LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Tyler Loop’s final dress rehearsal is over. Baltimore’s new kicker looks ready.
Loop made all three of his field goal attempts — including one from 61 yards — as the Ravens completed an unbeaten preseason with a 30-3 rout of the Washington Commanders on Saturday. Baltimore drafted Loop in the sixth round this year, and he’s the man the Ravens have chosen to replace five-time All-Pro Justin Tucker.
Loop bore a bit of a resemblance to his predecessor when he connected from beyond midfield in the fourth quarter for the game’s only second-half points.
“We wanted to get him a long field goal,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We were going to try back there at 63, I think it was, before we hit the screen pass. We got the screen pass, then we went backwards again.”
Loop’s career long in college at Arizona was 62 yards.
The Ravens cut Tucker following reports that he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by massage therapists. Tucker maintained he did not act inappropriately while receiving professional treatment. The league suspended him for the first 10 weeks of the season.
Loop went 9 of 11 on field goals during preseason, including 5 of 6 from at least 50 yards. He also made kicks of 46 and 52 on Saturday.
“The thing that’s going through my head when I go out there is like, I just want to hit every ball the same,” Loop said. “Get out there, and I just want to go through my process, hit my ball.”
It was Washington that snapped Baltimore’s record streak of 24 preseason wins two years ago. That was the start of four losses in five exhibition games for the Ravens, but then they went 3-0 this year.
None of that means all that much. Star quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels weren’t playing Saturday, and the Commanders didn’t play backup Marcus Mariota either. Sam Hartman threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the second quarter for Washington.
Receiver Terry McLaurin, currently in a contract dispute with the Commanders, was at the game but did not play.
Keyon Martin, who contributed a safety in the Ravens’ previous preseason game against Dallas, picked off a pass and ran it back 26 yards for a touchdown to give Baltimore a 24-3 lead over the Commanders.
Washington, which is trading running back Brian Robinson to San Francisco, gave Chris Rodriguez a few carries early. He gained 34 yards on five attempts.
“We knew this was going to be a competitive group like all the way back to the very beginning,” coach Dan Quinn said. “We certainly wish B-Rob the best at San Francisco with the style and fit and all that, so all that was a factor. But also the room here, too.”
Cooper Rush completed all five of his passes for Baltimore, and Rasheen Ali opened the scoring with a 9-yard run. D’Ernest Johnson made it 14-0 with a 1-yard run in the second quarter.
Thomas Graham gave Baltimore’s defense a fourth takeaway when he intercepted Josh Johnson in the end zone with 6:53 to play in the game.
Bright spots
Tight end Colson Yankoff caught a 52-yard pass for Washington, and the Commanders did prevent any long Baltimore drives after Rush left the game. The Washington defense also limited the Ravens to two field goals on their three drives that began in plus territory.
Injuries
A couple of Baltimore receivers — Dayton Wade and Xavier Guillory — injured shoulders.
Up next
The Commanders and Ravens both open the season on Sept. 7. Washington hosts the New York Giants and Baltimore is at Buffalo.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
