ExtremeRavens

In one moment, Rashod Bateman is lined up on a football field, one leg in front of the other, arms dangling, crowd noise blending into white noise. A nameless, faceless cornerback stands across from him. A single thought enters the otherwise artistic, if not frenetic mind of the Ravens wide receiver. “Kill him,” Bateman told The Baltimore Sun. “As a receiver, I think that’s gotta be your mentality.” In another moment, he is alone and it’s quiet, except for the grainy footage of Jerry Rice that he has pulled up on YouTube. He has to look closely given the lack of high definition but is consumed by the creativity and repetition from the NFL’s career leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Rice is the “O.G.” of elite route running to Bateman, 25 and entering his fifth year in the league after Baltimore selected him 27th overall out of Minnesota in 2021. The Pro Football Hall of Famer’s achievements are aspirational, sure, but Bateman’s immediate focus is building on what was a career year for him last season both statistically (756 yards, nine touchdowns) and in more advanced measurables that put him within range of the game’s upper echelon of receivers. Going into 2024, Bateman had a career separation rate of 76.6%, per Pro Football Focus. Last season, however, that jumped to an eye-opening 91.9%, with 50 of his receptions coming from open looks. Much of the damage he did to defenses came in intermediate and underneath routes, particularly cutting across the field, where he could use his separation to pull away from defenders and his high football IQ to find uncovered patches of field. But he also proved a viable deep threat, hauling in 8 of 15 attempts for 292 yards and five scores, the latter tied for the second-most in the league with his 36.7-yard average depth of target on those deep throws, the most among any receiver with at least 15 deep targets, per PFF. More proof: Bateman ranked 11th among receivers in ESPN’s open score metric, which measures a receiver’s ability to get open on a route, regardless of whether they are targeted, relative to what is expected given the situation. That was two spots ahead of Dallas Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb, three ahead of Los Angeles Rams receiver Davante Adams (another player he studies) and six ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase, who last season led the NFL in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. In order for the art and science to meld, though, a confluence of events had to occur. Pain-free The first thing Bateman needed to accelerate, literally and figuratively, was his health, something that was a challenge his first three seasons. In 2021, it was a groin injury. In 2022, it was season-ending Lisfranc surgery on his right foot. In 2023, it was lingering pain in the same foot, though he ultimately managed to appear in 16 games. “Going through that and coming back from that was tough,” he told The Sun. “In 2023, the whole year I was still dealing with pain. I still ran good routes and got open, but being able to progress and break through that barrier and the whole thing healing has allowed me to get back to doing the things I know I’m capable of doing.” Sandwiched between it all was one mental and emotional hurdle after another, including in the span of a few months the deaths of his grandmother and a teenage cousin who took his own life. Being the healthiest he ever had been in his career helped fuel Rashod Bateman's breakthrough 2024 season. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Those moments sparked troubling and dark days for Bateman, who was also uncertain about his future with the Ravens. He told The Sun that he didn’t feel “fully involved” in the offense until last season, and when the team signed him to a team-friendly two-year extension in 2024, he acknowledged that the move was “a little bit shocking” to him given the ups and downs of his career to that point. It was, however, a good-faith agreement as well. Still, after his breakout in 2024, Bateman was given permission to seek a trade and there were discussions with the Dallas Cowboys. Ultimately, though, Dallas signed George Pickens to pair with Lamb, while Bateman got another extension from the Ravens, this time for three-years and a more lucrative $36.75 million with $20 million guaranteed. Not long after the ink was dry on the new contract, Bateman arrived at training camp feeling healthier than he has at any point in his career, he said. He also added 10 pounds of muscle thanks to high-octane workouts in Phoenix and Los Angeles over the summer. “I’m in better condition than last year,” he said. “I learned to run every route full speed. As a receiver we run a lot and I think the hardest thing for all of us is running the route the same with the same energy every single time. That’s always the difficult part. Being in the best condition possible will take the game to the next level.” Pilates has also become a regular part of his regimen as well. “Your body gets used to certain movements, patterns,” he continued. “It’s like being out here with Lamar [Jackson]. The year I was able to be consistent with him on the field the more I was out here.” On the same page Being simpatico with the guy throwing the ball is the key to any receiver’s success, and that’s been a lightning rod issue in particular for critics when talking about the dynamic between Bateman and Jackson. It’s not without merit. During last season’s divisional round playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, Jackson fumbled once and was intercepted once, the latter coming in the opening quarter of the eventual 27-25 loss when he threw off his back foot toward the middle of the field as Bateman was breaking toward the sideline. Jackson took responsibility after the game for the “B.S.” interception, said he should have held the safety with his eyes and made a better throw. Bateman also said he did not run the wrong route on the play, though preferred not to belabor the past and both players have been highly complimentary of each other, each recognizing the obvious talent in the other. “It takes practice,” Bateman said of what goes into quarterback and receiver being on the same page. “Me being out here with Lamar has helped me a lot. “It’s about getting those reps in and timing steps and depth and all those things.” And beating the guy trying to guard him. It’s something Bateman takes pride in and requires a certain skill. “You’re always trying to fool the other guy, making the defensive back thinking you’re going to do something else,” he continued. “Other than that, it’s creating your own way to run the route. It’s all about your hip movement and patterns. Certain routes have to be run certain ways to make sure it times up with the offense and the quarterback.” Blending art and science Bateman, a budding fashion designer whose interest in clothing has roots that trace to his childhood and more recently extended to Paris for fashion week, sees beauty and science when it comes to his craft. He also learned a lot, he says, from former Ravens wide receivers coach Keith Williams, former Ravens receiver Odell Beckham Jr., along with studying those videos of Rice and others. “Your feet end up in different spots all the time, but it’s all about body movement, body position and learning to counter your opponent where you need to,” he said. “There’s definitely an art to it.” That’s not the only thing that has stood out, teammates say. “The way he competes,” fellow receiver and three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins said. “He is hard on himself, which is good, which is what you look for in a young wide receiver who’s still making a name for himself in this league. “He comes out and works. He competes, he loves going against our best corners, and he looks forward to those matchups.” Batman’s penchant to hone in on his skills was evident this summer, when in addition to his usual routine he added a trip to South Florida. There, he put in a weekend session with trainer Tevin Allen, aka Goldfeet on Instagram. It was the first time the two had worked together, though Allen has worked with countless high-profile NFL players, including Jackson and Ravens receiver Zay Flowers. Related Articles Ravens observations: Two-score day for Zay Flowers; Robert Longerbeam goes on injured reserve Ravens’ Chidobe Awuzie fitting in with 3 a.m. texts, pizza and wings Mike Preston: Ravens offensive line unfazed by harsh spotlight | COMMENTARY Jaguars kicker makes field goal that would break Justin Tucker’s NFL record Ravens observations: Could more starters play in preseason vs. Cowboys? “It wasn’t a lot of specific stuff that we [were] working on,” Flowers said. “It’s just [that] we wanted to get better at everything, so we went out for a weekend and trained together that whole weekend and put a lot of stuff together. We’re expecting it to translate to camp and to the season.” It had adjacent benefits, too, Bateman said. “It was all about some team bonding,” he said. Still, when it comes down to the relationship between him beating his defender, being on the same page as the guy throwing the ball and catching it, there’s one thing that ties it all together Bateman told The Sun. “As a receiver, you just gotta have swag when you go out there and play,” he said. “You gotta have some type of confidence. A lot of us have our own mentality of what that aura looks like.” Finally, Bateman seems to have found his. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Sunday’s practice was a course correction from Saturday’s mishaps. The first day of the weekend was marred by a frustrating run of false start penalties to the point that coach John Harbaugh yanked his entire starting offensive line. On Sunday, Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten each jumped once but that was all for the front five the rest of the 2 1/2-hour practice. Lamar Jackson also threw a pair of interceptions on Saturday. He was much cleaner in that department a day later. Jackson’s only turnover was an inconsequential fumble on a miscommunication during a handoff to Derrick Henry, but the quarterback was quick to scoop it back up in the pocket. Every improvement the Ravens see from day to day can, in some way, be attributed to the team’s new grading system that breaks down the minutiae of every position and every rep. Those figures are blasted on flat screens all around the facility. “I love the fact that it matters to them so much,” Harbaugh said. “I just think they understand when you go through the things that we’ve gone through, in terms of different games, they can see [the difference]. … That’s where we want to be intentional.” The Ravens will have a lighter shell practice Monday and are scheduled to hit the field earlier than normal Tuesday. This all in lead up to their second of three preseason games, a Saturday night matchup with the Cowboys in Dallas. Zay’s big day In 11-on-11 drills run at any speed that resembled live action, Zay Flowers unofficially caught four passes on five targets. His first catch was a Jackson floater that dropped softly into Flowers’ hands in the back corner of the end zone against the second team defense. The second-year receiver caught another touchdown pass later in practice against the starters. That one was a rocket from Jackson as he was rolling out to his right, fit into