Joe Flacco has lost two of his favorite targets with Anquan Boldin in San Francisco and Dennis Pitta recovering from a dislocated hip. Tight end Ed Dickson also won't play Thursday because of a hamstring injury, so Flacco will be working with new tight ends Visanthe Shiancoe and Matt Furstenburg, and some young receivers like Tandon Doss and Deonte Thompson. The passing game is a big storyline of the preseason, and this will be the first chance to see it in action.

The Ravens underwent a fairly significant overhaul of its defensive front this offseason by bringing in Chris Canty, Elvis Dumervil, Marcus Spears and Brandon Williams. The new faces will be teamed up with Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Arthur Jones and Terrence Cody to form a potentially scary defensive front. Veterans like Suggs, Ngata, Dumervil and Canty may not see much time in the preseason, but keep an eye on the group early in the games to see how they mesh.

The first-round pick has mostly been working with the second-team defense during camp, but he's competing with James Ihedigbo for a starting spot. Elam has shown plenty of potential during training camp, especially with his ball-hawking ability. The All-American out of Florida will see plenty of action during the preseason, and he should put those instincts on display.

Brown is in the middle of a tight competition at inside linebacker, and lately he's been getting more time with the first team. Brown is known for his sideline-to-sideline speed, so it will be interesting to see how he does chasing down running backs and dropping back in coverage.

It's unknown if Lardarius Webb will see any time during the preseason, so that means Corey Graham and Jimmy Smith will likely get the starting nod. Smith and Graham are both vying for a starting job, so their play early in games could be critical in deciding who starts opposite of Webb when he's back in the lineup. Beyond the top three corners, Chykie Brown and Chris Johnson are also in a tight battle for the No. 4 corner spot, and they could see a good amount of time in the preseason.

Tommy Streeter and Aaron Mellette are both late-round draft picks from the last two years. Streeter, a sixth rounder, is trying to earn a roster spot after spending his rookie season on injured reserve. He has struggled to assert himself during training camp, but a strong preseason could help his case to make the team. Mellette, a seventh-round pick, has come on strong in the last week and he will get plenty of reps in the preseason.

The Ravens have carried only two quarterbacks on the roster the last two seasons, but Hanie hopes to convince the team to keep all three of them. Taylor has been the clear No. 2 quarterback in camp, but Hanie has game experience and could make a strong case for a job in the preseason. Taylor and Hanie will get the majority of the reps, so this is a big opportunity for both of them.

Jacoby Jones is clearly the Ravens' top kick and punt returner, especially after last year's Pro Bowl season. The Ravens don't need to see much from him in the preseason, so this could be an opportunity for younger players like Tandon Doss, Deonte Thompson, Asa Jackson, David Reed or Bobby Rainey to prove they could do the job. Jones is expected to take on a bigger role in the offense this year, so the Ravens may need one of the younger playmakers to take over punt or kick return duties.

Asa Jackson and Christian Thompson, two of last year's draft picks, are both scheduled to serve suspensions to start the season. Jackson has an eight-game suspension and Thompson has a four-game suspension. They don't count against the 53-man roster at the start of the season, but they need to have good showings during the preseason if they are going to stay on the roster once they get back.

The Ravens offensive line is full of veterans, and 33-year-old Bryant McKinnie probably won't see a ton of action during the preseason. When McKinnie comes to the sideline, the Ravens may give starting left guard Kelechi Osemele or rookie fifth-round pick Rick Wagner an opportunity to play at left tackle. The preseason reps may give the Ravens an idea if Osemele or Wagner could be the team's left tackle in future years.