Baltimore Sun: Ravens-Redskins not your usual preseason bore-a-thon

[MattFancy]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-cowherd-column-0815-20100815,0,1101394.column?page=1

I think we can all agree that most NFL preseason games are huge snoozefests, not to mention a gigantic rip-off for the poor season-ticket holders who pay full price to mainly watch a bunch of second- and third-string fat guys push each other around for three hours.

But at least the Ravens' second preseason game against the Washington Redskins on Saturday at FedEx Field has a few interesting subplots going for it.

Maybe the top one is this: Donovan McNabb will start at quarterback for the Redskins. You might recall that two years ago, when he played for Philadelphia, McNabb was benched at halftime during the Ravens' 36-7 drubbing of the Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium.

It was the second straight dreadful outing for McNabb. He was 8-for-18 passing for 59 yards, including two interceptions, and lost a fumble that night. And that performance pretty much greased the skids for the Eagles to eventually trade him to the Redskins and go with Kevin Kolb as their starting quarterback.

McNabb acknowledged being shaken to the core that day. And he looked it, standing mournfully on the sidelines in his Eagles jacket and hoodie, an empty look in his eyes. I remember the reporters asking him after the game whether he had ever been benched like that.

"Never," he said, shaking his head for emphasis. "Never."

So we'll see how McNabb fares against the Ravens, see whether he's extra jacked-up to play the team that made him look so bad that chilly November evening.

When the media asks him about it this week, you can bet he'll lapse into standard NFL robo-speak and say: "No, it's just another game. I haven't given the Ravens a second thought."

Don't you believe it. Entering his 12th season, McNabb has been a terrific quarterback. He's got a lot of pride. And a lot to prove to both the Redskins and himself.

He'll probably play only a quarter or so Saturday night. But a solid performance against the Ravens, while not exactly payback -- not in a preseason game -- would do a lot to solidify the team's confidence in McNabb.

There are other subplots, too, though.

How will Jim Zorn be greeted in Washington, where he was the Redskins' head coach for two years before being fired in January and eventually hired as the Ravens' quarterback coach?

How long will serial malcontent Albert Haynesworth play -- the big nose tackle got in for a few series in the Redskins' 42-17 rout of the Buffalo Bills on Friday -- and how well?

I also want to see what's developing in this budding rivalry between the Ravens and Redskins.

Let's face it: It's only a pseudo-rivalry right now.

Even though the teams are only 30-some miles apart, the players themselves mostly dismiss talk of a rivalry. "No, we're in different conferences," they tell you, "we don't play them enough, we have nothing against them," and yadda yadda yadda.

But Ravens fans -- who have a chip on their shoulder the size of a Sierra redwood and proudly profess to hate all things Washington, especially the Redskins -- would love to have territorial bragging rights for this game.

It ain't the Ravens-Steelers, Baltimore fans will tell you. But any attempt to turn the Redskins into Satan's Team is fine by them.

Finally, here's yet another reason to tune into Saturday's game: redemption for poor Joe Reitz. Did you see the big guy try to dunk the football over the crossbar in the Ravens' 17-12 win over the Carolina Panthers last week?

I don't think McNabb will get all jacked up about a preseason game against the Ravens. Yeah he was benched that game, but that was almost 2 years ago and he got the job back and made the playoffs, so I doubt it keeps him up at night. Secondly, I don't care if we win or not, I just care that 1) no one gets hurt and 2) the first teams look decent. So not sure if the preseason "rivalry" means much to anyone.

[The Cowboy Bamma Rocker]

Haha I'm glad the Sun acknowledges that it's not a real rivalry, and that Ravens fans are basically crazy

[greenspandan]

1) the redskins-ravens rivalry is completely a figment of ravens fans imaginations. there are the cowboys, giants, and eagles ... and then there is everyone else in the NFL. the ravens are firmly entrenched in that "everyone else" category.

2) i don't think redskins fans hate zorn as much as they feel he was just in over his head as a result of sloppy management. you can hate the decision to hire the guy without hating zorn himself. he may do well as a QB coach. i wish him luck.

[SkinsCrushCowboys]

It takes two side for a rivalry.....ours is presently filled by NFC East teams....

[Potato Sack]

I just completed a vlog about the game this week. I am extremely excited, because I truly feel this will be our first "real" test. Win or lose, we need to be objective about where our team is and where it is headed. Questions still out there regarding the 34.

[Soup]

yeah the Raven fans are already in hater mode. Ugh....

