3 storylines to watch in Ravens’ preseason game vs. Vikings

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EAGAN, Minn. — For two days, the Ravens starters have run against the Minnesota Vikings’ starters.

Now, it’s time for them to sit.

When the Ravens take the field in U.S. Bank Stadium at 1 p.m. EDT Saturday, their depth players and rookies will get their chance to shine. That’s how it goes with preseason NFL games.

They’ve already put on a show by picking apart the Philadelphia Eagles’ reserves and hopefuls in a 24-7 win, and they got some more work in the joint practices versus the Vikings. Head coach Jesse Minter said that means you may see a little less of the young players slated to be starters.

Otherwise, the plan is much the same when it comes to snaps. Despite that, here are three things to watch on Saturday.

Center battle

Danny Pinter looked like he might be pulling ahead in the competition to be the next starting center after Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum’s departure. Added early in free agency, Pinter earned praise from his coaches and the front office and was getting in reps with star quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Then he got rolled up on by a Vikings defensive lineman in team drills and had to be carted off. He reportedly tore his patellar tendon. If that is the case, he could be out for the season.

Either way, the Ravens are in need of a starting center to begin the season. The hierarchy behind Pinter isn’t cut and dried, either.

Veteran center Ethan Pocic is still ramping up after the Achilles injury he suffered last season. Pinter’s injury makes his return more important, but it can’t speed up his recovery. Pocic played just 14 snaps in the first preseason game and needs to keep working his way up through practice.

If he does return in full form, Pocic could have the advantage because he’s the only option who has starting experience.

But Jovaughn Gwyn is suddenly a name people are talking about. He played the most snaps in the first preseason game — and he graded the best out of all Ravens offensive linemen. He’s had strong practices, and he could add to his case with a second strong performance.

“I thought both of those guys acquitted themselves fairly well — just kind of hanging in there and doing some of the things, getting thrown in there a little bit more,” Minter said. “So again, [the center position] is probably still a competition, and we will see how it shakes out over these next couple weeks.”

Corey Bullock also won the backup job last season over more veteran players, but he’s been hampered by a non-football issue and is taking snaps at guard.

Whoever wins the spot won’t necessarily keep it in the long run, though, so this will be an ongoing battle.

Declan Doyle on the ground

Rookie offensive coordinator Declan Doyle was in the booth at M&T Bank Stadium against the Eagles. Now, in a hostile environment against an elite defensive coordinator, he will call plays from the field.

As a first-time play caller, he said previously that he’ll decide whether to call plays from the booth or the field based on his experience with these preseason games.

Through this week, his offense has struggled against Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ constant pressure. There are certainly things to clean up, Minter said, but the offense also faced a defense that does things their future opponents likely won’t.

When Doyle gets the chance to go against Flores in game time, he’ll be doing so without most of his starters. But can his backups defeat Flores’ backups? And can they do it without showing the best of Doyle’s system (since NFL teams generally conceal much of what they plan to run when the games matter)?

In addition to the flow of the game, it will be interesting to watch what Doyle does on the field. How is he interacting with players on the sideline? What does he say to them when they come off the field? How does he react to different situations?

Tyler Loop’s rebound

Kicker Tyler Loop ended his rookie season with a missed field goal that knocked the Ravens out of playoff contention. He started his second season with a missed field goal in the preseason game against the Eagles.

Since then, Loop has looked good in practice.

During a session against the Vikins, Loop made all six field goals, including two from 33 yards, one from 38, two from 43 and one from 53.

But practice pressure can’t compare to the pressure of a game. The Ravens have not indicated a desire to bring in competition for Loop, but that could change if he falters again.