5 Things to Watch: Baltimore Ravens

[BonifayRam]

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Nate Horgan Special to Stlouisrams.com

1. Big play consistency from rookies

The big play potential from the rookie class showed up against the Broncos on Saturday. LB Alec Ogletree came away with the Rams’ first two takeaways of the preseason with a forced fumble that he returned for a touchdown and an interception at the end of the first half. Ogletree’s football instincts seem to be catching up to NFL pace. Look for him to build off of last week’s performance.

WR Tavon Austin, the eighth overall selection in the 2013 Draft, finished the third preseason game averaging 52 yards per punt return, including an 81-yard return to put the offense on the 3-yard line for its first possession. Austin has showed that he can change the game on special teams, but watch for him to break out on the offensive side of the ball as we near the regular season.

S T.J. McDonald has been one of the most consistent players in the rookie class, as he stepped into a starting role in Week 1 of the preseason. McDonald came up with a big play on special teams in Denver, blocking a Matt Prater field goal.

On the undrafted rookie front, LB Ray Ray Armstrong also got into the mix last week when he sacked Denver QB Brock Osweiler for a 10-yard loss, while CB Darren Woodard intercepted an Osweiler pass and returned it for 23 yards late in the game.

As the rookies become more knowledgeable in their respective systems, their big play potential should increase. Watch for the younger players to play more comfortably in their assignments and keep their momentum going into the regular season.

2. Offensive line

RT Rodger Saffold returned to action last week against the Broncos and came away with a strong showing, after suffering an injury in Week 1. His replacement, T Joe Barksdale sat out last week, but has returned to practice this week and may be looking to catch up on game reps. Watch for the offensive line’s full rotation to be healthy for the first time since the team’s first preseason game. The unit will look to get time together on the field .......

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[A55VA6]

I listened to an interview where Venturi said to play Ogletree alot in this game and I agree. He needs to be out there, get involved in stopping the run, and continue to gain experience. Should be fun to watch these other guys fight for a roster spot.

 

[RamsFanCK]

My biggest watches the bck up oline, and seeing if they can amalgamate their feces...if you catch my drift..

 

[BonifayRam]

I listened to an interview where Venturi said to play Ogletree alot in this game and I agree. He needs to be out there, get involved in stopping the run, and continue to gain experience. Should be fun to watch these other guys fight for a roster spot.

Other than Fisher being Fisher I see reason to play Hull, WW, JL or Jo much against the Ravens. Rams have four very good rookie Lb'ers to get a long look to. I know we have been mush against the run but I do not connect JL, Hull & WW being the cause. Tree has been extremely weak @ run stopping .....could we say awful?

I listened to that one too & I agree get Tree, Ray Ray, Bates & Stewart as much time as possible. I sure like what I see with Bates 5-11 215 pound on the field... reminds me of young skinny London Fletcher! Bates may be the best LB'er of the four @ run stopping IMO. Jonathan Stewart is not bad either.

 

[BonifayRam]

My biggest watches the bck up oline, and seeing if they can amalgamate their feces...if you catch my drift..

I sure catch it but the feces should be in abundance this game as far as the run blocking as this OL is sure to lay some serious lines of feces against this Ravens big front seven.

I always center in on the OL big boy play myself. Chris Williams will be the starter @ OLG. Not much mystery on the OL Its just not firing off & showing any power on the run blocking with any consistency period. Dismal! I would suspect that the five starters in the OL will get a look test & will generate some bad concerns by half time on the run side of the ball.

Back to our starting OLG....CW has never been very good @ OLG he is damn lucky that Boudreau's hobby of refurbishing poor quality OL'ers for a short period of time has been good. I am certain he is not a long term the answer @ OLG either. I have seen enough of Shelley Smith he is technically sound but @ 297 pounds his run blocking is weak straight up but he is very good @ pulling & hitting a target give him credit for that problem is Rams do not pull often. Rams will be forced to address this ongoing never healing ooosing wound saga @ OLG in the 2014 draft! :fk:

To my surprise Swing OT Joe Barksdale is seems to be better @ run blocking than Saffold @ this point @ ORT. But Joe is not the starter. You should get your wish & see Joe starting in the 3rd. But I would rather see OT Ty Nsekhe get one last long look @ RIGHT OT. He has been very impressive the last two games in relief of Jake Long @ OLT. If Ty is cut he will not last long before he is picked back up. The 6-8 325 pound Ty has shown early he is a quality Left OT reserve worth a long look.

