Rookie tight finish Isaiah Likely has added some intrigue and probably a brand new dimension to the Ravens’ offense.
The fourth-round decide from Coastal Carolina turned in a second robust efficiency in Baltimore’s 24-17 win in opposition to the Arizona Cardinals Sunday evening with eight catches for 100 yards and a landing whereas enjoying solely the primary half.
In two preseason contests, Likely has 12 catches for 144 yards, however possibly probably the most spectacular a part of his recreation is the yards he will get after the catch. He had 53 versus the Cardinals, which doesn’t occur typically from a 6-foot-4, 235-pound receiver.
“Everybody wants to be able to catch the ball, but it’s what you can do after that catch,” Likely stated. “And that’s something I preach, whether it’s in games or in practice. Just really just getting that burst in practice [and] having that in-game feel, so when I get in the game, it’s not the first time that I’ve ever done it. It’s repetition, it’s consistency.”
The Ravens have labored laborious to switch and enhance the offense, with emphasis on a two-tight finish look as a result of that was the bottom when quarterback Lamar Jackson was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2019 with tight ends Mark Andrews and Hayden Hurst.
Likely’s greatest downside is with the ability to block, an space a whole lot of younger tight ends wrestle with throughout their rookie seasons, however placing him reverse of Andrews will create a whole lot of issues.
It forces defenses to stability up the place it turns into laborious to overload a aspect, and having both Andrews or Likely matched up outdoors one-on-one creates a whole lot of mismatches.
Regardless of Likely’s attainable impression, the Ravens nonetheless want an efficient receiver to develop on the skin and open up the center of the sphere. The Ravens obtained an enormous enhance from veteran tight finish Nick Boyle, who obtained in intensive enjoying time and carried out properly as a blocker. If he can keep wholesome, it simply provides the offense one other dimension so far as enjoying energy soccer.
James struggles
In two video games, left offensive sort out Ja’Wuan James hasn’t been spectacular and he struggled versus the Cardinals in opposition to pace and energy rushes whereas in cross safety.
He is lucky Arizona used outdoors linebacker Victor Dimukeje (Boys’ Latin) sparingly or he would have been in for an extended evening.
The Ravens want Ronnie Stanley again as quickly as attainable and for him to anchor the road within the season opener in opposition to the New York Jets on Sept. 11.
Catching Webb
Raleigh Webb, from The Citadel, is my favourite little rookie receiver to control.
Few speak about him, however he retains hustling to make the roster. He had two catches for 46 yards, together with one for a 38-yard landing, and had one other reception of about 15 yards nullified due to a penalty.
He is an effective blocker within the staff’s run-oriented offense and performs properly on particular groups. He is a perfect candidate for the slot place, and I guess New England coach Bill Belichick or the Los Angeles Rams Sean McVay would possibly check out him if he doesn’t make it in Baltimore.
Pass rush potential
Like the Ravens, the Cardinals didn’t play a whole lot of starters, however there have been indicators of hope that Baltimore will be capable to stress opposing quarterbacks this season.
Second-year outdoors linebacker Odafe Oweh has gotten so significantly better utilizing his palms and enhancing hand pace, and the Ravens obtained some stress up the center with rookie sort out Travis Jones.
That’s an enormous improvement for this staff. There is a dire have to discover a participant in the course of the road who could make a quarterback transfer or step up within the pocket when dropping again.
The Ravens haven’t had a prime pass-rushing sort out since Sam Adams on the flip of the century. Haloti Ngata was efficient, however extra as a run stopper.
Pepe in place
There are sure defensive gamers that actually do have “a nose” for the ball, and rookie cornerback Demarion “Pepe” Williams is one among them. And he’ll let you realize about it when he makes a play; there have been instances at practices the place he has strutted round at follow just like the NBC Peacock.
Williams picked off a Trace McSorley cross and it wasn’t as a result of he made an important play, however as a result of he was proper the place he was presupposed to be in protection and McSorley threw a foul cross.
As former Baltimore Blast coach Kenny Cooper used to say: “You have to be in a position to be in position.”
That’s Williams.
Phillips’ penalties
Memo to left guard Tyre Phillips: You can’t turn into a starter with three penalties, two of these false begins and one other for being an unlawful lineman downfield.
Penalties are part of the sport and a few, like cross interference or face masks, are extra acceptable, however coaches get irritated by presnap flags. Those are clearly avoidable.
A Stout efficiency
One of the keys to the Ravens’ success in deciding on punters is that they no less than appear like good athletes.
Former Ravens punter Sam Koch was 6-1 and 220 kilos, a former tight finish and linebacker at his Nebraska highschool. Very seldom did opposing groups return punts for touchdowns in opposition to the Ravens as a result of Koch, whereas an important punter, was additionally tackler and athlete.
New punter Jordan Stout is 6-3, 210 kilos. I don’t know if he’s as athletic as Koch was, however there isn’t a lot physique fats on that body. Against the Cardinals, he averaged 51.3 yards on three punts, together with an extended of 58.
He may kick additional factors and kickoff.
Time to step up
I wasn’t too impressed with the within linebacking play of Kristian Welch or Malik Harrison. Harrison, in his third 12 months, obtained higher as the sport went on and completed with 5 tackles.
Another participant who appeared to come back up late or quick was defensive again Brandon Stephens. He was flagged for pointless roughness early and allowed a first-down completion on a third-and-long. Later within the recreation, he had a cross interference penalty that price the Ravens 37 yards.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com