They really do take this thing seriously lol

The whole basis for the rivalry is about media coverage. Its not about classic games or fights between players. its the raven fans being pissed that the redskins get more attention than the ravens. That's it

[RichmondRedskin88]

When I was at a baseball game down here the other week a steelers friend(Who hates the ravens with a passion) of mine was telling my friends I hate raven fans. I was like, "No i could careless about them. Their like a annoying little brother." Little did I know my steelers friend friend in front of me was a ravens fan. He turned around while laughing and said,"Thanks man."

[Wrong Direction]

Leave it to the Sun to totally miss the importance of this game.

For the Skins, this is a litmus test. The Ravens are a beast of a physical team. Both lines beat you up. Their running backs beat you up. Their linebackers beat you up. And every time I see them play the Skins in the pre or regular season, they beat us up.

For the first time in years, the Skins have legit reason to hope they're in the same class. How we fare on a play by play basis is my biggest question (much more so than score). Will we execute or will Ray Rice catch arrow patterns and run 60 yards? Will McNabb have any time at all? Will our RBs get hit 1 yd behind the line of scrimmage and fall or hit their LBs 2 yards past the LOS and fall forward?

This is a great preseason test for us.

For the Ravens...they should care about how they defend us, but otherwise I really don't care.

[ntotoro]

McNabb will play maybe what... two series'? Good Lord, these Baltimorons make more out of this game and supposed rivalry than there really is.

[MattFancy]

Leave it to the Sun to totally miss the importance of this game.

For the Skins, this is a litmus test. The Ravens are a beast of a physical team. Both lines beat you up. Their running backs beat you up. Their linebackers beat you up. And every time I see them play the Skins in the pre or regular season, they beat us up.

For the first time in years, the Skins have legit reason to hope they're in the same class. How we fare on a play by play basis is my biggest question (much more so than score). Will we execute or will Ray Rice catch arrow patterns and run 60 yards? Will McNabb have any time at all? Will our RBs get hit 1 yd behind the line of scrimmage and fall or hit their LBs 2 yards past the LOS and fall forward?

This is a great preseason test for us.

For the Ravens...they should care about how they defend us, but otherwise I really don't care.

Yeah if anything, this game means more to the Skins than the Ravens. What do the Ravens have to prove? They are a Super Bowl contender in the AFC and didn't have big changes like we did during the offseason.

This game will show us if the Bills game was a fluke or if maybe this team is for real. Again, its just preseason so you can't take too much away from it. But us playing well is more important than the Ravens playing well.

[Chachie]

For the Skins, this is a litmus test. The Ravens are a beast of a physical team. Both lines beat you up. Their running backs beat you up. Their linebackers beat you up. And every time I see them play the Skins in the pre or regular season, they beat us up.

For the first time in years, the Skins have legit reason to hope they're in the same class. How we fare on a play by play basis is my biggest question (much more so than score). Will we execute or will Ray Rice catch arrow patterns and run 60 yards? Will McNabb have any time at all? Will our RBs get hit 1 yd behind the line of scrimmage and fall or hit their LBs 2 yards past the LOS and fall forward?

This is a great preseason test for us.

For the Ravens...they should care about how they defend us, but otherwise I really don't care.

Yeah if anything, this game means more to the Skins than the Ravens. What do the Ravens have to prove? They are a Super Bowl contender in the AFC and didn't have big changes like we did during the offseason.

This game will show us if the Bills game was a fluke or if maybe this team is for real. Again, its just preseason so you can't take too much away from it. But us playing well is more important than the Ravens playing well.

Amen to both.

[darklight1216]

That is a lousy article... even for the Sun.

It's just another chance to get inj- I mean, it's just another pre-season game.

[scruffylookin]

This game will mean nothing.

The interesting game will be the following one against everyone's darling, the New York Jets. Rex Ryan seems like the kind of guy who will want to go after people, even in preseason and that should provide the Oline a nice test protecting McNabb.

For this second game, the criteria for a successful result is no different than the Bills game. No injuries and the Skins don't look completely inept. Those two things happen, all is good.

[authentic]

Anybody who will get thier rocks-off a preseason game for 'bragging rights' needs to get thier head checked. All i want to make sure is that our starters looks good against thiers and not another 23-0 violation-fest that took place last year. Unfortunately, i can see my fellow Bmorians acting like fools leading up to the game :doh:...

[Commander PK]

I think the biggest reason the Raven's fans hate the Redskins is that their team and fan base has not been able to over take the Redskins as the main football draw in the region, and they are largely dismissed by the Redskins faithful. Even though they have been the better football team, and the better, more professionally run organization pretty much since they arrived from Cleveland. (Thankfully I think this will soon be in the past)

The Redskins are ALWAYS the first team talked about on local news stations, and the organization's every move is always top story in the off-season, even over sports that are currently active like Baseball and Hockey. Nothing makes a Raven's fan angrier, then to be a Redskins fan and dismiss them as "just another team" because they are trying SO HARD to make this a real rivalry. I think it's hilarious.

