Washington Redskins vs. Baltimore Ravens: Starting Lineup Projections

The third week of the preseason is the most similar to a regular-season week of any on the NFL schedule. This week the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins should feature their starting groups extensively, with both sides potentially playing their proven players for at least three quarters.

Here are the projections for each team's starters tonight.

Quarterbacks:

Joe Flacco—15/25 160 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.

The Washington Redskins' secondary is talented, while the pass rush looks to have improved substantially over last year. Flacco will manage to perform, but not without a few bumps in the road.

John Beck—13/22 125 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT.

The Redskins should have moderate success against what is a talented defense. Beck should have some time in the pocket if they can establish the running game, while their veteran receivers should have some success on the outside.

Running backs:

Ray Rice—7 carries 35 yards, 0 TD.

I don't see Ray Rice getting too much work. He is a proven commodity and doesn't need to show anything or risk injury. Ricky Williams will likely feature more and score a touchdown or two as the Ravens rely on the run.

Tim Hightower—12 carries 77 yards, 1 TD.

I am buying into the Redskins' running game despite the fact that they haven't really been tested yet in the preseason. Hightower is a strong runner and the line can create lanes for him to run through.

Wide Receiers:

Anquan Boldin—6 receptions, 70 yards.

Lee Evans—3 receptions, 50 yards, 1 TD.

I expect Flacco to hit Evans deep for a big score after drawing the coverage near with two throws that total less than 10 yards.

Boldin will be able to overpower either of the Redskins' cornerbacks, so should see a lot of action despite only playing three quarters.

Jabarr Gaffney—4 receptions, 40 yards.

Santana Moss—6 receptions, 60 yards, 1 TD.

The Redskins' receivers should have a lot of success against the Ravens' young cornerbacks. Gaffney and Moss run great routes and have a lot of experience, which should allow them to take advantage of the less experienced opposition.

Defensive statistics:

Terrell Suggs—1 sack.

In this type of game, Suggs probably still won't be at 100-percent speed (considering he gains very little from it), but he will turn it on for at least one quarter.

Ryan Kerrigan—2 sacks.

Kerrigan could be in for a big night if the Ravens are forced to start Jah Reid at right tackle. Kerrigan has looked very good for the Redskins so far and his pass rushing isn't in question.

Brian Orakpo—1 sack.

Orakpo will have too much speed off of the edge for either Bryant McKinney or Michael Oher. He will only get one sack, but should be a thorn in the Ravens' side all night.

Stephen Bowen—1 sack.

Bowen has a matchup advantage over Oniel Cousins and Jah Reid on the right side of the Ravens line. That is presuming that Bryant McKinney isn't ready to play, however. Either way, he should be able to overcome Cousins at guard.

Ed Reed—1 INT.

Beck will have success to the outside, but he will struggle as he looks to go over the middle. The veteran smarts of Ed Reed will allow him to add Beck to a very long list of quarterbacks that have fallen for his tricks over the years.

Jimmy Smith—1 INT.

Smith will give up a lot of plays to the veterans, but he will get one opportunity to show off his talent as the pressure gets to John Beck.

Josh Wilson—1 INT.

Wilson will be burned on a long touchdown by Lee Evans, but his familiarity with the Ravens will allow him to read Joe Flacco and snatch one of his passes from the air.