Ravens Week is HUGE

OTAs serve as a kind of energy medicine exercise in team building. Meet and greet. Drills. Playbook memorization. Skills presentation. Is energy high and the mood optimistic? 

The energy is really good in Washington right now. But it is really good in 31 other NFL cities as well.

OTAs just don't define much as far as the team's ultimate performance during the season goes. However, preseason games and scrimmages are another thing. 

This year, the Washington Commanders are scrimmaging the perennial championship contending Baltimore Ravens a handful of days before they square off in an August 21st preseason game.

What a metric that will be on this young Commander squad. In fact, that is going to factor in a lot heavier for me than OTAs and even mini-camps. I'm saying reserve judgment until that period in mid to late August in your deliberations on how the Commanders will do.

We should hear of any problems the Commanders encounter in the scrimmages. We should be able to tell from the preseason game if the problems are effectively addressed. This is going to be especially revealing about the offense. 

My eyes are going to be on the offensive line. Have they done enough? 

Most people are going to be looking at QB. Sam is getting no respect from anybody. Hopefully, he'll surprise people. But he could surprise and the offensive line could still be a question mark. That could co-occur. I hope not. But it's possible.

Ravens Week is HUGE. Worth interrupting your vacation for a look-see.