The Ravens' first-team offense had trouble in third-down situations in the preseason opener. Balls went off the hands of tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and wide receivers Deonte Thompson and Tandon Doss. Quarterback Joe Flacco said the unit played just "OK." Baltimore needs to find its go-to player to pick up first downs.

Speaking of moving the chains, that's what new wide receiver Brandon Stokley and tight end Dallas Clark were brought to Baltimore to do. It's unclear whether they will play considering they've only had a combined five practices. It will be hard to judge their connection with Flacco, but fans can take note of whether they are still effective this late in their careers.

Gino Gradkowski got the first start of the preseason and Shipley will take the first-team reins against Atlanta. Shipley and Gradkowski are locked in perhaps the closest battle in camp. Both have played very well in practice, and Run Game Coordinator Juan Castillo said it may come down to their preseason game performances.

The Ravens had a scare in their first preseason game when running back Bernard Pierce scored a touchdown but landed on the ground clutching his knee. Pierce suffered just a bruise, but he sat out this week of practice. It would be good to see him get back on the field.

Baltimore had a breakdown in the secondary that led to a 61-yard reception in Tampa Bay. Players and coaches stressed the importance of the remodeled Ravens defense getting on the same page, and the unit worked on it in training camp practice this week. It's time to see whether that communication transfers to the game.

The Ravens had nine penalties in their preseason game. It's something they want to clean up before heading into the regular season. The results of preseason games don't matter, but coaches want to see clean execution. Penalties are the opposite.

The Ravens came out of Tampa Bay with injuries to Pierce and wide receiver Deonte Thompson. It's the last thing they want to see. Coaches do their best to keep players safe, but it's football and injuries can be unavoidable. Monitor the injury updates after the game.

Falcons receiver Julio Jones had a field day against the Ravens last preseason. He made six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown in just one half of work. It will be interesting to see whether Baltimore's cornerbacks can do a better job against him this year. Atlanta wideout Roddy White added three grabs for 46 yards. Corey Graham and Jimmy Smith will have their hands full.

Flacco got a then-record six-year, $120.6 million contract this offseason. Almost three months later, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan signed a five-year, $103.75 million deal. Ryan is scheduled to make $650,000 more per season. Drafted in the same year (2008), Flacco and Ryan will be forever linked. Now which highly-paid quarterback looks more worth the money?