When the Redskins' defense needs a big play, it's usually cornerback DeAngelo Hall who provides it.

In Thursday night's preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, Hall picked off a pass by quarterback Joe Flacco and raced 52 yards for the game's opening points.

Hall appeared to sit back on wide receiver Anquan Boldin's route and when he saw Flacco's pass come his way, he jumped in front of Boldin for the interception.

Hall weaved past tacklers, cutting back twice and making his way to the end zone on a 52-yard touchdown.

The score helped spark the Redskins early in the game, as they jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead.

The Redskins ended up losing 34-31 as the Ravens scored a late touchdown to get the win at M&T Bank Stadium.

It wasn't a perfect night for Hall.

The Ravens were able to tie the game at 14-14 in the second quarter when Flacco hit wide receiver Lee Evans for a 35-yard touchdown.

Hall was in one-on-one coverage against Evans. As the ball arrived, Hall stuck his left hand up in Evans face to deflect the pass, but he timed it incorrectly. The ball landed softly in Evans' arms just after Hall had swiped at it.

After the game, Hall reflected on his mistakes.

"There were a few plays were I thought to myself, 'Why did I do that?'" he said. "It's all part of the game. We will just learn from this and keep rolling. We're a better team, and we know it."

Hall, coming off a six interception season in 2010, played the first half against the Ravens and posted two tackles and a pass defended to go along with his interception.

Even though the Redskins lost on a last-second touchdown, Hall was still happy with his team's performance.

"I really thought we had this game in the bag," he said. "But it didn't happen for us. We'll just learn from this experience and continue to grow, and we'll get better."

After three preseason games, the Redskins' defense is allowing 14.7 points per game and a modest 262.7 yards a game. They have recorded 10 sacks and two interceptions.