a tight window to find Flowers’ hands. “Some guys don’t have it, and some guys do have it,” wide receiver Rashod Bateman said about having a knack for route running. “Me and Zay are definitely two receivers that I think definitely have what it takes to be at that elite level of route running.” Second-year cornerback Nate Wiggins has been making an impression on veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Hopkins praises the rookie corner DeAndre Hopkins’ uncle is the strength and conditioning coach at Clemson, so every now and then Hopkins will make the trip to South Carolina to pay Larry Greenlee a visit. Greenlee used to point to the skinny cornerback working out on his own and say, “this kid right here is gonna be great.” Nate Wiggins is gearing up for what could be a breakout sophomore season. He’s had a strong camp, sans a few down practices. But Wiggins is the defensive back Hopkins has most enjoyed repping one on one with. “Nate is a young guy who loves competing. He wants to be great,” Hopkins said. “He’s a Clemson guy, we train them well around there. Nate competes every day. … He has every tool set that you look for in a lockdown corner.” Wiggins had an up and down day on Sunday. He got burnt during one-on-ones by Bateman on a stutter-step go route up right sideline. Wiggins came back and got the better of him, stabbing the ball out of the air on a throw trying to find Bateman turning toward the inside of the field. Undrafted rookie cornerback Reuben Lowery has impressed coach John Harbaugh with his versatility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Reuben Lowery continues to turn heads The undrafted rookie’s name seems to pop up day after day. Reuben Lowery is making it hard to ignore him. On Sunday, he got in the way of a Cooper Rush pass for an impressive pass break up in seven-on-seven. Shortly after, Lowery picked off Rush on a throw to Malik Cunningham against the left sideline. “I have to say, [I’m] pleasantly surprised,” Harbaugh said on Saturday. “I hate to say it, because he was a heck of a player in college, too, but to come out here and play at the level he has – on point, know what he’s doing so well has been really impressive. He’s played every position. He played all three corner spots, he’s played both safety positions, so can’t wait to see him in Dallas and see how he plays down there.” Loop sails the long one Rookie kicker Tyler Loop had a near perfect practice Sunday afternoon. He split the uprights on his first 11 tries, but finished 12 of 13. The one errant kick was his longest of the afternoon, a 45-yarder. This was the biggest knock on Loop heading into the draft. He’s nails from inside 40. He’s got the leg to power from 50 or even 60 and beyond. But on longer kicks, he has a propensity to miss left. Loop’s longest make before the miss was from 42 yards out. He missed a 46-yard try in Thursday’s preseason game having stubbed his toe, Harbaugh said, but bounced back with a 52-yarder versus the Colts. Related Articles Ravens’ Chidobe Awuzie fitting in with 3 a.m. texts, pizza and wings Mike Preston: Ravens offensive line unfazed by harsh spotlight | COMMENTARY Jaguars kicker makes field goal that would break Justin Tucker’s NFL record Ravens observations: Could more starters play in preseason vs. Cowboys? Stock up, stock down: Which Ravens stood out against fresh competition? Injuries and attendance At the start of Sunday’s practice, the team announced sixth-round rookie cornerback Robert Longerbeam would be hitting the injured reserve for a knee injury. Harbaugh was cagey about any details on the injury, saying “it’s a long story” that “is what it is.” Longerbeam is the second rookie corner to be forced to miss the season after Bilhal Kone’s knee injury in Thursday night’s preseason game versus Indianapolis. Baltimore was proactive in signing cornerback M.J. Devonshire, who spent last season with the Raiders, to maintain a full room. Longerbeam hadn’t practiced since July 31. The injury designation makes way for safety Jalyn Armour-Davis and Lowery, an undrafted cornerback, to compete for the 53-man roster. Both have had impressive camps thus far but Armour-Davis is a near shoe in at this point. Cornerback Jaire Alexander, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, safety Kyle Hamilton and running back Keaton Mitchell are “all OK,” Harbaugh said, after none of them practiced. Tight end Isaiah Likely (foot/ankle) did not practice and neither did linebacker William Kwenkeu. T.J. Tampa was back on the field as a full participant after missing Saturday’s practice. And Marcus Major Jr. went through a regular practice after wearing a red noncontact jersey on Saturday. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

When Chidobe Awuzie has been healthy, he has proved to be a dependable cornerback with playmaking ability and sound defensive chops. That, of course, has been the rub. Last year with the Tennessee Titans he missed nine games because of a groin injury. In 2022, a torn ACL in Week 8 ended his season with the Cincinnati Bengals. In 2020, a hamstring injury cost him seven games with the Dallas Cowboys. And in his rookie year in 2017, he missed six games because of hamstring and ankle injuries. Healthy again this past offseason, however, the former second-round draft pick out of Colorado had options as a free agent with a few teams expressing interest in the 30-year-old. Then the Ravens called. “There was something in my heart that was like ‘Ravens,’” Awuzie said Saturday in his first meeting with reporters since signing a one-year, bargain-basement $1.225 million deal in March. “It was a little bit intimidating, but also excitement. Just surrounding the culture that they built here, and it was like a gut feeling that just told me to run after it.” So he did. He talked with coach John Harbaugh along with cornerback Marlon Humphrey, defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and a few others. Their positive reactions were all he needed to hear. So far, so good. On Saturday, Awuzie had an interception of quarterback Lamar Jackson, adding to what has already been a strong training camp. Along the way, he’s been adapting to his fit in a talented and personality-heavy secondary that already includes cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins and Jaire Alexander. The transition included joining his fellow defensive backs at Alexander’s house for a recent night of pizza, wings, card games and TV. “Everybody’s just really starting to jell together, and honestly, I don’t know where I fit,” Awuzie said. “I just exist. I’m a fun guy, but I’m also serious when I need to be. So yes, I think the good thing about it is that you can see that we’re all bouncing off of each other. “When you do that, and when you make plays, you start to celebrate, and it’s just going to keep building.” It helped, too, that there was already some connectivity with Baltimore’s defense. "It was a little bit intimidating, but also excitement," cornerback Chidobe Awuzie said of signing with the Ravens. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Awuzie spent last season with the Titans, whose defensive coordinator, Dennard Wilson, was the defensive backs coach for Baltimore in 2023. Awuzie also spent three seasons with the AFC North rival Bengals from 2021 to 2023. “A lot of the defensive concepts are very similar,” Awuzie said of Wilson and the Titans. “A lot of the ways they approach the meetings, the energy, the approach, you could tell that he was trying to bring that there. After being here now, it’s like, ‘OK.’” Ravens senior secondary coach Chuck Pagano has also had a profound impact, both in what he’s taught Awuzie and how often he communicates with him, no matter the time of day — or night. “He’ll text you at any point in time,” Awuzie said. “I feel like I’ve learned something from him almost every day, really. It’s never really a review. He always has a new pointer, new something to look at on the smallest thing, so I love it. “It might be anywhere around 3 a.m. or so. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only DB that’ll say that, but that’s great. When you have someone that is that dedicated to you watching a play of yours, whether it was good or bad play, and send it to you and have tips on it, what else would you want as a player from your coach?” Related Articles Mike Preston: Ravens offensive line unfazed by harsh spotlight | COMMENTARY Jaguars kicker makes field goal that would break Justin Tucker’s NFL record Ravens observations: Could more starters play in preseason vs. Cowboys? Stock up, stock down: Which Ravens stood out against fresh competition? Ravens rookie Teddye Buchanan’s debut is a ‘dream come true’ for family Now all Baltimore needs in return is for Awuzie’s best ability to be his availability. “It’s an opportunity to be great,” he said. “We’re basically great on paper right now, and we all know that, but we know that there’s a long road to actually be great, a lot of time spent in the film room, a lot of time spent off the field building that chemistry. We’ve been talking already about starting to figure out how we’re going to be watching film during the season and stuff like that. “There’s a lot of things that we could pick each other’s brains just in the whole unit. We’ve all come from [and] been pretty successful in our careers so it’s an opportunity to be great, but we know that it’s going to take a lot to get there.” Starting with being able to stay on the field. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens’ offensive line is considered the team’s biggest weakness headed into the season, but the unit is unfazed. George Warhop isn’t into the preseason hype. “Listen, I could give whatever about that, right?” the team’s second-year offensive line coach said. “My deal is with the O-line and I tell my guys this all the time: This is a game for us. It’s not about talent, it’s about how you go about your business and how intent you are and how you play together as a unit, not the individuals. Every other position you’re looking at, it’s about individuals, but for us the sum of the parts have to be greater than the sum of the individuals. “And so that’s what we worry about is, can I be better today than I was yesterday? Can we make it as physical and hard on the defense as we possibly can?” That pretty much sums up offensive line play. The players get little glory when they win, but much criticism in defeat. Yet that’s why a lot of the so-called NFL experts have an eye on the Ravens’ front five. They have a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player at quarterback in Lamar Jackson, and Derrick Henry is one of the best running backs in modern football history. They have a good receiving corps composed of wideouts Zay Flowers, DeAndre Hopkins and Rashod Bateman and tight ends Mark Andrews, Charlie Kolar and Isaiah Likely (when Likely is healthy after having foot surgery). So, the focus is on the offensive line, which has four starters returning. The Ravens have an opening at left guard, where second-year player Andrew Vorhees has a slight lead over fifth-year lineman Ben Cleveland, according to coach John Harbaugh. But the Ravens have little depth because rookie draft picks Carson Vinson (Alabama A&M) and Garrett Dellinger (LSU) are projects more than starters and Emery Jones Jr., a third-round pick out of LSU, has yet to practice because of a shoulder injury. A lot of eyes are on Warhop. “I’m a firm talker. If I’m screaming, it’s because it’s loud and if I’m really screaming [it’s] because I’m pissed,” Warhop said. “I do talk a lot, but I like to think I’m more of a teacher.” It showed last season. Warhop, 63, had previous NFL stops in eight other cities before he was named to replace Joe D’Alessandris. The move came under unusual circumstances after D’Alessandris, one of the team’s most popular coaches, died Aug. 25 at age 70 after being hospitalized for an acute illness. Ravens offensive line coach George Warhop speaks to Ben Cleveland and Andrew Vorhees last summer. Both are competing to be the starting left guard. