(ed. note: with last night’s game in the books, thus begin the weekly contributions from Justin Blome, who’s on board once again this year to provide his thoughts on the “day after.” Make ‘im feel at home.)

So football is back. Sort of. More like football lite.

Preseason frustrates me more and more each year but at the same time I manage to get some sort of satisfaction out of it. It frustrates me because it’s football, but when you are honest with yourself, it’s barely worth watching. I get excited about it about though because, well, it’s football.

It’s also a good time for fans to enjoy some of the more core elements of the game. You have rookies realizing their dreams in front of your eyes as well as rogue free agents who are in effect applying for a job. You’ve got veterans who can’t let go and you have workers whose ambition far exceeds their talent. Coordinators are trying out plays that they would never attempt in the regular season and coaches are easing themselves back into the emotional rollercoaster by just trying to have fun. It’s like a backyard pickup game. A very expensive backyard pickup game. So, as a Ravens fan what did you see? What piqued your interest?

For me, first and foremost, I was glad to see a game of football. With the Farvearo mess that has plagued the NFL for longer than I care to remember, it was nice to see guys run out on the field and hit each other in a structured way. The Ravens as a whole looked tired. Maybe it’s because they actually had to practice this preseason? I’m glad they’re tired. If you work hard in two a days you should be. I think John Harbaugh should dial it back now, take it easy and let the team heal up for the Bengals. Especially since we had 16 injured at kickoff and at least 17 by the end of the game. It seemed like a Raven hobbled off after every 4 plays.

Some things of note:

How about that screen pass? Who knew that Cam Cameron‘s “genius” relied on the screen? Kyle Boller threw more screens in the first quarter than McNair threw in his entire tenure as a Raven. Boller also threw more passes in the first quarter than Steve McNair threw last year, period. Right?

While on QB’s, I thought Boller was typical, you think he’s finally pulled it together and then…no, not quite. Troy Smith looked about a B-. His passing was feast or famine. He had a few bullet strikes as well as a few WTF misses. Where he excelled was getting away from the tough situations. Kid can move. Joe Flacco, he wears the deer in headlights thing well. That kid needs a year or two or maybe three. I think Troy Smith narrowly deserves a shot at starting the season, what do you think? The O line had their work cut out for them and the perimeter fell apart like everyone knew they would, but they are tough in the middle and that’s all a quick QB needs (ahem, Troy Smith). Seriously, if you think your job is tough, the Raven’s QB gig is brutal. I’d like to see Mike Rowe in there for a series.

How about Ray Rice? Is he the real deal? He better be, Looks like Willis McGahee has a bench spot picked out for the better part of the season. I know, I know, I sang his praises last post and I think if he could remain upright he is our best back but that is a colossal if.

Harbaugh is young. I never realized how young that guy looks until I saw him in a headset stalking the sidelines. Can he drink legally?

The refs were in preseason mode, too. Let’s hope those two blown challenges aren’t an omen for the season.

All in all it’s nice to have football back. Did we learn anything? Maybe. Does what we saw matter? Not really. I’m just going to enjoy this preseason for what it is, exhibition. Just having fun. Enjoy it now because on September 7th it gets real. Talk to you next week. Stay thirsty my friends.