Just one day removed from stealing the show on the first day of training camp, Joe Flacco and the entire Ravens offense struggled during day two.
Quarterback hurries, forced throws and dropped balls were a constant theme for the offense as they continue to install new coordinator Gary Kubiak’s system.
There were a few bright spots in a rough day but they were few and far between.
Notes & Observations
Rookie tight end Crockett Gillmore had an up-and-down day, catching some difficult passes but struggling at times with blocking.
Backup quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Keith Wenning struggled for most of the afternoon. Taylor was unable to connect with wide open receivers, often taking too long with his passes. Wenning suffered a different ailment as he was off target many times, forcing the wideouts to attempt circus-type catches.
Marlon Brown had perhaps the best afternoon of the receiving unit. Brown made several contested catches including one toward the end of practice where he battled for the ball in mid air and came down hard on the turf.
Quarterback Joe Flacco was vocal in his disappointment on a few series with the offensive line when the unit had two false start penalties in a row. Flacco did connect on two nicely thrown passes to wide receiver Torrey Smith and one to tight end Owen Daniels.
Running back Justin Forsett continued to show his explosiveness out of the backfield. On several occasions, Forsett made nice cuts to get up the field. Bernard Pierce continued to get reps but was stopped in the backfield on a few offensive series.
The battles for wide receiver roster spots are proving interesting – something that should last throughout the summer. Undrafted rookie Jeremy Butler made a spectacular diving catch on a pass from Taylor that looked like it was going to fall incomplete. Instead the UDFA turned it in to a nice gain. LaQuan Williams (Maryland) dropped two passes – both of which were catchable balls – from Taylor.
Pre-snap penalties halted several reps for the offense regardless of who was under center. Flacco was, however, able to catch the defense offsides on two occasions.
Kicker Justin Tucker was rock solid throughout practice missing just one field goal. Something worth noting is the NFL will experiment with extra points during the first two preseason games. Â Extra points will be spotted at the 20-yard line, rather than the 2-yard line.
*The Ravens will hold their first full practice in pads tomorrow*
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