While injured former Raven TE Todd Heap stood on the opposing sideline in a baseball cap, nursing another injury, his two young protégés on the Ravens sideline came of age before his eyes. The Jedi Master watched his two young Jedi Knights become warriors.
There is no question that Heap was loved and admired on and off the field as a Raven for a decade. He was and remains a class act, as evidenced by the half-page ad he and his wife purchased in The Sun last week to thank the town that he called home for his entire career until a few months ago.
Last year, with Heap reaching the age of 30 and sustaining a lifetime full of crushing blows, General Manager Ozzie Newsome decided to draft two tight ends in the 2010 draft; Ed Dickson in the third round (70th overall) and Dennis Pitta in the fourth round (114th overall). The Wizard of Oz likely foresaw then that the foundation was being laid for Heap’s 2011 departure. But first, he’d be asked to mold the two youngsters.
Heap, taking a page out of his mentor’s playbook, brought the young tight ends along and shared his knowledge of the game in 2010. Former Pro-Bowler Heap taught Dickson and Pitta everything he knows, graciously handing down knowledge to the next generation, but not knowing when he’d have to officially pass the torch.
Heap must have been coping with a double dose of mixed emotions on Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium. As a player for the Arizona Cardinals, he could only watch in frustration. As a former Raven and revered sports figure in Baltimore, maybe it hurt a little bit to be back in town after the sting of being cut before the season. As a mentor, however, he had to be proud to see his star pupils excel.
The Ravens young tight end tandem of Dickson and Pitta combined for 12 catches and 91 yards in Sunday’s game against Arizona. They’ve both had big games before of varying degree, but this game was different. The hurry-up offense from the shotgun with a two-TE set appears to be a formula for tight end and Ravens success. The formation generates mismatches in the middle of the field with sure-handed, large tight ends battling linebackers.
Dickson, like Heap and Shannon Sharpe before him, is a wide receiver trapped in a tight end’s body. He’s fast, big and strong. At 6-4 and 255 pounds, he is a force in the defensive backfield. Throw in good hands and the quickness to get open and you can see why Newsome chose him in the third round out of Oregon.
There’s no position that Ozzie Newsome knows better than the one he played en route to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He knew exactly what he was doing in that 2010 draft. He complemented the fast, powerful Dickson with the sure-handed, solid and mature play of Pitta. It seems like Pitta (6-4, 245 pounds) catches everything close, as he emerged Sunday as a trusted Joe Flacco target. The two big targets mirror the play of their mentor in many ways—from the size and presence they bring on the field to the way they catch the ball.
The second half of the Arizona game featured the tight ends more, as Flacco engineered an exciting comeback after an abysmal first half. By using the tight ends, Flacco was able to move the chains and keep Arizona’s defense on its heels. When the defense focused on WR Anquan Boldin (who had a phenomenal day with 7 catches for 145 yards), the tight ends were able to take advantage of mismatches in the middle of the field.
The Arizona game was an appropriate spot for both Dickson and Pitta to put up similar numbers. Until Sunday, Dickson had been used much more than Pitta (who also pitches in on special teams). But with mentor Heap looking on from across the field, Pitta and Dickson each caught six passes and Pitta netted 45 yards to Dickson’s 46.
That 12-catch, 91-yard performance had to be bitter sweet for Todd Heap. He understands the business of football, so he likely envisioned the eventual move that sent him into free agency. It was time for him to move on, as the kids were ready to step up. He just didn’t expect it for another year or so.
There’s no doubt that the competitor in Todd Heap was upset about his team taking a tough loss after blowing a 21-point halftime lead. He was, no doubt, frustrated by not being able to contribute on the field because of a nagging injury.
But through it all, he can feel a sense of pride that his two star students are emerging in his stead as the star tight ends for the Baltimore Ravens. That has to feel good, especially for a guy who learned from Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe, who passed a torch of his own to a young tight end out of BYU in 2001.
Jedi Master, your Jedi Knights are ready for battle. Well done and thank you.
