The Baltimore Ravens continued their joint practice with the Washington Commanders. It was another intense day. It looked like Del’Shawn Phillips was going to start a fight with a little post-whistle pushing. Then the real scrummage started seconds later on the other field.
The brief fight broke out as the Ravens’ defensive front was working against the offensive linemen of the Washington Commanders. Michael Pierce came out limping from the scrum and then showed he was fine with an impressive practice.
My colleague, Kevin McNelis, and I divided to conquer the challenges of a joint practice with two fields in operation. I took the defense. Let’s talk about the chippy and determined unit.
Patrick Queen had one of the most impressive performances against the Commanders. Queen’s speed placed him around the football often. He had a physical deflection against Cole Turner. Queen showed improvement as a pass defender. Roquan Smith also had a not-so-friendly dislodging of the football on a pass over the middle. After practice, Roquan Smith told the media that his chemistry with Patrick Queen has grown. You can tell, they are quite the duo.
“Absolutely. I feel like it’s night and day, and sometimes, [I] can kind of assume where he’s going to be on certain plays, and I feel like the more reps that we get with each other – in like joint practices of this sort – it just brings out the best in both of us and also amp all communication up. It makes us actually know what one another is going to do in tough situations and game-like situations.” ~ On if Roquan Smith noticed that he and ILB Patrick Queen have been able to build chemistry in their first full offseason together
[Related Article: Lamar Struggles With Deep Ball]
Malik Harrison didn’t fare so well in the seven-on-seven portion of practice. A running back sprinted past Harrison to score a touchdown while running a wheel route. Trenton Simpson practiced but didn’t have reps against the Commanders. He’s been impressive so the Ravens surely want to get him back to being a full participant as soon as possible.
There was one play in the seven-on-seven portion of practice where the play was blown dead before Sam Howell released the ball. The Baltimore defensive backs were glued to their opponents and it was ruled a coverage sack.
The defense had some wins and some losses. It was a fairly even practice. When the Ravens brought pressure and forced the issue up front their defense prevailed. I would like to have seen what would have happened if they kept forcing the issue at full speed.
The defensive line was very impressive. Michael Pierce almost looks like he has an extra burst. Justin Madubuike smothered a running back on a screen pass gone wrong. The Ravens blitzed right into the Washington screen and Madubuike was right there. Broderick Washington had an impressive tipped pass. The interior defensive linemen gave Washington’s offensive front problems. It was hard to get too many notes on Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo. They both impressed at full speed, but the coaches clearly had them tone it down after they both showed they could crash the edge.
One of the biggest concerns for the Ravens is the cornerback position. Marlon Humphrey’s injury and pending surgery is a bad hit for the most injury-afflicted position group. The Ravens need to see some players step up in this position. Unfortunately, this was the obvious weak spot for the defense. Kyu Kelly had a very rough practice. The most notable play for Kelly was him getting roasted like a kabob down the field. I didn’t catch the number of the Washington receiver on the far side of the field, I believe it was Dyami Brown.
This was a fun practice. It was chippy and intense, aligning nicely with the DNA of the Baltimore defense. The worries at cornerback put a damper on all of the positives I saw displayed at practice. This practice was a blast, chock full of so many juicy moments of football. The joint practices are good for both teams.
Football is heating up as much as the weather.
