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Baltimore beat Minnesota 13-3 in a low-scoring Week 2 preseason game with Lamar Jackson never appearing in the box score at all. The Ravens never trailed, pulling away on a Joe Fagnano touchdown pass in the third quarter after a 3-3 first half. The two teams' backup quarterback situations went in different directions, and one Minnesota receiver made the single biggest play of the game on very little volume.
Felton caught three passes for 66 yards, a 22.0-yard average capped by a 50-yard connection, the most explosive receiving line on either roster. Dillon Bell actually led Minnesota in targets with nine, but turned them into just 51 yards on six catches, a real-volume, low-explosiveness role by comparison.
Wester turned seven targets into five catches for 24 yards and Baltimore's only offensive touchdown, real volume even if the per-catch numbers were modest. With Jackson sitting out entirely, Joe Fagnano ran the offense for the bulk of the game: 15 of 20 for 123 yards and the score, a 106.9 rating. Tyler Huntley was efficient in his own relief stint (5 of 8, 63 yards, 87.0 rating).
McCarthy went 5 of 10 for 81 yards and was sacked once, a 77.5 rating, in his own limited action. Carson Wentz was actually the more efficient Minnesota passer on the day: 9 of 11 for 92 yards, a 101.5 rating. Neither line should be read as a verdict on the regular season, but they're worth recording exactly as they happened.
Jonathan WardOn the ground, Jonathan Ward led every rusher in the game with 10 carries for 35 yards for Baltimore, in an otherwise ground-and-pound, low-scoring affair for both backfields.
This game is a clean study in the difference between a flashy play and a repeatable role. Tai Felton's 66 yards look like the headline, but a single 50-yard connection is doing most of the work, and long gains against backup coverage are the least predictive events in a box score. Contrast that with Dillon Bell, who drew a team-high nine targets even though the yardage stayed modest. In the long run, the receiver seeing consistent volume is the safer fantasy bet than the one who popped a single deep ball, because targets repeat and busted coverages do not. Both are deep-league names at best, but if you are choosing which Minnesota flash to track, the target share is the stickier trait.
The same logic points to LaJohntay Wester on the Baltimore side. Five catches on seven targets with the team's only offensive touchdown is real involvement, and being trusted in scoring range is where the modest yardage gets its upside. With Lamar Jackson resting, Joe Fagnano ran the offense efficiently, which is a backdrop worth noting only in the sense that a stable backup protects the pass catchers if the starter ever misses time. The quarterback lines from J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz are small samples that decide nothing about the regular season, and Jonathan Ward's carry lead is a depth-chart note in a ground-and-pound game rather than a fantasy signal you can act on now.
Tai Felton's 50-yard flash and LaJohntay Wester's real target share are the two most useful things to take from a game this low-scoring. Check the rookie rankings to see where Felton and Wester currently sit, and use the best ball tool to see how the model handles a Baltimore backfield that barely saw its real starting quarterback all preseason. Full box score: ESPN.