[authentic]

The Redskins are ALWAYS the first team talked about on local news stations, and the organization's every move is always top story in the off-season, even over sports that are currently active like Baseball and Hockey. Nothing makes a Raven's fan angrier, then to be a Redskins fan and dismiss them as "just another team" because they are trying SO HARD to make this a real rivalry. I think it's hilarious.

too bad for them..:pfft:

[icbmayday]

Ravens fans are the biggest haters outside of fans with teams in the NFC east.

[tthorsen5]

As a Lifelong Redskins fan that has lived north a Baltimore for the past 23 years, I can only hope that we win this game just so that I don't have to listen to the a-hole ratbird fans talk about how great they are. The rivalry is a one way deal but for 23 years I have listen to the hatred from old Colt fans and new Ravens fans about the Skins. Half of the people that root for the ravens wouldn't know a football if it hit them between the eyes but look like Barney every day of the week. Preseason or not, lets play hard, stay healthy and WIN (for me).

[MattFancy]

As a Lifelong Redskins fan that has lived north a Baltimore for the past 23 years, I can only hope that we win this game just so that I don't have to listen to the a-hole ratbird fans talk about how great they are. The rivalry is a one way deal but for 23 years I have listen to the hatred from old Colt fans and new Ravens fans about the Skins. Half of the people that root for the ravens wouldn't know a football if it hit them between the eyes but look like Barney every day of the week. Preseason or not, lets play hard, stay healthy and WIN (for me).

I know the feeling of living in the Baltimore area. Some, not all, but some of the Ravens fans are the most uneducated football fans I've met in my life. So yes its always nice when we beat them, but I don't care about a preseason game.

[pjfootballer]

1) the redskins-ravens rivalry is completely a figment of ravens fans imaginations. there are the cowboys, giants, and eagles ... and then there is everyone else in the NFL. the ravens are firmly entrenched in that "everyone else" category.

2) i don't think redskins fans hate zorn as much as they feel he was just in over his head as a result of sloppy management. you can hate the decision to hire the guy without hating zorn himself. he may do well as a QB coach. i wish him luck.

1) Maybe. Sometimes I feel like fans of both teams try too hard to maka rivalry where there really isn't one.

2) Actually, I'd shake Zorn's hand and thank him for being such a crappy coach so that we could bring in Shanahan. Thanks for being medium Jim!

[authentic]

As a Lifelong Redskins fan that has lived north a Baltimore for the past 23 years, I can only hope that we win this game just so that I don't have to listen to the a-hole ratbird fans talk about how great they are. The rivalry is a one way deal but for 23 years I have listen to the hatred from old Colt fans and new Ravens fans about the Skins. Half of the people that root for the ravens wouldn't know a football if it hit them between the eyes but look like Barney every day of the week. Preseason or not, lets play hard, stay healthy and WIN (for me).

you're right in my neck of the woods bro. I just moved to Abingdon, HARCO.

[authentic]

I know the feeling of living in the Baltimore area. Some, not all, but some of the Ravens fans are the most uneducated football fans I've met in my life.

absolutely...its a shame because not all of them are like that. But a majority of them are.

[ABSTRACT]

I dont know about anyone else...but I HATE the Ravens and the Ravens fans and they hate on the Redskins like *****. I don't like Baltimorians when it comes to their rat bird team. I got to school in Morgan and I am present in Baltimore from time to time. I HATE the Ravens. ***** them. Bragging about their fan experience and MnT Bank Stadium...who gives a ******. It IS a rivalry. TRUST me...

[MattFancy]

I dont know about anyone else...but I HATE the Ravens and the Ravens fans and they hate on the Redskins like *****. I don't like Baltimorians when it comes to their rat bird team. I got to school in Morgan and I am present in Baltimore from time to time. I HATE the Ravens. ***** them. Bragging about their fan experience and MnT Bank Stadium...who gives a ******. It IS a rivalry. TRUST me...

Its only a rivalry in Baltimore fans' eyes and Skins fans who live around Baltimore. But the players don't see it as a rivalry and its hard to have a rivalry when you play once every 4 years. What other rivalries in sports are there where the teams play once every 4 years? I can't think of any.

[doghouse4x4]

I dont know about anyone else...but I HATE the Ravens and the Ravens fans and they hate on the Redskins like *****. I don't like Baltimorians when it comes to their rat bird team. I got to school in Morgan and I am present in Baltimore from time to time. I HATE the Ravens. ***** them. Bragging about their fan experience and MnT Bank Stadium...who gives a ******. It IS a rivalry. TRUST me...

wut?