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) The Ravens, though, finished with a record-breaking 7,224 yards of total offense and became the first team in NFL history to achieve 40 passing and 20 rushing touchdowns in the same season. They also ranked No. 1 in rushing (187.5 yards per game) and total offense (434 yards per game). Warhop had to tread lightly, but at the same time get his point across. “I don’t know too many differences,” center Tyler Linderbaum said when asked to compare D’Alessandris and Warhop. “One, they both love the game of football. They’re going to challenge you, they’re going to expect the best from you. Since Day 1, Warhop stepped in and has done a tremendous job, obviously taking over a tough situation. But guys have responded well, he’s made us a better unit and a better football team.” Warhop agreed. Well, almost. “You got to respect the job Joe had done,” Warhop said. “But at the same time, philosophically there’s some things that I would do differently than him. So the schemes, we didn’t change very much, but there was a change in technique and how I did stuff versus how he did it.” Related Articles Ravens’ Chidobe Awuzie fitting in with 3 a.m. texts, pizza and wings Jaguars kicker makes field goal that would break Justin Tucker’s NFL record Ravens observations: Could more starters play in preseason vs. Cowboys? Stock up, stock down: Which Ravens stood out against fresh competition? Ravens rookie Teddye Buchanan’s debut is a ‘dream come true’ for family Warhop was the team’s unsung hero, much like pass rush coach Chuck Smith in 2023 when the Ravens recorded a league-leading 60 sacks. But even with all of those top rankings last season, the Ravens’ postseason ended in disappointment for the second straight year with a 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round. Now, they have to gear it up for 2025. It’s a good group. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley, a 10-year veteran, had his best season in recent years after recovering from major ankle and knee injuries. Linderbaum is one of the best in the game at his position and giant right guard Daniel Faalele has lost about 20 to 25 pounds. Questions still need to be answered in other places. Right tackle Roger Rosengarten played well as a rookie last season, but can he duplicate that success now that there is more tape of him for opponents to study? The left guard position is still in flux, and Warhop would only yield to Harbaugh when asked whether Vorhees had a slight edge over Cleveland. “I mean, that’s always a concern,” Warhop said about the listed 6-foot-8, 370-pound Faalele’s weight. “We have super big guys, but we wanted him to play lighter, and he wanted to play lighter. He understands for longevity — injury-wise, wind and being in shape throughout the game, throughout a drive and throughout the season — all that comes with playing at a little bit lighter. “Coaching is about evolving all the time. I think probably by about [Week 6] last year, we kind of understood what I was trying to get done. We handled it pretty well. I think the only game that I would say we didn’t play well was against Philly. They were also a good team, and that’s a bad combination. But outside of that, I thought they jelled.” The Ravens need another strong season from the offensive line. They don’t have good pass blockers, but Jackson’s ability to scramble adds another element to the offense. The team struggled in pass protection against the Indianapolis Colts during Tuesday’s joint practice, but Warhop says that the Ravens have another missing ingredient. This group works extremely hard. “I think we’re making progress,” Warhop said. “We need a big jump going into [the second preseason game in] Dallas and then we need a big jump going into the Commanders [preseason finale] and then into the season. The young guys are starting to understand better what we want and how we want it done, and that’s going to be critical for them, especially after this week and the next two. “So, it’s starting to come together. I think we’re right where we’re supposed to be. I’ve never been with a team that is in the weight room and doing as much as they do in camp right now.” Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Travis Hunter’s professional debut included 10 snaps on offense, eight on defense and no highlights. The Heisman Trophy winner and second overall pick in the NFL draft was relatively quiet in Jacksonville’s 31-25 loss to Pittsburgh in a preseason game Saturday. He caught two passes for 9 yards, with a long gain of 6, and missed an open-field tackle. “I felt great,” he said. “A little nervous, but it felt great. It definitely settled down when I got the first catch, really when the first play started.” Hunter did, however, have a front-row seat for the most exciting play of the night: Cam Little drilled a 70-yard field goal on the final play of the first half, a kick that would have broken the NFL record had it happened during the regular season. “Adrenaline is a beautiful thing,” said Little, whose phone was filled with texts and messages. “It does [stink that it doesn’t count]. That means we just have to go out there and make it again.” Still, Little is keeping the ball — even if the Pro Football Hall of Fame calls. “Heck, yeah,” he said. “Are you kidding me. … That ball is staying with me. Canton, Ohio, can get another ball.” Little and the Jaguars celebrated widely as the half ended. Holder Logan Cooke lifted both arms shortly after the ball took flight. Little leaned forward a little and then raised an arm as it cleared the crossbar. Cooke pushed Little to start the party, and then Hunter greeted Little on the field with a midair body-bump. Former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker holds the NFL mark, having made a game-winning 66-yarder at Detroit in 2021. Tucker was released in May and later suspended 10 games by the NFL after more than a dozen female massage therapists accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior at several Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers. Little, a sixth-round draft pick from Arkansas in 2024, made 27 of 29 field goal attempts as a rookie and all 27 extra points. His long was 59 yards. He seemed to know his latest one was good from the onset. He watched intently and pumped his fist as it slid a little left and cleared the bar by several yards — far enough that the ball boy caught it. The Steelers had much more to talk about after their preseason opener even though most of their starters watched from the sideline. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, receiver DK Metcalf, linebacker T.J. Watt and cornerback Jalen Ramsey were among the Pittsburgh stars who got the night off. They witnessed backup Mason Rudolph complete 9 of 10 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. Rudolph carved up Jacksonville’s starting defense on Pittsburgh’s opening drive. Third-stringer Skylar Thompson was just as good in relief, throwing for 233 yards and three scores. “I was super excited to get out and compete today,” said Thompson, who spent the past three years in Miami. “Coming into a new organization, a new team, kind of a little bit of a fresh start for me. I was excited to go play some football and help out my teammates. Definitely did that today.” Pittsburgh’s first two QBs combined to complete 29 of 38 passes for 317 yards and four TDs, with no turnovers. Jaguars first-year coach Liam Coen may have wanted a restart before Little’s kick. His offense was flagged twice on its opening drive and hampered by four dropped passes in the first half. Parker Washington, Tank Bigsby, Trenton Irwin and Hunter Long all let balls slip through their fingers. And Coen’s first-team defense was gashed early. Lawrence returns Trevor Lawrence, playing in his first game since sustaining a harrowing concussion against Houston last December, completed 6 of 7 passes for 43 yards in a series of work. Lawrence’s one incompletion was a ball thrown late down the field to Brian Thomas Jr. He also scrambled for a 3-yard gain that ended with a hard hit. Flipping out Steelers rookie Max Hurleman, who signed as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame, celebrated his 3-yard TD catch in the second quarter with a backflip. It was a clear sign of Hurleman’s athleticism. He spent four years playing running back at Colgate before joining the Fighting Irish and switching to defensive back for his final collegiate season. He’s back at running back now and trying to make Pittsburgh’s roster as a backup and a special teams ace. Up next The Steelers host Tampa Bay in another exhibition next Saturday; the Jaguars play at New Orleans next Sunday. View the full article

Two days removed from their preseason opener, Ravens players were back to work Saturday in Owings Mills, where they were in pads and had what coach John Harbaugh referred to as a “spirited,” “intense” and “pretty darn sharp” practice in blissful and sunny conditions. Some players performed better than others, of course. But the most entertaining part of the 2 1/2-hour session came at the end of practice, when the offensive line was pitted against the pass rush with the rest of the team encircling the drill. By nature, the defense has the edge, but the offense had some moments. None was better than when left tackle Ronnie Stanley stonewalled outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy with one block, then broke into a sword celebration. Stanley also stuffed him on at least one more play, too. Other times, the offense was not so fortunate. Rookie tackle Carson Vinson had to practically tackle rookie edge rusher Mike Green to prevent him from getting to quarterback Devin Leary on one play. Linebacker Malik Hamm also juked rookie tackle Gerad Lichtenhan out of his cleats and raced in unabated to set off a wild defensive celebration. Baltimore had done the drill a couple of times previously this training camp, but it was the first time players formed a ring around the action. “That ramped it up,” Harbaugh said. “The stakes definitely go up. It’s a fun drill. That’s been a good drill.” Offensive standouts After Dayton Wade was a nonfactor against the Colts on Thursday night with zero catches on three targets, including on a box fade that was intercepted, the second-year receiver put together a nice practice as he has done a few times this summer. In 11-on-11 play, he made a leaping grab over Jalyn-Armour Davis on a pass from Cooper Rush and then later made a nice adjustment on an out route that Rush threw too far inside and caught it anyway. In red zone one-on-ones, he hauled in a touchdown on a fade with Sanoussi Kane in good coverage, then beat undrafted rookie cornerback Marquise Robinson with a shake to break free on another out route. Unsurprisingly, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins also had a nice contested catch, while tight end Charlie Kolar and receiver Anthony Miller both delivered highlight-reel moments. Kolar made a one-handed grab in the back of the end zone with Kane on him, while Miller snatched an out route against rookie safety Malaki Starks and then celebrated with some dance moves punctuated by a twirl. Of course, it was easier for Harbaugh to evaluate the wide receivers’ performance with more accurate throws than he got from Rush and No. 3 quarterback Devin Leary on Thursday against the Colts when they combined for a woeful 59 passing yards. “How many chances did they have to catch passes?” he said. “That kind of game is like, what are you gonna do? You just go wow. That’s kinda shocking to throw for that few yards. Hope we never see that again.” Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins continued a strong camp with an interception at Saturday's practice. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Defensive standouts Nate Wiggins and Chidobe Awuzie each had an interception of quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson threw a pass right to Wiggins during a 7-on-7 red zone period, while Awuzie picked off a late throw in the middle of the field intended for Tylan Wallace during a two-minute drill in 11-on-11. It was a particularly good day for Wiggins after some struggles earlier in the week. In addition to the gift-wrapped interception, he was particularly sticky in red zone one-on-one play against the Ravens’ top receivers and swatted away one end zone fade intended for undrafted rookie receiver Jahmal Banks. Dealing with false starts False starts have been a topic of conversation throughout training camp and the problem reared its head again Saturday. In an early red zone period, the second-team offense was at one point flagged five times in eight plays for moving too soon. It also burned a timeout in that span. How did Harbaugh react? By yanking all five linemen off the field at once. He’d had enough. “Seemed effective,” he said. “Cleaned it up after that. … Seemed like it worked for the most part.” It did, though not entirely, with the offense flagged for two more false starts later in the day. It probably beat some of the past punishments. In previous years, players would be forced to run laps, do log rolls or up-downs. “We’ve got lots of options,” Harbaugh said. Ravens coach John Harbaugh is not ruling out the idea of more starters playing in the preseason. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Harbaugh doesn’t close door on more starters playing On Thursday, only five expected starters for the Ravens played against the Colts. Three of them (Andrew Vorhees, Daniel Faalele, Roger Rosengarten) were along the offensive line, with the other two being linebacker Trenton Simpson and first-round draft pick Starks. Could that change for Baltimore’s next preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Saturday night? Harbaugh didn’t slam the door on the idea, at least not yet. “We’ll just wait and see,” he said after practice. “We’re having conversations with the leaders about that. We’ll see how practice goes this week, see how we feel about it towards Wednesday-ish.” Jackson hasn’t played in a preseason game since 2021, the same year the Ravens lost running back J.K. Dobbins to a season-ending knee injury in the preseason finale against the Washington Commanders. However, there has been a growing trend around the NFL of more starters, including at quarterback, getting at least limited action in the preseason. Already, Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow and the Carolina Panthers’ Bryce Young and Las Vegas Raiders’ Geno Smith have been among the quarterbacks to play in their respective team’s preseason openers. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray were also slated to play in a limited capacity on Saturday night. Injuries and attendance A few players were missing from practice. Most notable among them were safety Kyle Hamilton and running back Keaton Mitchell. Hamilton, who appeared to be dealing with a groin issue on Monday and hasn’t practiced since, did some jogging on a side field. Mitchell, meanwhile, was in street clothes and only watched after logging 14 snaps on offense and four on special teams Thursday night against the Colts. Related Articles Stock up, stock down: Which Ravens stood out against fresh competition? Ravens rookie Teddye Buchanan’s debut is a ‘dream come true’ for family Ravens rookie report: Preseason opener offers glimpse of impressive class 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ preseason win over the Colts Ravens preseason observations: Is LaJohntay Wester the missing piece? Also missing was cornerback T.J. Tampa, who logged a team-high 80 snaps against the Colts and has six tackles and two pass breakups. Harbaugh said none of the injuries are serious, including for undrafted rookie cornerback Keon Martin, who limped off during Saturday’s practice. On the flip side, rookie running back Marcus Major Jr. returned to practice, but it was in a red noncontact jersey after he suffered a concussion recently. Myles Gaskin, a six-year veteran with the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings, signed with the Ravens on Saturday, according to a source with direct knowledge of the deal. The 28-year-old has rushed for 1,354 yards in his career but just 25 in the past three seasons. Baltimore also signed cornerback M.J. Devonshire, a second-year player out of Pittsburgh who spent last season with the Raiders before being claimed off waivers by the Panthers during the offseason. Devonshire’s addition is likely to help with some of the attrition in the defensive backfield. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Training camp practices are one thing. Joint practices and preseason games are quite another. After 11 sessions of Ravens players going against one another, they finally got a taste of new blood, with the Indianapolis Colts in town for a lively practice and the preseason opener for both teams Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium. Only five of Baltimore’s expected regular starters — left guard Andrew Vorhees, right guard Daniel Faalele, right tackle Roger Rosengarten, linebacker Trenton Simpson and safety Malaki Starks — played in the game, but everyone got good run in the two-plus hour practice against Indianapolis. Put another way, this week was the best test yet of where players are in their progress with the start of the regular season a month away. Here’s a look at whose stock has risen and fallen over the past week as the Ravens return to the practice field Saturday for the first of six straight days of work. Brian Wacker, reporter Stock up: Edge Mike Green. Through the first two weeks of camp, the Ravens’ polarizing but highly touted second-round rookie edge rusher did not exactly announce his presence with authority. His 17 sacks at Marshall to lead college football last season perhaps set unrealistic expectations that he would have immediate and meaningful success, and it generally does not work that way. But against the Colts, both in practice and in the game, Green made his presence felt. In Tuesday’s practice, he consistently put pressure on Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson and it’s possible that he would have been credited with at least one sack if not more. He also showed off his speed and power, giving Colts linemen some trouble in one-on-one drills. Two days later — and on his first play in an NFL game — he was instrumental in forcing an incompletion by Richardson and was in the backfield on a few other occasions, including once converging on the quarterback with fellow outside linebacker Adisa Isaac, who was credited with the sack. Stock down: Quarterbacks not named Lamar Jackson. There’s no sugarcoating it. Cooper Rush and especially Devin Leary were dreadful against the Colts on Thursday night, combining to go 5-for-16 for 59 yards with two interceptions and no touchdowns. Neither quarterback was overly impressive in practice against Indianapolis earlier in the week, either. Though Rush did have his best practices to date this past week, he had some blunders, too. Among them was an interception off a tipped pass during the final two-minute drill against the Colts as well as an interception on his first pass attempt of Thursday’s game. Leary’s development, meanwhile, has been mixed at best in his second year. That has been evident in practice and exposed in the game against the Colts, in which he went 3-for-12 for 43 yards with an interception and some woeful overthrows. Mike Preston, columnist Stock up: FB Lucas Scott. The undrafted free agent might have earned a spot on the 53-man roster, and if not, at least on the developmental squad. The Ravens were waiting to see how Scott played in the preseason and the Army graduate was very successful against the Colts. Go watch the tape. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Scott is as big as starter Patrick Ricard, and might even have better technique. A key to being a good blocker or a fullback is to have good hips, and Scott did a good job walling off defenders for running back Keaton Mitchell. He’ll run through defenders and has good explosion upon contact. He also has decent feet, especially for a person of his size. The Ravens might not have room for two fullbacks on the regular-season roster, but if Scott can play on special teams, he might have a shot. Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard, left, and fullback Lucas Scott go through a drill during the first day on training camp. Scott looks the part of an NFL player, and he's in the mix to land a 53-man roster spot after the first preseason game. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Stock down: LG Ben Cleveland. He had a poor performance against the Colts, and he fell way behind Andrew Vorhees in the battle for the starting position. Cleveland does well in short space because he can be overpowering at times, but he doesn’t run well and has problems turning the corner. He can trap, like most guards, but to turn and get up field is not his strength. Pass blocking has never been a forte of Cleveland’s, and he got exposed once or twice against Indianapolis. Cleveland’s lack of versatility and depth could be a glaring problem for the Ravens all season. The offensive line has to stay healthy to be successful. Meanwhile, Vorhees played well and got up field quickly. Sam Cohn, reporter Stock up: RB Keaton Mitchell. Thursday night’s performance stamped what had already been an impressive week for Mitchell. He checked every box. Nearly two years removed from ACL surgery, the crafty back showed a return to form in practices without tackling. Then he snapped off big runs when the pads came on. He did it again in the joint practice. That knee looked stronger than ever on Baltimore’s 71-yard drive in which Mitchell handled four carries for more than 50 yards, capped by a 22-yard touchdown run. Harbaugh said Thursday night, while his running back sat to his left, “You can bounce it to the edge. You can cut it back. … and then also establishing the fact that you’ll run the ball between the tackles. … You don’t want to be the guy that they say, ‘Oh, he is an outside run game guy,’ right? You want to make him pay between the tackles, too. That’s something, too, that I know he is very focused on.” There were questions about how Mitchell would fit into a backfield behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill. There was justified concerns about whether he’d return to form. This week in particular, he’s banging the door down to earn touches. Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell scores a touchdown in the team's preseason opener against the Colts. Mitchell is expecting to play meaningful snaps in the regular season. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Stock down: WR Dayton Wade. This was supposed to be Wade’s week. He’d been so sharp for much of training camp, flashing in live drills against his own team’s defense with a knack for finding open space and aggressively pursuing the ball no matter who was throwing it to him. A joint practice against the Colts and the first preseason game served up prime opportunities to prove it wasn’t a farce. Wade was a relative nonfactor in the joint practice this week and he came up empty on three targets Thursday night. Some of that blame can be pointed toward the shaky quarterback play, but by and large Wade didn’t show that same aggressiveness toward the ball. The week was a missed opportunity for someone vying for a 53-man roster spot in a crowded wide receiver room. Josh Tolentino, columnist Stock up: WR/PR LaJohntay Wester. When I asked Wester back during Big 12 pro days in March in Frisco, Texas, what he hoped to show at the next level, the 5-foot-10 wideout grinned and offered his brief reply: “Speed. Folks will find out soon.” Wester then waited until the sixth round of the draft to hear his name called, but the former Colorado standout put on a show in his Ravens debut. His 87-yard punt return for a touchdown was the marquee moment. Wester also led all receivers with two catches for 41 yards. With his electric outing, Wester, who recorded a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, has started to distance himself from teammates Tylan Wallace and Anthony Miller in solidifying himself as the team’s Week 1 punt returner. Stock down: OL Daniel Faalele. The 6-8, 370-pound Faalele was sent sprawling to the ground by Colts defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore and surrendered a sack in one of his most embarrassing reps of the summer. Faalele, a 2024 Pro Bowl alternate, was one of three projected starting offensive linemen to play in the preseason opener. Considering their unimpressive backup quarterback play this summer, the Ravens need Lamar Jackson upright once the games and results matter. Faalele allowed just one sack last season, but on Thursday, he couldn’t get out of the first quarter without surrendering two pressures and Adebawore’s sack of Rush. Related Articles Ravens rookie Teddye Buchanan’s debut is a ‘dream come true’ for family Ravens rookie report: Preseason opener offers glimpse of impressive class 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ preseason win over the Colts Ravens preseason observations: Is LaJohntay Wester the missing piece? Ravens rookie LaJohntay Wester makes case with highlight-reel touchdown Sam Jane, reporter Stock up: TE Charlie Kolar. “They forgot about the fat white guy.” That’s how Charlie Kolar described himself a year ago when the third-string tight end rumbled for a long touchdown catch. But now Kolar’s in Year 4 and Jackson is making sure that nobody’s forgetting about the former Iowa State star. Jackson said that Kolar is starting to look like Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews, and Kolar dominated during Tuesday’s joint practice with the Colts with a touchdown catch and another reception in zone coverage. With Likely out for at least the preseason, the Ravens should be fine in the short term with Kolar as TE2. Stock down: DB Beau Brade. Brade made the 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent last season, but he finds himself in another tight battle to make the team this year. The River Hill and Maryland graduate is competing with Sanoussi Kane to secure the team’s third safety spot, and Kane has impressed in practice. Undrafted free agent defensive back Reuben Lowery also has positional flexibility, which adds another roadblock to Brade’s roster chances. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article

Arron Smith doesn’t consider himself a man of many emotions. But the 57-year-old father of Ravens rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan was brought to tears Thursday night when he witnessed his son run out of the tunnel for the first time at M&T Bank Stadium. To Smith, who donned a black Ravens jersey with Buchanan’s No. 40, Thursday wasn’t just the preseason opener. To him and his family, this was their Super Bowl. “This is a dream come true,” Smith said. “I used to not be emotional. But this year … I’ve had some really emotional moments.” Smith sat with a slight lean, his hands clasped and his eyes locked on the field as Buchanan, 22, made his unofficial debut in the first of three Baltimore exhibitions. Although the result, a 24-16 Ravens win, didn’t matter much, Smith cemented Thursday as a core memory. The events started the previous night, when Smith and Buchanan’s mother, Kimberly, boarded a redeye, cross-country flight in San Francisco. Throughout Buchanan’s childhood, Smith served as his youth coach. He recalled how a then-6-year-old Buchannan scored five touchdowns in his first organized game for the Mountain View (California) Marauders. “I was like, ‘I think we’ve got something,” Smith said of Buchanan’s early introduction to the sport. “He’s always been really disciplined. Started doing pushups at 5, started lifting weights at 11.” Despite being raised in Northern California, Buchanan actually grew up a Washington Commanders fan thanks to his father’s rooting interests. Smith was a self-proclaimed “die-hard” Washington fan and grew up in nearby Charlottesville, Virginia. It wasn’t difficult for him to ditch his Washington gear for No. 40 Baltimore jerseys after he witnessed his son achieve his dreams earlier in the year. “I told myself, ‘I’ve got to let it go,’” Buchanan jokingly belted regarding his Commanders fandom. “Honestly, when he put the Ravens jersey on, that was the best thing in my life.” Since he was selected in the fourth round of this year’s draft out of California, Buchanan feels as if he’s grown in a multitude of ways. Against the Colts, he sported the “green dot” on his helmet, signifying his role as the defensive play-caller in the huddle. Buchanan joins a loaded and talented roster in Baltimore with the starting linebacker spots currently manned by Roquan Smith and Trenton Simpson. Top rookie safety Malaki Starks labeled Buchanan a “natural leader.” “Teddye looked really good,” Starks said. “He has natural leadership skills. He’s just a natural when it comes to playing football. Just to be out there and be with him felt really good.” “I used to not be emotional. But this year … I’ve had some really emotional moments," Arron Smith, the father of Ravens rookie Teddye Buchanan, said of his son's journey to the NFL. (Kevin Richardson/Sun Staff) In addition to patrolling the defense’s second level, Buchanan appeared on special teams, a role he’ll need to embrace heading into Year 1. Last season at Cal, he led the Golden Bears in tackles (114), tackles for loss (12) and finished second in sacks (five). “Compared to OTA’s, I feel great,” Buchanan said. “It takes time to earn trust and respect from your teammates and also be able to trust yourself with knowing the defense, helping guys get lined up. Things have improved dramatically. “[Special teams] is different from college, the kickoffs and punts. It’s great to get reps. I look forward to doing that all season.” When Buchanan, who was named after his grandfather, recorded his lone tackle of Colts rookie tight end Tyler Warren, Smith and Kimberly Buchanan rose to their feet and lifted their arms in the air. The moment felt like a culmination of their combined support — Buchanan’s parents are separated but amicable — and they flashed wide grins for the rest of the evening. Buchanan’s unofficial NFL debut was filled with some expected growing pains. On a couple of occasions, he was the closest defender in coverage following completions by Colts backup quarterback Daniel Jones. But he also flashed on a few instances. After he allowed a deep completion, Buchanan on the subsequent play rushed from the left side and forced an errant incompletion from Jones. Related Articles Ravens rookie report: Preseason opener offers glimpse of impressive class 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ preseason win over the Colts Ravens preseason observations: Is LaJohntay Wester the missing piece? Ravens rookie LaJohntay Wester makes case with highlight-reel touchdown Ravens rookie Bilhal Kone carted off with injury in preseason opener “He played at a high level, talking and communicating,” Simpson said of Buchanan. “Just for a rookie to come do that in his first preseason game, it’s a great sign. … He’s definitely a calm guy. I didn’t sense any nervousness from him. He’s just ready to play.” Over the next several weeks, the Ravens will continue to evaluate the roster’s talent and eventually make tough decisions before they embark on the regular season, already overflowing with high expectations. Buchanan is aware that Thursday marked just the first step of what he hopes to be a long journey in the pros. For Smith, that evaluation is already complete. He too hopes Buchanan enjoys a prosperous NFL future, but Smith is unapologetically basking in pride, unafraid of the tears that might fall. “For them to come means a lot, to have parents to support me the way they have my whole life,” Buchanan said. “It’s not an easy flight. I’ve had to do it several times since being drafted but, I really appreciate them coming out and supporting me.” Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article

