5 things to watch in the Ravens’ preseason opener

For the first time in 19 years, the Ravens will begin a season without John Harbaugh as their head coach.

His replacement, Jesse Minter, returns to the organization after previously spending time in Baltimore as a defensive assistant. After two seasons as Michigan’s defensive coordinator and one as the Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive coordinator, Minter is tasked with leading the Ravens into a new era.

That era begins Saturday at 7 p.m., when Baltimore hosts the Philadelphia Eagles for its first preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium.

“I think the biggest feeling is just excited just to see our team play,” Minter said after practice Thursday. “And [to] see if a lot of the identity and some of the things that we’ve been talking about shows up on tape.”

The game will offer the first glimpse of the new regime in action. It will also give several rookies their first opportunity to show that their training camp performances can translate when the lights come on.

As game time approaches, here are a few storylines to watch.

What will game day look like for the new coaching staff?

The booth or the sideline? That is the question for offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.

Doyle confirmed he will call Saturday’s game from the booth, but he won’t decide on his permanent location until after experimenting with both options during the preseason.

“I won’t really know until I’m able to experience it, which is why I want to not set my mind before I do either job,” Doyle said after practice Wednesday. “I want to try to go into it with a clean slate and kind of figure out what I like.”

Saturday will be Doyle’s first opportunity to call an NFL game. He spent last season as the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator, but head coach Ben Johnson called plays. Now Doyle has complete control of Baltimore’s offense.

He won’t be the only coach figuring out his game-day role.

Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, who won’t call plays Saturday, said his responsibilities are “to be determined.” He’ll assist Minter between series and make sure the coaching staff’s messages are reaching the players.

“Fortunately, we have three dress rehearsals here,” Weaver said Wednesday. “I am still going to try to figure out exactly what that is and where I can be most helpful to help the team, and what I can do for Jesse, to help him on game day, too.”

One responsibility Weaver won’t have Saturday is throwing the challenge flag.

This week, the NFL announced a rule change allowing head coaches to designate a member of their sideline staff to throw the challenge flag. Weaver joked that he wouldn’t be standing next to Minter waiting to find out whether they should challenge a play, though he didn’t rule out taking on the responsibility someday.

For now, Minter will hold on to the red flag as he navigates his first game as an NFL head coach while also calling Baltimore’s defense.

“I’m excited about the game, the game management, and just going through the game with the different roles — different hats that I’m trying to wear,” Minter said.

Can the Lane train stay on the rails?

Few rookies have generated as much buzz at training camp as this year’s third-round pick, wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane. But will the hype translate to production?

The Ravens are no strangers to training camp darlings who underperformed in games, especially at wide receiver. Tommy Streeter, Miles Boykin, James Proche, Michael Campanaro, Jeremy Butler, Shemar Bridges — the list goes on.

One thing has separated Lane from the typical training camp darling, however. Minter said Lane has reached the point where there is consistency to his game, with the rookie making contested catches and proving to be a friendly target for the quarterback every day.

From one-handed snags to diving grabs to going up top for the ball, Lane has spent the last 14 practices putting together a highlight reel. Saturday will offer his first opportunity to show those plays can translate against an opponent.

“I just know, at the end of the day, I have to do what I am supposed to, and [catching] the ball is my job,” Lane said.

Will the lines hold up?

As the saying goes, football is won in the trenches. And, if that’s true, the Ravens have plenty of work to do after struggling on both sides of scrimmage last season.

Baltimore’s defensive line was one of the least productive units in the league, finishing with just 30 sacks, the third fewest in the NFL.

General manager Eric DeCosta addressed the lack of a pass rush by adding former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who had 17.5 sacks two seasons ago, and re-signing defensive end Calais Campbell.

The return of defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike from a season-ending neck injury could also help.

With the unit getting healthier, the defensive line looks much improved on paper. That improvement has also been evident in practice, where the unit has made it difficult for quarterbacks to operate with a clean pocket.

The offseason has also seen plenty of turnover on the offensive line.

Three of last season’s five starters are no longer with the team, headlined by Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum. The Ravens are sorting out his replacement, with the competition for the starting center job among the biggest questions facing the revamped unit.

That much turnover creates uncertainty, but change may have been needed after a season that saw the unit allow pressure on 42.3% of drop-backs, the third-highest rate in the NFL, according to Sharp Football Analysis. When opponents didn’t blitz, that number was 42.2%, the worst mark in the league.

New offensive line coach and run game coordinator Dwayne Ledford has emphasized three principles: speed off the ball, toughness and finishing.

Has Loop turned the page?

The Ravens were one field goal away from making the playoffs last year.

Then-rookie kicker Tyler Loop sent a 44-yard attempt wide right in the final seconds against Pittsburgh, ending Baltimore’s season and leaving Loop to spend the offseason answering questions about the miss.

But Loop insists he moved on quickly.

“I would say the biggest thing I did was just acknowledge and accept it, and it took a day or two,” Loop said during organized team activities in July. “... You have to be able to put it behind you.”

This offseason, he has given the Ravens little reason to doubt him. Outside of two kicks that seemed to miss the uprights during the team’s practice at Maryland’s SECU Stadium, Loop has been perfect in training camp, including on all of his attempts from beyond 50 yards.

But Saturday will provide a different kind of test as Loop gets his first live game action since that season-ending miss. It’ll be his first chance to show he’s better equipped to handle the pressure.

Who plays, and who gets their chance?

As expected, two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson will not play Saturday. Minter confirmed as much Tuesday, but he didn’t shut the door on other starters seeing the field.

“[It’s a] good opportunity for a lot of the guys,” Minter said. “It’s an individual basis, I would say, based on maybe some of the experience and how many snaps they’ve played and things like that.”

One starter expected to play is first-round pick Vega Ioane, who will get his first taste of NFL game action after making a strong impression throughout training camp.

Ioane likely won’t be the only rookie to get an extended look.

After narrowly avoiding what could have been a disastrous string of injuries to wide receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, along with cornerbacks Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey, the Ravens are unlikely to take many chances with established players. That should create opportunities for players fighting for roster spots.