Ravens' Defense Controls the Commanders as Lamar Jackson Declares He's Ready

Lamar Jackson works through Baltimore's offense during the Ravens' final week of training camp.

The clearest takeaway from Baltimore's final joint practice of the summer was that the Ravens' defense controls the Commanders at the line of scrimmage. The first- and second-team units crowded passing lanes, squeezed the run game and kept Jayden Daniels under pressure Wednesday in Owings Mills.

Kyle Hamilton supplied the sharpest sequence. The safety made a twisting one-handed breakup in red-zone seven-on-seven work, then intercepted Daniels in the end zone during an 11-on-11 period. Calais Campbell batted down the next pass, Marlon Humphrey forced another incompletion, and Roquan Smith stacked consecutive stops near the line of scrimmage.

Trey Hendrickson also produced multiple would-be sacks against Washington tackle Brandon Coleman. Kaimon Rucker, T.J. Tampa and Aeneas Peebles added pressure of their own. The performance extended a strong joint-practice run for a defense that also challenged Minnesota last week under first-year head coach Jesse Minter.

Baltimore's offense found its answers through Rashod Bateman, who repeatedly separated in one-on-one and team periods. Rookie Ja'Kobi Lane made another full-extension catch and grabbed a red-zone touchdown, prompting Jackson to compare his hands to former Ravens Odell Beckham Jr. and DeAndre Hopkins. Derrick Henry also broke free for runs that would likely have reached the end zone in game conditions.

Jackson will not play in Friday's preseason finale, but he said he is “absolutely” ready for the September 13 opener at Indianapolis. He credited the offense's weekly progress and chemistry in coordinator Declan Doyle's new system. Minter described minor issues for Zay Flowers and Zion Young as precautions aimed at protecting their Week 1 health.

The Ravens also signed inside linebacker Michael Barrett on Wednesday and placed center Danny Pinter on injured reserve. Barrett played for Minter at Michigan and adds depth while Teddye Buchanan and Carl Jones Jr. work back from injuries. Friday now belongs to the roster bubble; Baltimore's established starters have completed their opponent work before the Ravens' “White Noise” home debut and the regular season arrive.