Three days down already! On Saturday, he Ravens donned the pads for the first time since their season-ending loss to the Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs last season.
After what has been a quiet few first days from wide receiver Kamar Aiken, the former Central Florida standout saw an increase in reps with Marlon Brown being absent from practice for unknown reasons.
On the first play of 11-on-11 drills, Aiken, despite being wide open, dropped a perfectly thrown pass from Joe Flacco for what would have been a big gain. He did however rebound nicely hauling in some tough catches, shedding tackles turning his receptions into big gains.
The wide receiver corps as a unit was up and down for much of the afternoon but did have impressive catches from Jeremy Butler, Michael Campanaro and Steve Smith Sr. whose torching of Asa Jackson has become a daily ritual. Smith Sr.’s stiffest competition has come from newly signed free agent cornerback Kyle Arrington.
Run Game Stuffed
While the passing game had some success under the hot sun on Saturday, the Ravens run game struggled finding gaps for much of the afternoon against the stout defensive line.
On numerous occasions, Justin Forsett, Lorenzo Taliaferro and Buck Allen were stopped at the line of scrimmage and found nothing around the edges. Allen had the run of day after a monsterous block from tight end Crockett Gillmore sprung him for a big gain.
The unit was effective catching passes out of the backfield, with Allen leading the way. The rookie back from Southern California collected yards after the catch following some dump off passes from Matt Schaub. Forsett, Taliaferro and Fitzgerald Toussaint all had solid catches out of the back field.
Pass Rush Overcomes Lack of Doom
The Ravens were short a pass rusher with Elvis Dumervil missing practice again with tendinitis in his knee, yet still managed to pressure all three Ravens quarterbacks.
Terrell Suggs, Steven Means and Timmy Jernigan were able to bring pressure, forcing Flacco and Schaub from the pocket on several pass attempts.
With Pernell McPhee gone via free agency, the Ravens need a playmaker to step up and both Means and rookie Za’Darius Smith have had a solid camp through three days.
Other Observations:
Tight end Maxx Williams continued to stack days. After reports of the rookie moving slowly on Friday, he was much more fluid off the snap and looked smoother on his short and intermediate routes. Nick Boyle and Crockett Gillmore were relatively quiet. Each had catches and suffered some drops.
Cornerback Jimmy Smith appears to be on a mission this season to prove he is one of the league’s best. While staying healthy has always been an issue for Smith his coverage skills looked season-ready. When tested on Saturday, Smith was lights out, breaking up passes intended for Campanaro, Smith Sr. and Aiken. Lardarius Webb practiced for the second straight day and played throughout practice with no issues.
Kick returns and punt returns are a big part of the game but it appears the Ravens are still in deciding mode as to who to give extended reps to at the position. Since camp opened up on Thursday, Smith Sr., Campanaro, DeAndre Carter, Webb, and Asa Jackson have all fielded punts. Saturday wasn’t any different with the aformentioned players all taking turns once again.
Play of the Day
Big hits are few and far between during training camp these days but don’t tell safety Will Hill that. During 11-on-11 drills, the hard hitting safety laid an impressive hit on rookie tight end Nick Boyle after he turned upfield after securing a catch. The hit drew dozens of cheers from the fans in attendance and teammates alike.
Quote of the Day
“Get your heads out of your asses.” Ravens special teams/Associate head coach Jerry Rosburg after the field goal team was late getting onto the field on fourth down.
The Ravens will be back on the field tomorrow in pads with practice beginning around 4 p.m.
Follow me on Twitter @sportguyRSR
