Who are these guys?

John Beck ... getting hurt.

So how good are the Redskins?

The Bills didn't seem to provide much of a challenge last week, and the Skins' starting offense played very little. One thing is for sure, the Ravens will provide a bigger challenge, especially for the Redskins' offense.

A few things I'll be watching closely:


How the Redskins' starting offensive line performs against Baltimore's strong defensive front seven. Larry Johnson is expected to start for the Skins, and it'll be a good chance to see how he can perform against a top defense. Rookie lineman Trent Williams especially will bear watching.

How outside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Andre Carter perform. Against the Bills, Carter in particular seemed to struggle with the move to OLB in the 3-4. Both he and Orakpo will be responsible for a lot of the coverage on running backs. And at this point, that's a very scary sentence.

Speaking of defense, can the Redskins stop the run? As I pointed out after the Bills game, the Skins' defense gave up an average of 8.1 yards a carry last week against the Bills. That's unacceptable. The defenses' run-stopping ability must improve, or it could be a very long season.

Who is the third QB? Is there one? John Beck looked shaky at best against the Bills (The Skins' third-team offensive line didn't help), and Richard Bartel sat out last week with a hamstring injury. Coach Mike Shanahan has intimated that neither is a lock to make the team. Neither figures to get much time (a half at most), so every snap is important.

As always, hope for no significant injuries Saturday night. Oh, and don't forget to make fun of Jim Zorn. (I know, too easy).