I am going to have to echo the same sentiments as most of the Baltimore sports community and say that I am more confused on what the Ravens are going to look like this year than ever after Saturday night’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

After week one I thought Troy Smith looked like the best option for us under center. When they announced they were going to let him start last week I thought he would use the opportunity to separate himself from the pack. Now I think the pack is more equal than it’s ever been. Joe Flacco’s last pass and subsequent clock mismanagement sealed the loss for the Ravens and had rookie mistake written all over it.

Prior to that, however, the guy showed some semblance of what attracted the Ravens to him in the first place. He’s got a gun and when he is confident he can make smart plays. The speed of the game is still a little too much for him though. I have to say that I think Kyle Boller turned in the best performance of the three behind the back up line. He also showed again that he is the best quarterback in the NFL at getting absolutely drilled and then getting right back up — one thing that you can never take away from Kyle Boller is his toughness. Maybe he should have tried boxing.

I think Troy Smith’s greatest weakness is his accuracy. He seems so inconsistent. He’ll throw a strike and on the next play he’ll toss the worst ball you’ve ever seen, like that intercepted ball he threw behind Mark Clayton. Where he excelled was getting out of the backfield when the ever-collapsing line fell apart. With an offensive line such as this, it’s great to have a QB with some wheels. What we don’t want is a QB who uses his feet too much. I thought there were times late in the first half where Troy decided to run prematurely and missed some passing options that would have netted a lot more yards in the process.

The guy who should be running is Ray Rice. I think this kid looks great. The move he made to score the only Ravens touchdown was very impressive, especially considering how timid he was in week one. I think he’ll be a great asset if Willis McGahee can’t stay upright.

As for our defense, well, half of them didn’t even play so I really don’t even know where to begin. Very frustrating. All in all I think the Ravens took a step back in week two of the preseason, not so much because of the loss but because they produced more questions than answers.