The Ravens preseason opener goes down as a win, as the team went up 17-0 early only to fall behind 27-23 with two minutes to play before a touchdown with two seconds left by rookie Bryn Renner won it, 30-27.
Derek Arnold
Great to see the top units playing so well already (though, of course the defense has to be given the caveat that Drew Brees didn’t play at all). Lorenzo Taliaferro was impressive all night, and it was good to watch him find paydirt from the one-yard line.
Once the starters left the field though, things got a bit iffy. We’re used to seeing the Ravens be the ones to dominate once the backups get in the game in these preseason contests, as their quality depth shines through. That was decidedly NOT the case tonight, as New Orleans’ backups dominated the Ravens’. The second-team defense, especially, inspired little confidence, with the lone standout being rookie Carl Davis. The third unit was even worse, offering little resistance at all on the Saints’ final drive that gave them their first lead. Lots of teaching to be done. And hey, they came out on top thanks to a nice two-minute drill by rookie Bryn Renner. Unfortunately, the team didn’t make it through the game unscathed, as both Asa Jackson and Stephen Means were banged up.
Ryan Jones
Obviously a great start for both starting units. The Ravens scored 17 points in their first three drives and the starting defense forced two quick three and outs.
It’s clear that the offensive philosophy won’t change with the transition to Marc Trestman but you can already see his fingerprints and new wrinkles. The tight ends and were very active early on and the running backs were active in the passing game.
My biggest takeaway was how impressive Lorenzo Taliaferro looked. He appears to be much leaner, quicker and decisive than he was in 2014. Buck Allen was impressive as well and along with Justin Forsett they should make quite a trio in 2015.
Tyler Lombardi
The opening drive couldn’t have been more impressive. We saw an offense that moved deliberately down the field, both in the passing and running games.
Then, Schaub took the field and had a good drive that finished off with a Campanaro touchdown. If he can stay on the field, he will be a versatile weapon for the Ravens.
But in the second half, they were less than impressive. The second team O-line couldn’t get it going. Hopefully, if/when one of the offensive linemen go down, they gel with the starting unit. If we see the same performance from the reserves that we saw at the end of this game, we’ll be in trouble.
Brian Bower
Some ups and some downs for the Ravens in their first preseason game of 2015. Solid job by the first- and second-team offenses while the first-team defense played equally solid. Lorenzo Taliaferro made the most of his opportunities created by an impressive offensive line that opened up huge running lanes. Rookie Carl Davis was outstanding in his NFL debut, albeit one game. Rookie tight ends Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams fared well late in the game. Back-ups have a lot of work to do but the good news is that it’s the preseason. Plenty of time for improvement.
Ken McKusick
Ugliest QB performance ever by a quarterback on a two-minute 80-yard game winning touchdown drive.
Carl Davis was the most dominant player on the field getting consistent up field penetration and making several good stops.
Nadeem Kureishy
Pleased at the way the first team offense and defense started out the game. Flacco looked great and had great command of the offense. Was really disappointed at the way the 2nd and 3rd string defense played. They couldn’t set the edge on run defense, gave up a 90-yard drive and couldn’t force the Saints off the field. Arthur Brown coming in at the end of the 3rd quarter says a lot about his standing with the team. I was hoping that he would play lights out. He had one good play diagnosing a run and making the tackle behind the LOS for a loss.
Mike Fast
The key to me was that the starters (particularly on offense) played really well and none of them sustained major injuries.
That said, I thought the Ravens played very well as a whole. The tight end group, despite their youth, showed a lot of ability and promise for the future. Carl Davis and Brennen Beyer were excellent on defense. Special teams were solid as usual.
You want to see better communication and pass coverage from the linebackers and the secondary, but that’s what the preseason is for: evaluate game situations and improve upon mistakes before the regular season starts.
A win is a win is a win. Ain’t the beer cold!
Tony Lombardi
Joe Flacco‘s poise and confidence spilled over from the backyards of The Castle to the preseason fields of The Bank as he led a 16 play, 80-yard drive that took 8:15 of the game clock culminating in a 1-yard plunge from RB Lorenzo Taliaferro. It couldn’t have been drawn up any better. Taliaferro along with back-up sidekick Buck Allen who shook off a sluggish start, continued their productive summers…Nice play from the starting offensive line…
The reserve corners and safeties did little to dispel concerns about depth in the secondary and no one should be surprised by a call from Ozzie Newsome to free agent corner Chris Cook…There was finally an Arthur Brown sighting. Based upon when they played during the game Zachary Orr and Albert McClellan appear to be above Brown on the depth chart. Based upon how they played maybe it’s time to see what Brown can do in McClellan’s spot. Orr had a solid outing…
Disappointing fourth-year reserve corner Asa Jackson continues his best Chykie Brown impersonation. Brandin Cooks blew by him in the second quarter like a kid with a Fast-Pass ticket at Disney. He left the game with a knee injury. It’s possible that Asa Jackson could miss some practice time. Gee, imagine that…Nice effort by the rookie tight ends, particularly Maxx Williams who showed some veteran savviness while converting a fourth and 20 with 0:46 left during what would prove to be the game winning drive.