When you’re on a team filled with explosive players such as Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Kyle Hamilton, etc. — and those guys aren’t on the field — it’s easy to understand why rookie LaJohntay Wester said that he knew he was going to be aggressive. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, it’s difficult for rookies to make an impact. But Baltimore has several first-year players who could get on the field this season. Thursday night was an encouraging sign for their prospects. Most of the Ravens’ established starters didn’t play in their 24-16 win over the Indianapolis Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. The preseason lays an easy path for rookies to make an impact, since they’re often the most talented players in uniform. Wester returned a punt for an 87-yard touchdown and added a 17-yard return, second-round edge rusher Mike Green displayed fluid bend on two third-down pass rushes, first-round safety Malaki Starks looked steady in the back end on a pair of drives and sixth-round defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles knocked down a pass at the line of scrimmage. The night wasn’t without blemishes. Sixth-round defensive back Bilhal Kone suffered a season-ending knee injury during the first quarter and was carted off the field in an air cast. Kicker Tyler Loop missed a 46-yard field goal attempt wide left, but he did rebound with a 52-yarder. Overall, the rookies looked the part of a pro-ready draft class. Other than Starks and Loop, none of them are expected to start in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, but Green, Wester and linebacker Teddye Buchanan could all compete for rotational snaps. Here’s a report on the rookies’ performances on Thursday: Safety Malaki Starks The first-rounder was one of the few projected starters to take the field Thursday, as most of the Ravens’ core players sat out. The safety played in just two drives and made a tackle. He was seen communicating with the rest of the defense, which has been a theme throughout training camp. “[Starks] does a great job communicating with us, making it super easy on the linebackers,” Buchanan said. Edge rusher Mike Green Green was drafted for his pass-rushing acumen. Baltimore needed more juice off the edge, especially with the status of former high draft picks David Ojabo and Adisa Isaac in question. The Marshall product gave a preview of what his role could be during the regular season. On two third-and-longs, Green dipped around the edge with fluid bend, pressuring the quarterback on both dropbacks. First, Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was forced to step up in the pocket because of Green’s pressure. Quarterback Daniel Jones then was grabbed around the ankles by Green on the ensuing drive, which allowed Isaac to sack Jones. “It was great because in practice, you got to stay away from the quarterback. You can’t practice tackling the quarterback,” Green said. Ravens inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan tackles Colts tight end Tyler Warren above cornerback T.J. Tampa. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Linebacker Teddye Buchanan Buchanan played for a majority of the first half, tallying just one tackle. He was the closest defender on a long completion by Jones but blitzed and forced a rushed throw from the quarterback on the ensuing play. “I practice against Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry every day. I feel like I’ve grown tremendously since April,” Buchanan said. Wideout LaJohntay Wester The most impressive rookie and perhaps the best player on the field Thursday, Wester returned a punt for an 87-yard touchdown. He tallied 41 receiving yards on two receptions, 32 more than the next Raven. “If you know me, you know I always have confidence just because everybody overlooked me,” Wester said. “It’s one of the reasons why they brought me here to become a game-changer in the special teams department.” The 23-year-old also had a 17-yard punt return in which he also evaded several Colts players. Wester’s elusiveness has stood out during training camp, as he’s thrived in short area situations and one-on-one drills. Ravens kicker Tyler Loop follows through on his field goal after the hold from punter Jordan Stout. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Kicker Tyler Loop Coach John Harbaugh said that while it wasn’t a home run game for Loop, it was a solid B performance. The coach reaffirmed the team’s commitment to the rookie, who’s the only kicker on the roster after undrafted free agent John Hoyland was cut. Loop’s 46-yard attempt went wide left, which is where he’s typically missed in training camp. But the Arizona product rebounded with a booming 52-yarder, easily splitting the uprights. Related Articles Ravens rookie Teddye Buchanan’s debut is a ‘dream come true’ for family 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ preseason win over the Colts Ravens preseason observations: Is LaJohntay Wester the missing piece? Ravens rookie LaJohntay Wester makes case with highlight-reel touchdown Ravens rookie Bilhal Kone carted off with injury in preseason opener Defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles A big man with a big personality, Peebles batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage and followed it with several different dances. He emulated cornerback Jaire Alexander’s signature seatbelt celebration, then rubbed his stomach in joy. Peebles also pushed the pocket in the late stages of the game, which is exactly what Baltimore drafted the undersized defensive tackle for. Cornerback Bilhal Kone Preseason football giveth and preseason football taketh. Kone, who’s played well in training camp and was emerging as a legitimate backup cornerback, suffered a torn ligament in his knee and will be out for the season, Harbaugh said. The sixth-round pick was playing well up until the injury, nearly intercepting a wayward pass and deflecting a fade route on the play he injured his left leg on. Harbaugh said that he delivered a simple message to the emotional Kone as he was being carted off. “The sun will come up tomorrow.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article

The Ravens couldn’t escape a meaningless preseason football game completely healthy, but they beat the Indianapolis Colts, 24-16, behind two show-stopping ball carriers. Here are five things we learned from the game: It’s officially time to be worried about the quarterbacks not named Lamar Jackson Consider this halftime stat: Two Ravens quarterbacks combined for two completions and two interceptions over seven drives. Neither Cooper Rush nor Devin Leary inspired much confidence that they’d be able to keep the Ravens afloat should Lamar Jackson be forced to miss any time. It started bad and never got better, as the two signal callers totaled 59 passing yards. “Has an NFL preseason game ever been won in 59 passing yards?” Harbaugh said. “We’d like to pass for more than 59 yards.” The second Ravens play from scrimmage in the first preseason game of what is to be a season with February aspirations was a pick thrown by Rush. He dropped back in the pocket and heaved the ball up the right sideline to a streaking Dayton Wade, ignoring safety Alex Johnson engulfing Baltimore’s undersized receiver in coverage. Johnson shed a push and brought the ball into his chest. It was quite the debut for Rush, who threw an interception in his last ball of Tuesday’s joint practice. Rush signed a two-year deal worth up to $12.2 million this offseason. His seven years of NFL experience — in which, as offensive coordinator Todd Monken pointed out, “he’s done an outstanding job — not a good job — an outstanding job” — made him seem like a viable backup. Rush finished his Ravens debut with two completions on four attempts for 16 yards. His passer rating was 20.8. Leary replaced Rush in the second quarter. He threw an interception before completing a pass, the latter of which didn’t happen until past the seven-minute mark of the third quarter. He completed three passes on 12 attempts for 43 yards, good for a 7.3 passer rating. “I feel good about Cooper,” Harbaugh said. “Devin, competitor, fought out there, but just didn’t go his way tonight.” Don’t be surprised if a UDFA makes this roster In 20 of the past 21 seasons (sans pandemic-marred 2020), the Ravens’ final 53-man roster has included at least one undrafted free agent. The organization prides itself on talent evaluation of the kind of gem who might fly under the radar but offer a cost-efficient contributor. Patrick Ricard, Michael Pierce and Keaton Mitchell are a few recent examples. The two undrafted rookies with the best shot to claim a roster spot by the 53-man roster deadline later this month are Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins and Tennessee-Chattanooga cornerback Reuben Lowery. Higgins was the better of the two Thursday night. He grabbed Baltimore’s lone interception in the fourth quarter, picking off fellow rookie Riley Leonard. That’s to say there’s less grandeur in a preseason garbage-time interception. Still, he forced a takeaway to complement his three tackles and two pass deflections. If there’s a UDFA roster spot available, it likely falls to a linebacker. The only certainties are Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson and rookie Teddye Buchanan. It’s likely that the Ravens carry a fourth into Week 1 and prioritizes them on special teams. Lowery is the other intriguing option because of his flexibility in the secondary. He can play in nickel or dime looks. His versatility fits right in to the stylistic approach of Baltimore’s defense. It’s also a position fraught with injuries, meaning that if the Ravens see a necessity in keeping another defensive back, Lowery should be in the mix. He finished with four tackles Thursday night. Ravens rookie LaJohntay Wester all but secured the role of punt returner with his performance Thursday night. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Keaton Mitchell and LaJohntay Wester bring the juice LaJohntay Wester called his shot this week. He told Keaton Mitchell and any teammate willing to bend an ear at practice that he felt in his bones that he could take a return to the house in his Ravens debut. One of the NFL Network cameras caught Wester on the sideline after the game, letting all that emotion pour out. “I just knew it was coming,” the sixth-round draft pick from Colorado said. “Just by watching film and us practicing against them, I just knew we had them.” Wester and Mitchell were the cornerstone duo of the preseason win. In a game in which the tangible takeaways are few and far between, it’s easy to look at those two and start to dream about how they can inject a new layer of juice into what was already one of the best offenses in the NFL last year. According to Next Gen Stats, Wester traveled a total distance of 115.4 yards on the cutback 87-yard punt return touchdown. He recently told The Baltimore Sun that he grew up watching Devin Hester highlights. Following in the footsteps of his idol, the similarly named Wester’s first punt return in an NFL game went 80-plus yards to the end zone. “That is one of the reasons why they brought me here, is to become a game-changer in the special teams department,” Wester said. “I am taking that role head on.” There was talk all through camp of how that position might be decided upon. Wester was the popular pick for surprise runaway. Tylan Wallace and Anthony Miller made sense as incumbents. Coach John Harbaugh and special teams coordinator Chris Horton assured reporters that how any of them capitalize on a return matters far less than how often they catch the ball. Harbaugh said that he isn’t rushing to carve a Week 1 punt returner’s name in stone. The Ravens entered camp with a fairly wide-open race. “Still got two more weeks, a lot of things can happen,” Harbaugh said. But Wester makes it hard to look away. As for Mitchell, the kid’s still got it. In Week 15 of 2023, Mitchell suffered a season-ending ACL tear that left him on the shelf until the back half of last season. Even then, he never looked like himself: the shifty playmaker fans remembered pre-surgery. Mitchell has been the talk of training camp. That talk all sounds the same: he’s back to his normal self. Back to “being supersonic,” Derrick Henry said. Thursday night, Mitchell single-handedly drove the first iteration of the offense. He carried the ball four times for 52 of a 71-yard drive, including the touchdown. That 22-yard run showcased a fully repaired knee that handled two sharp plants and dive into the end zone with a defender clinging to his calf. “I haven’t gotten to the box in a minute,” Mitchell