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) July 31, 2025

Can the backup QBs look more comfortable during a live game?

Backup QB is a conversation that I hope we never have to have during the year, except maybe if the Ravens are blowing the doors off an opponent and choose to rest starters. Still, given that I’m certain we’ll see precious little, if any, of Lamar Jackson during the preseason, we’ll have to see how Cooper Rush and Devin Leary look in these games, because the Camp process hasn’t inspired a ton of confidence yet. Coach Martin alluded to Cooper Rush’s ability to come in and get used to a new system, but I haven’t seen it in the Camp reps, just given the discomfort he’s shown on timing and some of the issues he’s faced against this Ravens defense in practice. Devin Leary’s got a year of experience under his belt, but his playing style also creates challenges within the fit for this offensive system, so we’ll see if he can sneak up the depth chart.

Ravens are signing free-agent running back D’Ernest Johnson, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 2, 2025

What, if any, role can D’Ernest Johnson play in the running back room?

When news broke over the weekend that D’Ernest Johnson would be signing with the Ravens, there was a fair bit of head-scratching around the league, but the consensus among pundits covering the team is that Johnson is a Camp body. The Ravens are likely to preserve Derrick Henry as much as possible, and with Keaton Mitchell and Justice Hill both having suffered injuries in the past year and change, the coaches likely feel like they don’t need to be out there much. Johnson’s signing could be a win-win; Johnson has the opportunity to put something on film as an audition for other teams even if he doesn’t stick around in Baltimore, and the Ravens will gain some familiarity with him to evaluate if he still has tread on the tires in the unfortunate event that they need to sign a free agent RB. Johnson’s two previous spots with Cleveland and Jacksonville haven’t exactly featured high-flying offenses in his career, so with the run-heavy scheme that Baltimore is so famous for, maybe the 29-year-old can get a second lease on his career.

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