Jackson scores, RG3 watches as Ravens beat Redskins 30-20
BALTIMORE -- Robert Griffin III spent the final preseason game watching from the sideline.
Now it's time to wait.
Ravens rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson ran for a touchdown, Griffin III didn't play and Baltimore beat the Washington Redskins 30-20 Thursday night to complete its third consecutive unbeaten preseason.
Jackson played the first half and led Baltimore (5-0) on three scoring drives. The 2016 Heisman Trophy winner and first-round draft pick is sure to make the team, but coach John Harbaugh has not yet revealed whether he will keep Griffin, who's currently No. 2 on the depth chart behind starter Joe Flacco.
"It'll be tough. It just depends on the rest of the math," Harbaugh said afterward. "There's no doubt you want Robert Griffin on your team."
Griffin, who broke into the league with Washington in 2012, went 27 for 41 during the preseason and showed no rust after sitting out last year. In Harbaugh's eyes, Griffin had nothing left to prove.
"We felt like Lamar needed to start," Harbaugh said. "Robert really didn't need to play. He's played a lot so far. He's a veteran."
The question is, do the Ravens want him behind Flacco or can they take a chance on the rookie?
"He makes our quarterback room stronger and he makes you better," Harbaugh said of Griffin. "He's been a starter. He's certainly a backup in this league, without question. It's not even close. I'd like to have him on the team. We'll just have to see how the math works out."
Neither team used its starters on offense or defense, accepted standard procedure in a preseason finale.
Kevin Hogan played the entire game at quarterback for the Redskins (1-3), going 22 for 38 for 272 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in his bid to unseat Colt McCoy as the backup to Alex Smith.
His first interception was returned 23 yards for a touchdown by Kai Nacua to make it 27-7.
"Hogan did some good things," coach Jay Gruden said. "He threw the ball in the heat of some pressure and made some nice throws. We'll evaluate it, but I think he did good."
Jackson went 9 for 15 for 109 yards and ran for his team-leading third score of the preseason. The former Louisville star looked far more poised than in his previous outings, but he failed to convert a third down and was sacked once.
"We only scored 13 points and had two field goals. That really wasn't what I wanted," Jackson said. "We'll be better next time."
Fourth-stringer Josh Woodrum played the second half for the Ravens.
Looking back on his fifth preseason with Washington, Gruden was pleased with what got accomplished.
"Overall, I think we got looks at everybody that needed to get looked at," he said. "I think everybody had a fair shot. I think everybody had opportunities to make this football team, to show us what they can do."
Starting for the first time with Baltimore, Jackson opened the game with an impressive 82-yard drive, utilizing both his arm and legs. Jackson completed all four of his pass attempts, including an 8-yarder on a fourth-and-1, and fooled the Redskins defense with a 1-yard bootleg that he ended with a nifty side-roll into the end zone.
Hogan got the Redskins even with an 87-yard march that lasted more than seven minutes and concluded with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brian Quick .
Baltimore added two field goals before halftime -- the first following a 45-yard pass from Jackson to rookie tight end Mark Andrews, the second after a fumble by Washington's Samaje Perine.
Perine led the Redskins with 603 yards rushing last year, but now he's fighting for a spot on the roster.
INJURIES
Redskins: C Casey Dunn underwent concussion protocol.
Ravens: CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste hurt his right forearm on the final play of the first quarter, and Harbaugh suspects it's broken. The fifth-year player was expected to get increased playing time while starter Jimmy Smith opens with a four-game suspension. ... Ravens guard Randin Crecelius left with a back injury.
NATIONAL ANTHEM
All the Redskins players stood at attention on the sideline for the national anthem, as they did in Washington's previous three preseason games.
Every Ravens player stood on the sideline as well.
UP NEXT
The Redskins open the regular season on Sept. 9 at Arizona of the NFC West. Washington beat the Cardinals 20-15 last December.
Baltimore hosts Buffalo in the season opener on Sept. 9. Two years ago, the Ravens beat the Bills 13-7 in Baltimore.
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Game Information
- Referees:
- James Coleman
- Dino Paganelli
- Mark Hittner
- Bryan Neale
- Shawn Smith
- Bart Longson
- Dave Hawkshaw
2024 AFC North Standings
Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pittsburgh | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | 252 | 186 |
Baltimore | 7 | 4 | 0 | .636 | 334 | 271 |
Cincinnati | 4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | 297 | 296 |
Cleveland | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | 186 | 267 |