said. “It took a lot, just trusting rehab, trusting the people that’s putting you through rehab, making sure you follow the right steps. You gotta be disciplined with everything you do. And most importantly, just trusting yourself.” Now, picture that alongside Henry and Justice Hill in a backfield steered by Jackson. Loop gets a ‘B+’ Tyler Loop’s first field goal attempt was a head scratcher. His 46-yard attempt sailed wide left. That was after a nearly perfect training camp and the 60-yarder at a recent stadium practice to cap a perfect week. The crowd that drowned out M&T Bank Stadium with chants of “Looooop” after a point after surely expected a no-doubter on the mid-distance try. Harbaugh said that Loop “stubbed his toe on the ground” on the downswing. It pushed the ball slightly left. The coach was more impressed by Loop’s ability to flush that miss, get pushed back to 52 yards, and connect. “He passed the test tonight,” Harbaugh said. “Might not have been an A++, but B+.” Average out the two grades the coach has given his rookie kicker and it’s clear that there’s enough confidence that his job isn’t in impending danger. The Ravens saw enough in Loop that they were comfortable parting ways with UDFA John Hoyland this week. And Harbaugh dismissed the notion that the one miss introduced any uncertainty to the situation, partly because it was obvious from the sideline what went wrong in the operation. An argument vindicated by the made kick. Ravens cornerback Bilhal Kone is carted off the field after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the preseason opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) It stinks to watch a major preseason injury Kone was carted off the field with his left leg wrapped in an air cast, ending his chances at a fight toward a roster spot as a depth cornerback. Harbaugh said postgame that Kone will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ligament in his knee. He was injured on a jump ball in the front corner of the end zone and immediately started writhing in pain — a gutting scene for a sixth-round rookie making his case for a roster spot. Kone had already been through the ringer this training camp. He missed several practices early on because of a shoulder injury. It’s not his first confrontation with adversity. Kone was born in Apple Valley, Minnesota, but spent the first years of his life living with his grandmother in Ivory Coast because of the family’s financial troubles. French was his first language. When he moved back to the States at 6 years old, assimilating wasn’t so easy. Kone told The Sun that his brother Momo once shoved an apple in his face. “This,” Momo taunted, “red. Apple,” carefully enunciating each syllable. English wasn’t much of a prerequisite to play youth football. As a 7-year-old at the Apple Valley Community Center, Kone played for the red team. “First kick of the first quarter, beginning of the game, boom. Took it to the house,” Momo said. “I’m there at the game watching this and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God. You’re gonna be special.’” Related Articles Ravens preseason observations: Is LaJohntay Wester the missing piece? Ravens rookie LaJohntay Wester makes case with highlight-reel touchdown Ravens rookie Bilhal Kone carted off with injury in preseason opener Instant analysis from Ravens’ preseason opener against Colts Risers and fallers: Ravens open preseason with 24-16 win over Colts His household was a clinic in overcoming adversity, his family a well of inspiration. Bilhal’s younger brother, Hamza, endured two bouts with cancer and died in July 2016, the summer before Bill’s freshman year of high school. He writes “Ball for Hamza” on every pair of cleats in the closet. And Bilhal’s mother, Amy Camara, was “the definition of a superwoman,” as Momo called her. She juggled a hair salon and a weekend gig working for Amazon, then took a cleaning job that kept her out of the house from 3 p.m. until 2 a.m. every day. Bilhal was a zero-star recruit who climbed through three schools to reach the doorstep of the NFL. He played at Iowa Central Community College then Indiana State before getting to Western Michigan. When the Ravens drafted him 178th overall, a watch party in downtown Minnesota full of his closest kin swelled with pride. Bilhal raised a glass to the room. Between the heartfelt thank you’s and teary excitement, Bilhal uttered the line that still sticks with his best friend, Davy Hosea, months later: “I’m glad it took this long.” Thursday night throws yet another wrench in his pursuit of an NFL roster spot. But Bilhal has been historically comfortable with a little hardship. It will just take a little longer. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

The Ravens might have found a missing ingredient from their championship seasons in 2000 and 2012. His name is LaJohntay Wester, a rookie sixth-round draft pick out of Colorado. Wester had an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter of the Ravens’ 24-16 preseason win over the Indianapolis Colts at M&T Bank Stadium on Thursday night. He also had another return for 17 yards. Wester gives the Ravens something they’ve lacked in the past couple of seasons — a bonafide threat as a return specialist. A year ago, the Ravens were indecisive about when to return a punt, but Wester, 23, appears to have the green light to go, at least for now. In 2000, the Ravens had slot receiver Jermaine Lewis return punts and he averaged 16.1 yards per return. He also had an 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second half of the Ravens’ 34-7 win against the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. In 2012, it was Jacoby Jones who electrified fans as he led the league with 30.7 yards per kickoff return, including two touchdowns. Wester has the same move as Lewis — a juke step to one side, then a quick change of direction to allow his blockers to set up. On his punt return for a touchdown, Wester started to his left, took a hard jab stab to that side and then reversed to his right to score as he broke several shoe-string tackle attempts. The last time a rookie caused this type of excitement was outside linebacker Peter Boulware in 1997 in the final preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. After a five-to-six-week holdout, Boulware had two sacks in that game. He’s back Running back Keaton Mitchell had nine carries for 68 yards before he was pulled at the beginning of the second half, but one of his featured runs was a 22-yard touchdown scamper in the first quarter. But let’s forget about the touchdown. Let’s talk about other things, like the power the 5-foot-8, 190-pound Mitchell showed breaking through several tackles and the body lean he displayed going into the end zone. The third-year back showed good bounce to the outside. He showed no signs of the severe knee damage, which forced him out for most of the 2024 season. Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell showed impressive burst in his return from a knee injury that cost him most of last season. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Left guard battle If the battle for the starting left guard position was close, then Andrew Vorhees created more distance between him and Ben Cleveland, his closest competitor. Vorhees had several decent seal blocks while pulling and looked good and versatile getting around the corner. He worked off double-team blocks well and held his ground in pass protection, even though he was uncovered sometimes. Cleveland struggled in pass protection and was only effective in short-yardage situations and straight-ahead blocking. Coach John Harbaugh said that this was a close competition, but not after Thursday night. QB concerns Reserve quarterback Cooper Rush needs to pick up the pace and play better. Rush was successful as a backup to Dak Prescott in Dallas, where he played in 38 games, started 14 and finished with a 9-5 record. But with the exception of a practice or two, Rush hasn’t played well in training camp and completed only two of four passes for 16 yards against the Colts. His first pass was underthrown to receiver Dayton Wade and picked off by cornerback Alex Johnson. The Ravens signed Rush to a two-year deal worth $6.2 million in March that could climb to as high as $12.2 million. So far, he hasn’t proven that he would be effective as a starter if star quarterback Lamar Jackson gets hurt. Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush threw an interception in his first preseason game with the team. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Now or never Fourth-year cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis needs to have a big year, and he played well in the first half against Indianapolis. He broke up three passes and covered well. He was also involved on special teams, which means he probably has a spot on the 53-man roster if he continues to play well in the preseason. Learning curve Rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan played well against the run, but struggled in pass coverage. At times, he looked a little lost. As for some others who played well, rookie fifth-round pick Carson Vinson and fellow guard Darrian Dalcourt held their own, even though they both seem more destined for the practice squad than the starting lineup. Sour taste I felt compassion for defensive end Brent Urban. The 34-year-old journeyman is in his 12th season, yet he was out there playing in a preseason game. That stinks. As for a bad taste, Harbaugh can’t even win a challenge in the preseason. He lost out on a disputed catch by the Colts with just over eight minutes to play. Got beef? The hopes are still high for 6-6, 370-pound defensive tackle C.J. Okoye. He never played college football but is still a load to move in the middle. Related Articles 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ preseason win over the Colts Ravens rookie LaJohntay Wester makes case with highlight-reel touchdown Ravens rookie Bilhal Kone carted off with injury in preseason opener Instant analysis from Ravens’ preseason opener against Colts Risers and fallers: Ravens open preseason with 24-16 win over Colts Pass rush promise Rookie outside linebacker Mike Green played well. The second-round pick was in on a sack, and he had a couple of pressures. Granted, it was against the Colts’ second- and third-team players, but he had a presence while out there. Green, though, gets swallowed up when the Ravens rush him up the middle. Quick takes How could the Colts look so impressive in Tuesday’s scrimmage against the Ravens, yet play so poorly Thursday night? Been telling anyone who will listen to watch rookie fullback Lucas Scott from Army. He has game. The Ravens had three full-time starters on the offensive line to open the game, but neither right guard Dan Faalele nor right tackle Roger Rosengarten were overly impressive. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

