QB Jackson shows some accuracy in win over Chicago.
For the Baltimore Ravens, the past month has been a study in extremes. How so?
Courtesy: Yardbarker
–Because of their appearance in the 53rd Pro Football Hall of Fame Game Thursday night – which ended in a 17-16 win over the Chicago Bears – Baltimore was the first of the 32 NFL teams to open its training camp, doing so approximately a week earlier than usual.
–The Ravens became the last of the current lineup of franchises to make their first appearance in the Enshrinement Weekend showcase.
–Baltimore began its preseason as a mostly-healthy squad, a stark contrast to the past two injury-riddled summers. The team returns 17 of 22 starters from last year, including all 11 on defense, even though Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda (ankle) is still on the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP) as a precautionary measure.
–The Hall of Fame Game marked the first appearance of first-round pick Lamar Jackson, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who is being counted on to take the mostly-inconsistent Ravens offense in a new direction as 11-year starter Joe Flacco’s career winds down.
Jackson is the fourth Heisman winner to suit up for Baltimore in the franchise’s 23-season history (Vinny Testaverde, Troy Smith, and Robert Griffin III) and he’s bound to get most of the playing time under center this preseason. That’s because the Ravens are trying to protect Flacco and most of their starters from getting hurt in a fifth preseason game.
While it will be incumbent upon Flacco to improve the league’s sixth-worst offense when the regular season begins on September 9 (home vs. Buffalo), Jackson is seen (at least for now) as a change-of-pace signal-caller, one whose mobility could be used in situational packages to keep defenses off-guard. And Jackson could get some first-team snaps next Thursday when the Ravens entertain the Los Angeles Rams (Aug. 9; 7:30 p.m.; WBALTV, WIYY-FM) after two days of joint practices.
Last night, and in front of 19,876 fans at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Jackson wasn’t the starter against a Bears team that was making its fifth appearance in the Hall of Fame Game – the first since 2005 – having won the previous four.
Jackson (4-for-10, 33 yards, TD, interception, three sacks, 42.9 rating) did show plenty of accuracy out of the pocket – more than he has shown in training camp.
But while Jackson is a high-profile first-round pick, it was up to other players–like 2017 sixth-rounder Chuck Clark– to show what they could do. He ended the Bears’ first drive by catching a tipped ball for an interception at the Baltimore 6-yard line.
Clark was one of many backups on the field. Eight likely starters played for Baltimore, four on each side of the ball.
RGIII, on the other hand, was victimized by receiver Breshad Perriman’s balky hands. Perriman let a pass bounce off his hands that was intercepted by the Bears at the Ravens’ 34. And, five plays later, Bears backup quarterback Chase Daniel found Michael Burton for a six-yard touchdown to give Chicago the early lead.
But using his mobility with play-fakes and run-pass options that have been a big talking point in training camp, Griffin – who did look very sharp despite some early drops by his teammates — drove the Ravens downfield and capped it off with a five-yard touchdown pass to oft-injured tight end Maxx Williams to tie the game with four minutes left in the opening quarter.
Griffin finished his night going 7-for-11 for 58 yards, getting sacked three times, with a touchdown and an interception (69.5 rating). He was relieved by 2017 practice-squader Josh Woodrum (6-for-6, 37 yards, two sacks, 92.4 rating) before Jackson finally got his shot in the third quarter.
Correa picks off Daniels’ pass (photo, Ravenswire, USAToday)
The sloppiness continued as another Daniel pass was picked off–this time by Kamalei Correa, a 2016 second-round pick, who was moved to his natural outside linebacker position after failing to successfully convert to an inside role.
But with the ball at the Bears’ 9, Griffin could not put a touchdown on the board. Norway native Kaare Vedvik, who has shown a strong leg in camp, kicked a 31-yard field goal to give Baltimore a 10-7 lead after one quarter.
As the first half wore on, it was the Ravens that first shook off the initial nervousness, riding a two-sack half from Correa – with an interception – to hold the Bears to six total yards in the second quarter.
Correa would add a third sack and a forced fumble – the Ravens’ fourth takeaway – in the third quarter. But while the Ravens ended the evening with four sacks and four takeaways, the Bears were at work, too. Griffin, Woodrum, and Jackson were sacked a total of eight times–just in the first half–behind a makeshift offensive line.
Early in the third quarter, rookie draftee DeShon Elliott forced a fumble that outside linebacker Bronson Kaufusi recovered for the third Ravens takeaway. Like Correa, Kaufusi has struggled in his early career. But a position change seems to have helped the 2016 third-round pick.
Baltimore drove 36 yards on seven plays and added a seven-yard touchdown from Jackson to fellow first-round pick Hayden Hurst for a 17-7 Ravens lead.
The run defense also played well, holding Chicago to a 3.4-yard average on 19 carries
Tanner Gentry found the end zone for the Bears with under three minutes to go. But since most players and coaches don’t want an overtime preseason game, Chicago went for a two-point conversion, only to have a Tyler Gray pass go incomplete.
All in all, it was the perfect conclusion for a defensively-oriented Ravens team. Baltimore won its ninth straight preseason game over three years. And, this weekend, the team will have 13-time Pro Bowl and seven-time All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis inducted into the Hall this weekend.
On those counts, at least, these Ravens are still a study in extremes.
