Coach John Harbaugh said all of the team’s 18 rookies are expected to play tonight against New England, but the one he’s most concerned about is a Raven who won’t play a down: himself.
Harbaugh will be the man in charge for the first time in Foxborough, Mass., after spending the past 24 seasons as an assistant coach — and he’s not sure how he’ll react when the ball is kicked off at 7:30 p.m. in Gillette Stadium.
“I expect not to know what to expect and how it’s going to be like,” he said. “You talk about the rookies and how they’re going to respond. I’m interested in how I’m going to respond. We’ll see how it goes.”
Tonight’s game also represents the Ravens’ first opportunity to test their new offense under offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Still, the players who take the field against the defending AFC champion Patriots could be vastly different than the ones who start in the regular season opener against Cincinnati at M&T Bank Stadium on Sept. 7.
Quarterback Kyle Boller will start against the Patriots, but still is in a fierce competition for the starting job against Troy Smith and rookie Joe Flacco. Boller is expected to play most of the first half, with Smith and Flacco finishing the game. Harbaugh also hinted Smith could start the second preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at M&T Bank Stadium on Aug. 16.
“You want to go out there, execute and do well,” Boller said. “Ultimately, how you play in these games is going to determine who’s going to be the starter, so every game is important. You get limited reps, so you have to take advantage of every rep that you have and every throw you have to win that job. The game tape is what they’re going to look at.”
Injuries also have forced the Ravens to make several changes to their depth chart. Former practice squad member Mike Kracalik and recently signed Chad Slaughter will play right and left tackle, replacing Adam Terry (ankle) and Jared Gaither (ankle) in the starting lineup. Running back Ray Rice, a second-round draft pick, will replace Willis McGahee, who is out with a knee injury.
“Obviously, as the starter I’ll be going against the best of the best,” Rice said. “I’m just looking forward to the opportunity and having fun. I’ve taken advantage of the opportunity, but we sure do need Willis out there. He’s been a mentor to me and my success. I definitely wish he would come back.”
Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan said the Patriots will present a tough test for his squad since New England returns most of its players on team that went 18-1, with its only loss a 17-14 setback to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
But the Ravens came as close as any other team in the league to beating the Patriots in the regular season as they lost, 27-24, on Dec. 3. The Ravens led 24-17 in the fourth quarter before quarterback Tom Brady threw a game-winning eight-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney with 44 seconds remaining to cap the comeback.
“This isn’t just any team, it’s the New England Patriots,” Ryan said. “That’s going to be a heck of a challenge in itself. It’s going to be interesting to see the young guys running around and see what happens because usually the cream rises to the top. There’s no hiding out there.”
