Baltimore Ravens 2011 Schedule: Storylines to Watch in Thursday's Preseason Game

The Baltimore Ravens' matchup with the Washington Redskins tonight in the third week of the preseason will be full of storylines that could affect their 2011 season.

Bryant McKinnie's arrival in Baltimore is significant, but he won't be making his debut tonight, as he is yet to practice with his new team. The Ravens brought in McKinnie as a reaction to their struggles in pass protection to this point.

With McKinnie sidelined, Oniel Cousins will have one final chance to rebound and make his claim for a starting place with the team. The problem with this is that Marshal Yanda is injured and Cousins' versatility has moved him to right guard.

Cousins will be playing inside of Jah Reid, and he will need to handle Stephen Bowen and Ryan Kerrigan in the passing game and be dominant in the running game in order to become more than just a versatile backup.

Jah Reid himself will be looking to make an impression as he continues to adjust and develop at the NFL level. The Redskins have run an aggressive defense to this point in preseason, which should provide a stern test for the Ravens' linemen.

Outside the numbers, the Ravens will be looking to finalize their best receivers behind starters Anquan Boldin and Lee Evans. Rookies Tandon Doss and Torrey Smith have yet to securely seize their spots as contributors, while David Reed appears to be the best candidate to win the third receiver spot.

The Ravens are also trying to determine the best way to spread the receptions lost through Todd Heap and Derrick Mason. Tight ends Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson haven't shone so far, but they have shown flashes since being drafted. Positive play from both would be big for the coming season.

Defensively the Ravens will be once again analyzing their new cornerbacks, as rookie Jimmy Smith looks like he'll be a starter from the onset while Cary Williams looks set to break out entering his third year.

As always, the team will be relying on big play from their front seven to facilitate their defense. Big play is exactly the way to describe the job that Terrence Cody is being asked to play.

Cody is filling a vital role in the team vacated by seasoned veteran Kelly Gregg, who is now a Kansas City Chief. Inside, alongside Corey Redding and Haloti Ngata with Ray Lewis behind him, Cody has enough veterans to lead the way. But his performances will need to be even greater because of the standards those players play to.

The Ravens are a veteran team, but they still have a lot to learn in certain areas. Tonight's game with the Washington Redskins will be another step towards finding out the answers.