On Thursday afternoon, the Ravens as soon as once more confronted one other sizzling and grotesque apply. Even although the temperature sat at 93 levels, the humidity made it really feel as if the group’s apply facility was positioned two inches from the solar.
To fight the dreadful warmth, which appeared to worsen by the minute, the Ravens launched a cooling interval on the 90-minute mark of apply. After the horn sounded, the gamers marched inside the power, the place they obtained water and chilly towels whereas coach John Harbaugh remained exterior to reply questions from followers.
Harbaugh mentioned the cooling interval was launched by chief medical officer Andrew Tucker as a approach to simulate halftime whereas reducing the gamers’ physique temperatures.
“The players weren’t so thrilled about that,” Harbaugh mentioned. “They wanted to get going, but I think it was the smart thing to do.”
Harbaugh talked about the Ravens gained’t have cooling intervals each day, solely when the warmth is insufferable.
Right deal with Morgan Moses, who’s used to the warmth coaching in Florida, mentioned the cooling interval was a good suggestion because it helps put together the group to return out of halftime with a quick begin.
“Obviously, when it’s hot like that during the games, we’ve got the cool benches out there and things like that, so why not work at it now — coming out of that halftime and starting fast?” Moses mentioned. “And those are the things that we talk about, because there are four phases of the game. In the first quarter, you’ve got to start fast every time. If we start with a 5-yard run or a 5-yard pass, we’re getting the drive started, and those are the things that we’re working on.”
Likely continues to impress
Even although quarterback Lamar Jackson had the play of the afternoon when he threw a 65-yard landing move to receiver James Proche II, who obtained behind security Chuck Clark, rookie tight finish Isaiah Likely was the star Thursday afternoon.
The former Coastal Carolina standout had three touchdowns within the crimson zone through the 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 intervals. Jackson lofted a move to the again of the tip zone, the place Likely leaped up and corralled the ball over security Geno Stone.
One play later, Likely made a juggling snag over rookie linebacker Diego Fagot whereas staying inbounds.
“He was really winded, but he still came up and made the play,” Harbaugh mentioned. “That was impressive.”
Likely has turned heads throughout coaching camp, as Jackson known as him a child model of tight finish Mark Andrews.
“Isaiah is like a receiver, but in a tight end’s body,” Jackson mentioned final week. “I don’t want to give him too much credit, but he’s like that, for sure, right now.”
Andrews has even seen himself in Likely, who totaled 2,050 yards and 27 touchdowns in 4 seasons at Coastal Carolina. “He’s got a natural, kind of knack-feel for the game,” Andrews mentioned. “I think that he sees the game really well. He’s really fluid. When he sees something open, he takes it.”
‘Highly freakish’ Oweh
Outside linebacker Odafe Oweh was some of the athletic prospects within the 2020 NFL draft and one of many league’s high rookie edge rushers final season. But with each week of apply in his second Ravens camp, the previous No. 31 total choose appears to search out new methods to harness his immense bodily presents.
Early within the Ravens’ first 11-on-11 interval, Oweh sped upfield in opposition to left deal with Ja’Wuan James, dipping so low on his move rush that James may’ve solely barely brushed his inside shoulder. Working from the opposite aspect of the road in a later full-team session, Oweh froze proper deal with Jaryd Jones-Smith with a stutter-step transfer earlier than dipping previous his exterior shoulder.
“I feel like you see him bend that edge … and get small as he turns the corner, that’s a highly freakish thing to do,” Harbaugh mentioned. “There’s not many that can do that. So he’s shown quite a few times out here … that he’s able to do that. So, man, I’m all for it. That’s [a] pretty impressive pass rush.”
Extra factors
>> In addition to middle Tyler Linderbaum and linebacker Vince Biegel taking place to accidents, fullback Ben Mason was seen strolling into the locker room with 20 minutes left in apply.
>> Besides the six gamers on the physically-unable-to-perform listing and rookie tight finish Charlie Kolar (hernia), broad receiver Devin Duvernay (thigh), tight finish Nick Boyle, defensive again Brandon Stephens and linebacker Justin Houston have been absent from apply. Duvernay has missed 4 straight days, whereas Stephens has been out for 3.
>> Running again Justice Hill continued his sturdy exhibiting as a receiver, profitable simply in one-on-one matchups with inside linebacker Patrick Queen and Fagot. He was additionally a well-liked goal on checkdowns and fast hitters in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 motion. Hill wasn’t good, although, letting a would-be landing catch slip by his arms after he’d gotten open on a wheel route in a crimson zone interval.
>> Two days after signing his rookie contract, Ravens exterior linebacker David Ojabo watched a part of apply from the sideline, at one level chatting with Harbaugh. Ojabo continues to be recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, which might push again his NFL debut till late within the season.
>> After a false begin in an 11-on-11 interval, Moses suffered the punishment: a lap across the area. “It’s just keeping everybody accountable, [even] myself,” Moses mentioned. “I came back to the line, I said, ‘Man, that’s my fault,’ because nobody wants to be in first-and-15 when you have the opportunity to drive the ball.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com