Preseason win comes in rare matinee.
Saturday, August 17, 2024. M&T BANK STADIUM, BALTIMORE – As everyone knows, NFL preseason football is the home of the unusual. There are unstructured kickoff times, such as the noon Saturday start to today’s home Ravens game against the Atlanta Falcons (a welcome change for the visitors since their last visit was a frigid Christmas Eve afternoon, one of the ten coldest home games in Ravens history).
There is, of course, the lack of star power on the field, the kind that still propelled the Ravens to a 13-12 victory over the Falcons in front of an announced crowd of 63,282 fans. Second-year defender Tavius Robinson stopped a two-point conversion run with 36 seconds left to preserve the win.
And speaking of that, the otherworldly-yet-strange, NFL-record 25-game preseason win streak the Ravens saw snapped last year had turned into a three-game losing streak, the relevance of which has been questioned many times.
But during the streak, the Ravens have made the playoffs five of six seasons and won the most recent three of their seven AFC North Division titles, second only to Pittsburgh’s nine. In even-numbered years, under a 2021 league mandate, AFC teams are saddled with an extra road regular-season game but get an additional home preseason contest for what it’s worth.
Saturday’s strange atmosphere didn’t reasonably contend with a 1999 Friday afternoon home exhibition the Ravens had with the New York Giants or a 2001 game that started an hour later. But all three, including today’s, had an extenuating circumstance: the neighboring Orioles had a home game across the parking lot the same night.
Local fans hungry for wins in both games saw their team’s superior talent, depth, and execution, even during the August portion of the schedule.
There is a rare sense of optimism in Atlanta this year, given the acquisition of ex-Ravens pass rusher Matt Judon, veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, former Cincinnati safety Jessie Bates, ex-Pittsburgh returner/receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, and others. Naturally, they were expected to see little action, but some forecasters have them down for as many as 12 wins in the NFC South Division, perceived widely as football’s worst.
On the other hand, while the Ravens didn’t produce as many exhibition points as usual in last week’s 16-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, they still maintained their better-than-average preseason standards, committing just four penalties and only one turnover.
Saturday against the Falcons, amidst irritating rain that affected part of last week’s contest against the Eagles, the Ravens—having, luckily, a mostly injury-free camp—still had to sort out, through a few scrapes and competition, the face of their ultra-important offensive line, one that paces the league’s best running game.
Andrew Voorhees, a draft pick who took a redshirt year last season, and the monstrous Daniel Faalele are the guard candidates, and 2024 first-rounder Roger Rosengarten, who played for the national title at Washington last year, has been the right-tackle choice.
All have had strong camps working under brand-new offensive line coach George Warhop, who comes over from the Houston Texans due to the illness of veteran Joe D’Alessandris. Josh Jones and Ben Cleveland, respectively, started at left tackle and center. But the Ravens’ defense was the first to show out from last week, coming off an effort that saw them allow several long drives to the Eagles.
The Falcons made no such progress in the first quarter, settling for a 55-yard field goal from standout kicker Younghoe Koo late in the quickly played 27-minute period to give the visitors a 3-0 lead.
Aging Ravens backup quarterback Josh Johnson, who went 4-for-12 last week, connected on his first seven throws, three to recently signed free agent Anthony Miller, before a mistimed snap led to a fumble that the Falcons recovered. But Atlanta couldn’t take advantage, as Koo missed a 40-yard field goal to keep the visitors’ lead at 3-0.
Undaunted, Johnson ran his completion streak to 11, finding Tylan Wallace for 31 yards to the Falcons 5, then catching Owen Wright in the right flat for a five-yard score in the west end zone to give Baltimore its first lead at 7-3. But while ex-Washington signal-caller Taylor Heinecke valiantly drove the Falcons downfield to answer back, Koo surprisingly missed a second time in the east end from 45 yards.
As the second half began, Heinecke again dissected the Ravens’ pass defense in a drive that stalled at the Baltimore 6. Koo didn’t miss this time, booting a 24-yarder to cut the Ravens’ lead to one.
Fourth quarterback Emory Jones further showed the Ravens’ superior depth, finding the undrafted Dayton Wade down the left sideline for a 56-yard touchdown down the left sideline toward the east end zone with 2:56 left in the third. A two-point conversion failed, but Baltimore had its biggest lead at 13-6. Wade hauled in four catches against Philadelphia last week.
The random, sloppy nature of preseason reared its head soon after, as ex-Maryland defensive back Beau Brade intercepted a pass, then seemingly fumbled it back to Atlanta. A review subsequently overruled the entire play and called it an incomplete pass.
Thus ended another strange August preseason contest, where unseasonable weather filled the skies, baseball likely filled the fans’ conversation, and quiet, close-to-the-vest hope filled their autumn-bound hearts.
The Ravens (1-1) will now embark on their only August preseason road trip. Kickoff is 1 p.m. next Saturday in Green Bay.
