Battle of the Beltway: Pre-Season Edition
Since their inaugural season in 1996, the Baltimore Ravens have only played the Washington Commanders, formerly known as the Washington Redskins, a total of eight times in the regular season. Baltimore holds a 5-3 regular-season record against their cross-conference rivals, who reside 32 miles south of Baltimore. However, a preseason game between the two “Maryland” teams is held almost every year, titled the “Beltway Bowl” or “Battle of the Beltway”. Similar to the cross-conference rivals of the New York Jets and New York Giants, who share MetLife Stadium, the two New York teams battle every preseason in what is dubbed the “Snoopy Bowl”. On Saturday, August 23rd, 2025, Baltimore will travel to Washington for the final game of the 2025 Preseason and another installment of the “Beltway Bowl”. Here are some storylines to keep in mind as the preseason comes to a close.
Who is the QB2 in Baltimore?
There is no question who the starting QB is in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson has the job locked down, and the Ravens are looking to extend him soon to avoid the crazy cap hit coming in 2026 and 2027. However, the Ravens signed former Cowboys QB Cooper Rush, who has a career starting record of 9-5 in his seven years in Dallas. In Rush’s two Baltimore preseason starts, the former Central Michigan Chippewa completed 22 of 34 passes for 214 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. Those are not very promising numbers coming from a backup quarterback in the preseason, but to give him the benefit of the doubt, Rush is entering a new system after seven years serving as a backup to Dak Prescott. Devin Leary, a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, showed less-than-promising play in both of the preseason games in 2025. Totaling eight completions to his 22 attempts for 96 yards and one interception, Leary also posted eight rush attempts for 20 yards. Even with the eye test, Cooper Rush has won the backup job, and at best, Leary will remain as the emergency QB all season long. To earn the trust of fans, Rush will have to play better versus the Commanders compared to what was shown in the first two weeks of preseason, so keep an eye on that. As for Leary, he needs to do enough not to get cut.
Four Running Backs
Similar to the QB situation, there is no question that Derrick Henry and Justice Hill are the main running backs heading into 2025. Keaton Mitchell showed glimpses of his rookie season in the first preseason game versus the Colts and will most likely rest until the regular season. John Harbaugh recently said they plan on taking four running backs into the regular season. Therefore, that leaves 2024 fifth-rounder Rasheen Ali to battle for the fourth running back position with recently signed D’Ernest Johnson and Myles Gaskin. Both Johnson and Gaskin could be preseason-only acquisitions to give Henry, Hill, and Mitchell some rest outside of practice, but does Ali have the RB4 spot locked? Ali was primarily a return man for the Ravens with little bursts of success, so it will be important to watch Ali, Johnson, and Gaskin versus the Commanders to see who pulls away and grabs the last RB spot on the depth chart.
Loop! There it is
After the release of John Hoyland in early August, it was assumed that Tyler Loop won the kicking job, becoming the successor to long-time Ravens kicker Justin Tucker. However, it wasn’t until after the Ravens defeated the Cowboys last week that John Harbaugh officially named Loop the starting kicker. In Week One, Loop went one for two, drilling on a 52-yard field goal, but not until after he missed a 46-yarder. Loop also made all three extra point attempts in the 24-16 win over Indianapolis. Versus the Cowboys, Loop went five for six, making his first four attempts before missing his fifth from 50, and crushing his sixth from 53. Loop has earned his spot on the Ravens, and fans are loving it, shouting “Looooop” when he makes a kick. Tyler Loop isn’t necessarily a story to watch in this final preseason game, but it will be interesting to see how fast fans turn on him if he should ever, knock on wood, lose his touch, similar to how Tucker lost respect missing eight kicks in one season.
Can the Secondary Stay Healthy?
The Ravens kept much of the team from 2024 to 2025. Apart from losing Nelson Agholor, Patrick Mekari, and Brandon Stephens, there was little roster turnover. The Ravens replaced Stephens with Jaire Alexander, who was released by the Green Bay Packers after consecutive injury-riddled seasons. There was speculation that the Ravens have the most talented secondary in the NFL, but that all comes with the given that they can stay healthy at the same time. Despite not playing in any preseason games, Kyle Hamilton and Alexander were dealing with minor injuries throughout training camp. The Ravens lost rookies Bihlal Kone and Robert Longerbeam to season-ending injuries, leaving Chidobe Awuzie and T.J. Tampa as the first in line for a depth role in the Ravens' secondary. Injuries happen, and fatigue is a real issue in the NFL, so depth is a necessity on defense. Now down two potential cornerbacks in addition to safety Ar’Darius Washington out until at least early December, it will be important to watch who is playing, where in the secondary they are playing and how well they perform versus the Commanders, to see if the secondary could potentially be a liability, similar to how the 2024 Ravens secondary began the season.