ORT Saffold was a outstanding run blocking Left OT now he needs to get himself together....it looks like it going to be a trying time out-there @ ORT until about the bye if he can stay healthy.

ORG Harvey Dahl still must be loosing sleep due to his new baby earlier this yr he needs to wake up out of his fog. He appears to be a little weaker currently maybe due to his surgery & rehabbing event on the upper arm. Harvey's main back up @ ORG Washington has just failed @ both Right OT & OG but I would get him some action myself @ OLG for one final look.

Scott Wells should be in for a very bad evening with those massive Ravens NT's forcing him into a Adam Goldberg act & specialty of being launched backwards into Sam's feet. This will be nasty! Our best interior OL back up the bigger center Tim Barnes may get the first action if things go real bad for the small Wells. Likewise Barrett Jones should get some action with these NT's too to show him that he sure needs to get a whole lot stronger.

Its going to be a bonified true test & a wake up call for this OL! Rams have invested big FA $$$ in three of theses starters its time for them to give us a small taste of what they could & should do or future OL 2014 changes will be mandated.

 

[fearsomefour]

""Back to our starting OLG....CW has never been very good @ OLG he is damn lucky that Boudreau's hobby of refurbishing poor quality OL'ers for a short period of time has been good. I am certain he is not a long term the answer @ OLG either. I have seen enough of Shelley Smith he is technically sound but @ 297 pounds his run blocking is weak straight up but he is very good @ pulling & hitting a target give him credit for that problem is Rams do not pull often. Rams will be forced to address this ongoing never healing ooosing wound saga @ OLG in the 2014 draft!

To my surprise Swing OT Joe Barksdale is seems to be better @ run blocking than Saffold @ this point @ ORT. But Joe is not the starter. You should get your wish & see Joe starting in the 3rd. But I would rather see OT Ty Nsekhe get one last long look @ RIGHT OT. He has been very impressive the last two games in relief of Jake Long @ OLT. If Ty is cut he will not last long before he is picked back up. The 6-8 325 pound Ty has shown early he is a quality Left OT reserve worth a long look. ""

I agree with all of this. Smith is more technically sound, but, Williams has size. If you could combine the two you could have a force at LG. Williams did make a couple of nice blocks in the running game in Denver. I could see three of our first four picks being invested in the trenches, O and D.

I see both Nsekhe and Barksdale sticking potentially for the reasons you stated. With Barnes and Jones that would be the 9 lineman. Barnes does things technically pretty well and doesnt get pushed back in the run game much, but, I dont see him getting any forward push either. Wells will have to do what he does when he is at his best, use first step quickness and angles vs. the Ravens big beefeaters inside. Will be interesting for sure.

 

[albefree69]

BonifayRam with startling new info:
To my surprise Swing OT Joe Barksdale is seems to be better @ run blocking than Saffold @ this point @ ORT. But Joe is not the starter. You should get your wish & see Joe starting in the 3rd. But I would rather see OT Ty Nsekhe get one last long look @ RIGHT OT. He has been very impressive the last two games in relief of Jake Long @ OLT. If Ty is cut he will not last long before he is picked back up. The 6-8 325 pound Ty has shown early he is a quality Left OT reserve worth a long look.

ORT Saffold was a outstanding run blocking Left OT now he needs to get himself together....it looks like it going to be a trying time out-there @ ORT until about the bye if he can stay healthy.

Is that a comparatively speaking comment? I ask that because I was never really impressed with his run blocking. I thought he was OK for a LOT but that's a far cry from the run blocking prowess usually expected from a RT. Was he better pre shoulder separation?