Rookie Report – Week 2

Much like the Ravens in Cleveland on Sunday, I’ve been molasses-like in starting the Russell Street Rookie Report, but we are happy to announce the return of the column’s sophomore season. We’ll track the progress of each of the Ravens’ rookies throughout the season. Let’s get right to it for Week 2.

Defense

On a day where the Ravens dedicated the win to former defensive line coach Clarence Brooks, he surely was smiling down at the performance of undrafted rookie DT from Samford, Michael Pierce. If this kid isn’t quickly becoming one of your favorite Ravens, I’ve got nothing for ya. He is a 6’0” 330 lb. bowling ball of joy who wreaks havoc in opponents’ backfields. Pierce delivered a bone-rattling hit on Josh McCown on the fifth play of the game and recorded his first ever sack midway through the final quarter.

Matt Judon had a few quality quarterback hurries, including a near sack in the second quarter. He also used a quality rip move in the third quarter to discard right tackle Austin Pasztor and force an incomplete pass. He has provided decent OLB cover as Elvis Dumervil slowly regains his health.

Fourth-round cornerback Tavon Young showed impressive hands and speed scooping and scoring the blocked PAT which seemed to serve as reminder to the entire team that they were, in fact, playing the Browns who even amidst great success can fail to execute the simplest of football tasks. Young’s two points were the first of 25 unanswered. The former Temple man had two superb open-field tackles in the game’s final 90 seconds, twice keeping the ball carrier in bounds. His seemed like the type of clutch tackles that we failed to make last year.

Offense

Ronnie Stanley and Alex Lewis look a solid pairing on the left side of the line. They both played every snap and logged solid outings, keeping Joe Flacco mostly upright and generating decent push in the run game. Stanley’s worst moment was getting stood up by Emmanuel Ogbah in the first quarter and pushed into Flacco causing Joe to throw incomplete, while Lewis noticeably conceded ground on Joe Haden’s initial interception. There is undoubtedly room for improvement, but it’s hard to ask much more from the first all-rookie left side in the NFL in 21 years.

It was an up-and-down day for fourth-round receiver Chris Moore, who played 25 offensive snaps. His sole nine-yard catch was outstanding (despite the broadcast camera not keeping up with the action) as he ran a short dig route from the slot, and had to lay out for the ball with his man draped all over him. However, in one of my favorite play designs on the day, a great play-action fake saw a wide open pass bounce off his hands—a play that, if completed, would’ve scored a touchdown or at least moved Baltimore inside the 5-yard line.

To his credit, Moore had a fourth quarter 25-yard reception negated by an illegal shift. Although it didn’t count, it’s worth taking a second look at Moore’s flag route within the smash-corner combination with Breshad Perriman. As pictured below, Moore breaks toward the corner, and his suddenness causes cornerback Tramon Williams Sr. to overreact, thinking Moore was cutting squarely for an out-route. Instead Moore gained ground up-field, turning the defender inside-out, and made a great catch two yards from the end zone (despite the Baltimore penalty).

Rookie Notes

– Kamalei Correa and Maurice Canady were both active, but did not record defensive snaps. Correa’s inability to get on the field has been one of the more disappointing developments among this rookie class.

– Struggling to run the ball, the Ravens are surely eager to get Kenneth Dixon back from injury and hope that he can bring the quickness he showed in the preseason.

– Former Michigan Wolverine Willie Henry was inactive for the second straight week. The aforementioned success of Pierce has factored into Henry’s limited opportunities.

The Ravens will look to beat a downtrodden, yet pesky Jaguars squad on Sunday. Yours truly will be in the building, so I will predict: (1) a 14-point victory capped by a 1-yard strip/sack/score by Michael Pierce, and (2) a timely Week 3 Rookie Report. Enjoy the game!