Here’s a recap of what we looked for and here is what we saw…
1. LARDARIUS WEBB: One of the few disappointments from last night’s 26-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers was the absence of Webb and the frustrating manner in which the team is handling is back problems. How far away are they from using the one-time recallable IR tag on their most well-rounded corner?
2. BERNARD PIERCE: Nice answer to your critics Bernard (myself included). He ran with purpose and protected the football on his way to a 22 carry, 96 yard performance. Excellent building block moving forward for the third-year back who will be called upon to carry the load given the absence of Ray Rice.
3: EMPTY BACKFIELD, EMPTY HEAD: Joe Flacco was sharp, confident and poised during a very efficient 21 of 29 performance including 2TD’s to Owen Daniels. He was mistake free and once again showed that there is no tougher quarterback in the NFL.
4. NGATAGAIN: We’ve all heard of the game, Where’s Waldo? Sometimes I find myself playing Where’s Ngata when watching the Ravens defense. The Ravens multi-time Pro Bowler did not register a single defensive statistic until he showed off his amazing athleticism for a man his size when he tipped and intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass. The pick proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the Steelers.
5. BROTHER DARYL: The Daryl Smith who played well for the Ravens in 2014 has been MIA – up until last night when he recorded 8 tackles, defended 2 passes and came up with a huge forced fumble to thwart the Steelers’ opening drive and completely shift the game’s momentum.
6. SCREAM SCREEN: While they still need to clean up a bit more when recognizing and defending screen passes, the Ravens improved last night against a team that traditionally does a nice job of executing. Let’s give credit where it’s due as well – Le’Veon Bell and Heath Miller are nice players, particularly the former who has the makings of an outstanding back.
7. PLAYER BODY LANGUAGE: Concerns were widespread prior to last night’s game about how the Ravens would respond to adversity during the game after a stressful short week enveloped in the Ray Rice controversy. Following a bad call against Courtney Upshaw that kept the Steelers opening drive alive, the Ravens maintained their resolve, eventually forcing the turnover and responding with a Flacco to Daniels TD to go up 7-0. The Ravens NEVER lost control of this game.
