The Ravens, taking part in with out most of their starters, prolonged their preseason successful streak to 21, led by a exact efficiency from backup quarterback Tyler Huntley and spectacular performs from rookie cross catchers Isaiah Likely and Shemar Bridges.
Here are 5 issues we realized from Thursday night time’s sport:
After an uneven starting to coaching camp, Tyler Huntley reminded us why he’s QB2.
Huntley isn’t going through competitors for the No. 2 job after he began 4 video games final season, however he has not thrown as sharply this coaching camp as he did final 12 months, when he was battling Trace McSorley for a roster spot. Tendinitis in his throwing shoulder, which stored him out for just a few days throughout necessary minicamp, set him again, making it unattainable for him to throw at house going into camp.
But Huntley seemed like his 2021 self in opposition to the Titans, getting the ball out shortly and on track with out taking many dangers. He overthrew Tylan Wallace on third down with a Tennessee defender (who had badly crushed left sort out Ja’Wuan James) in his face. Otherwise, he didn’t make any unhealthy throws, finishing 16 of 18 for 110 yards and a landing because the Ravens constructed a 14-10 halftime lead.
“Tyler played great,” coach John Harbaugh stated. “His numbers were off the charts. He ran the offense really well.”
The efficiency reassured Huntley that he’s on observe bodily. “I’m feeling way better,” he stated.
Tight finish Isaiah Likely wanted little time to indicate why he’s the workforce’s most promising first-year playmaker.
Likely froze a Tennessee security with a nifty pretend and picked up just a few further yards for a primary right down to arrange the Ravens’ first landing. In the second quarter, he ripped a cross away from Titans linebacker Chance Campbell, a Calvert Hall grad, for a 22-yard achieve.
He additionally worn out a pair of third-down conversions with holding penalties, however the Ravens will settle for just a few miscues if Likely (4 catches on 4 targets for 44 yards) is usually a dynamic goal for Lamar Jackson.
“You come into your first game, there’s a lot of things happening at once,” stated Likely, who described himself as a child on Christmas morning. “There’s things I’ve got to clean up.”
Harbaugh joked that Likely wanted the primary juke he used on his preliminary first-down catch however “the next four were unnecessary.”
The rookie laughed. “My mind was racing,” he stated.
Likely, a fourth-round pick of Coastal Carolina, was the shock offensive star of OTAs and necessary minicamp, stringing collectively spectacular catches that demonstrated why draft analysts had labeled him a large receiver in tight finish’s clothes. Jackson known as him a “baby Mark” Andrews.
At this level, it’s arduous to think about Likely not seeing the sector commonly as soon as the common season begins. Jackson produced the perfect season of his profession in 2019 when he commonly focused three tight ends: Andrews, Nick Boyle and Hayden Hurst. Andrews was extra a one-man present final season, when he was the league’s greatest tight finish, however Likely has the expertise to be a worthy working mate.
“He’s a dog,” Huntley stated admiringly. “He’s got a lot to learn, but he’s on the right path.”
Don’t overlook Shemar Bridges within the huge receiver competitors.
Bridges, an undrafted free agent out of Fort Valley State, has quietly made a case for himself because the begin of coaching camp. He’s a clean mover who makes use of each inch of his 6-foot-4 body to battle for contested catches. He did precisely that on the finish of the second quarter in opposition to Tennessee, reaching over his defender to tug in a 14-yard landing throw from Huntley. Bridges made one other contested catch for 38 yards within the third quarter.
None of the Ravens’ prime three projected receivers — Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay and James Proche II — is a lanky red-zone goal. So if Bridges can keep his early momentum, he would possibly simply give the Ravens a complementary piece.
“He’s a big, physical guy. He goes up and gets the ball,” Harbaugh stated. “He plays hard on special teams in practice.”
Bridges can be a real wild card on the workforce’s roster after he caught 28 passes in simply 4 video games final season for Division II Fort Valley State, a traditionally Black college in Georgia. He had no Division I gives popping out of highschool in Florida and has by no means performed on a stage remotely as giant as M&T Bank Stadium. He known as the expertise “a dream come true.”
“I feel like I’m a big receiver who can play big but also, I’m learning how to run routes and be flexible and versatile with my size,” he stated. “I made some plays today, but there are definitely things I want to improve on, really just going back to the drawing board, learning from my mistakes, going hard on special teams, learning all the little things, blocking, all the little dirty work things to help me make the team.”
Sweet phrases to the coaches’ ears, little question.
The Ravens’ sloppy protection within the first half helped the Titans keep within the sport.
We want to take care of some perspective provided that precisely two projected starters, nostril sort out Michael Pierce and outdoors linebacker Odafe Oweh (who performed one snap), suited up for coordinator Mike Macdonald’s protection. Nonetheless, Macdonald couldn’t have loved watching the missed tackles, missed assignments and missed alternatives that set the Titans up for a pair of first-half scores.
Linebacker Malik Harrison compelled a fumble to offer his workforce the ball deep in Tennessee territory and helped get the Titans off the sector on their subsequent possession with an efficient rush. But he missed two tackles on Tennessee’s first scoring drive.
First-round decide Kyle Hamilton took a poor angle and let Titans quarterback Malik Willis wiggle out of a compromised pocket for the 7-yard landing run on that possession.
Miscommunication between cornerback Kevon Seymour and security Tony Jefferson left Titans huge receiver Racey McMath huge open for a 48-yard catch within the second quarter. In a weird visible, Seymour stopped working with McMath and shaded towards an empty sideline, the place no receiver was standing. That play arrange a subject aim.
The protection got here up with loads of high-quality moments as effectively — a sack and a number of other different pressures from veteran outdoors linebacker Steven Means, a sack from rookie defensive sort out Travis Jones, a late sort out for loss and interception from security Geno Stone.
Harbaugh selected to look on the brilliant aspect: “Our defense on third down was amazing. Getting turnovers was good.”
We nonetheless don’t have a decisive chief within the working again competitors.
Mike Davis began and was best working to the skin. He took benefit of a mauling down-block from proper sort out Daniel Faalele and a pleasant seal from pulling left guard Tyre Phillips to attain the primary landing of the sport.
It’s not essentially telling that Davis obtained the primary name Thursday. Coaches have stated the working again competitors is as wide-open as any in coaching camp. But the veteran free-agent addition most likely is the most secure wager to play behind J.Ok. Dobbins, who simply returned to observe after lacking final season due to a torn ACL. He has the chunkiest resume and the broadest base of expertise.
Davis held serve together with his efficiency (5 carries for 22 yards) in opposition to the Titans, and not one of the different aspirants took an enormous step ahead. Justice Hill and Tyler Badie, each robust candidates to make the roster as third-down backs, mixed for 30 yards on 9 carries. Nate McCrary, all the time a feisty runner, ripped off a 21-yard achieve late within the third quarter, however we’ve seen him try this in previous preseason video games. Former Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys backup Corey Clement, added to the roster the day earlier than camp started, carried 4 occasions for 17 yards late within the sport.
So the battle will roll on with Davis holding the excessive floor by a step.
Preseason, Week 2
RAVENS@CARDINALS
Sunday, Aug. 21, 8 p.m.
TV: Ch. 45
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com