LaJohntay Wester has a knack for making an impact in his debut. In Colorado’s first Big 12 game against Baylor last year, Wester made a miraculous 44-yard touchdown catch to tie the game with no time remaining. Then, in the Ravens’ first preseason game Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore’s sixth-round rookie returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown. Wester avoided the first two Indianapolis Colts defenders on the return, initially breaking to the left before ducking back toward the middle of the field. He stepped out of several shoestring tackle attempts and coasted the remaining 40 yards for his first NFL touchdown. The 23-year-old also impressed on his first return of the night, evading several Colts during that 17-yard run as well. Wester’s elusiveness has stood out during training camp, as he’s thrived in short area situations and one-on-one drills. The Florida native returned two punts for touchdowns during his college career at Colorado and Florida Atlantic. Wester was named American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Year and was an All-AAC first-team selection at both receiver and special teams as a junior at FAU in 2023. He averaged 12.2 yards per return in his lone season at Colorado. “What stands out about him is really his returnability,” Ravens general manager DeCosta said after the draft. “If you watch him, we think he’s a twitchy, explosive punt returner.” Baltimore was searching for a punt returner this offseason after cycling through a variety of options last season. The Ravens ranked 26th in total punt return yards, 16th in yards per return and tried Tylan Wallace, Deonte Harty and Steven Sims. Wester also had a connection within Baltimore’s organization. He played under former FAU coach and current Ravens running backs coach Willie Taggart for two seasons. DeCosta selected Wester with the 203rd overall pick. “What I’m seeing from LaJohntay every day is the consistency in the ball catching,” special teams coordinator Chris Horton said. “He has great technique. He has great fundamentals in really how we want to field the ball.” The wideout’s idol is Devin Hester, the only player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a returner. Hester set an NFL record with 19 career returns for touchdowns (14 punts, five kickoffs) over 11 seasons with the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Ravens and Seattle Seahawks. While Thursday’s touchdown won’t count towards Wester’s career statistics, it’s a huge moment for a player vying to make the 53-man roster. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. Related Articles 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ preseason win over the Colts Ravens preseason observations: Is LaJohntay Wester the missing piece? Ravens rookie Bilhal Kone carted off with injury in preseason opener Instant analysis from Ravens’ preseason opener against Colts Risers and fallers: Ravens open preseason with 24-16 win over Colts View the full article

Ravens sixth-round rookie Bilhal Kone suffered a leg injury during Baltimore’s preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens training staff placed an air cast on his left leg and carted him to the locker room. He appeared emotional while being carted off. He was declared out of the remainder of the game almost immediately by the team. The severity of his injury is unknown. Kone injured his leg on a pass breakup in near the goal line, when he awkwardly fell after getting tangled up with Colts wide receiver Ashton Dulin. The former Western Michigan standout was competing for a spot on the 53-man roster. Kone had stood out in a crowded defensive back room during training camp, often thriving during one-on-one drills. During Baltimore’s joint practice Tuesday with the Colts, he had a pass breakup during team drills and knocked away another pass during one-on-one drills. The lanky cornerback played on the outside for a majority of the first quarter Thursday night before suffering the injury. T.J. Tampa Jr., Jalyn Armour-Davis, Robert Longerbeam and Reuben Lowery are other cornerbacks competing for a roster spot. Kone, at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, was a two-year starter at Western Michigan, leading the Broncos in passes defended each of the past two years. He ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and earned a spot at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. On the day he was drafted, the 178th overall draft pick out of Western Michigan by way of Iowa Central Community College and Indiana State was asked what kind of player was joining the Ravens. “You’re going to get a dog with a chip on his shoulder,” Kone said. “You’re going to get a guy who’s been through the longest journey, and you’re going to get a guy who has fought through every type of adversity you can probably think of.” This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. Related Articles Ravens vs. Colts in preseason opener | PHOTOS | Photos 3 things we learned from the Ravens’ joint practice with the Colts Lamar Jackson, Ravens’ offense have up-and-down practice vs. Colts Ravens observations: Practice vs. Colts shows much room for improvement Ravens CB Nate Wiggins throws punch, ejected from joint practice vs. Colts View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 24-16 preseason win over the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium. Brian Wacker, reporter: The highlights of the night came from two of the Ravens’ fastest players, third-year running back Keaton Mitchell and rookie punt returner LaJohntay Wester. Both were promising signs for different reasons. Mitchell, nearly two years removed from a torn ACL, looked every bit as fast (if not faster) than before the injury on a couple of long runs, including one for a 22-yard touchdown that he bounced outside before racing into the end zone. Wester, meanwhile, looks terrific fielding punts. Not only was his technique good and comfort obvious, but he delivered the game’s signature moment with an electrifying 87-yard return for a touchdown. Not all was so pretty, especially when it came to the offensive line at times. In fairness, the group was without starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum, so there were bound to be some struggles, but Daniel Faalele and Ben Cleveland on the second unit had a couple of rough moments. The quarterback play of No. 2 Cooper Rush and No. 3 Devin Leary was likewise uninspiring, and in the case of Leary particularly poor. It doesn’t look like he’s made much progress from his rookie season last year. Defensively, there were some good moments, mostly from cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis as well as occasional ones from pass rushers Adisa Isaac, Mike Green and Aeneas Peebles. Josh Tolentino, columnist: After an ACL injury interrupted his early trajectory, running back Keaton Mitchell appears to be fully healthy again. The 23-year-old kicked off the preseason with a bang, delivering 68 rushing yards across eight carries, including his 23-yard touchdown in which he sped past several defenders and up the right sideline. Consider that terrific news for reigning All-Pro Derrick Henry. The 31-year-old enjoyed a historic 2024 campaign, and the Ravens are hoping he can avoid regression. Ultimately, the Ravens need Henry and the rest of their key starters healthy come January. With Mitchell’s reemergence, Baltimore could have a true depth option in addition to reliable pass protector and fellow tailback Justice Hill. Sam Cohn, reporter: This preseason opener was far more eventful than expected. There was some juice, some yikes and a disheartening injury. Keaton Mitchell and LaJohntay Wester were the stars. Both those guys performed as advertised, two dynamos with the ball in their hands, responsible for a pair of touchdowns. Baltimore’s quarterback play was dismal (you don’t hear that often) — a good reminder of how lucky the Ravens are to have their two-time NFL Most Valuable Player under center. This was also the first obvious look at the delta in the guard battle, proving Andrew Vorhees does have a worthy step over Ben Cleveland. And Bilhal Kone’s knee injury was gutting to watch for a sixth-round pick who had a legitimate shot at making the roster. Sam Jane, reporter: I came away impressed with Baltimore’s rookie class. The prized picks of the group, safety Malaki Starks, edge rusher Mike Green and kicker Tyler Loop, all showed flashes, but it was the smallest player on the roster, LaJohntay Wester, who came away with the highlight of the night. His 87-yard touchdown return could secure his spot on the roster — a spot that Baltimore struggled with last season, no less. That’s exactly what the preseason is for. C.J. Doon, editor: We saw the best and worst of what preseason football has to offer. LaJohntay Wester went from a relative unknown to a borderline household name among Ravens fans looking to fill out the final spots on the 53-man roster. With his 87-yard punt return for a touchdown, he almost certainly solidified himself as a core member of the special teams unit while also flashing the potential to get some reps at wide receiver. Soon after Wester’s exciting play, most of the air was let out of M&T Bank Stadium when cornerback Bilhal Kone went down with a knee injury. The sixth-round draft pick was carted off the field in an air cast, likely ending his rookie season before it even started. It’s heartbreaking for any player, but especially so for someone who rose from community college obscurity to the cusp of an NFL roster. Cooper Rush and Devin Leary disappointed at quarterback, Keaton Mitchell showed his old burst knifing through the Colts’ defense and Rasheen Ali flashed some promise, but most of that was not out of the ordinary. Thursday night’s game will be remembered for the moment Wester burst onto the scene and how Kone went down. Time will tell how their respective stories unfold. Tim Schwartz, editor: My lasting image from this one will be Bilhal Kone’s gruesome knee injury. The rookie cornerback who has shown flashes will reportedly miss the season after tearing his ACL, a blow to the defensive back depth the Ravens will need if they are going to win a Super Bowl. The other will be Wester, whose punt return touchdown will be etched into meaningless preseason lore. But in all seriousness, the rookie wide receiver and returner looked like the type of playmaker Baltimore needs on special teams. Mitchell showed out, too, and probably played in this game too long considering the dazzling moves he displayed in the early parts of the first quarter. The Ravens would be wise to put him in bubble wrap until Week 1, because he can be a true difference-maker when the games matter. Baltimore’s backfield was already elite. With a healthy Mitchell, it’s probably the most dynamic in football. Related Articles 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ preseason win over the Colts Ravens preseason observations: Is LaJohntay Wester the missing piece? Ravens rookie LaJohntay Wester makes case with highlight-reel touchdown Ravens rookie Bilhal Kone carted off with injury in preseason opener Risers and fallers: Ravens open preseason with 24-16 win over Colts Bennett Conlin, editor: Count me among the group impressed by Keaton Mitchell’s performance. When healthy, he’s an ideal counterpart to the bruising Derrick Henry and the pass-catching Justice Hill. Rookie LaJohntay Wester affirmed himself — rather clearly, too — as the best option to start at punt returner. Tyler Loop seems like he’ll grow into the starting kicker role well — he looked more comfortable controlling his booming leg on kickoffs as the game progressed. Mike Green created some pressure off the edge, which is a good sign as the rookie adjusts to life in the NFL. There was a lot to like Thursday. I have lingering concerns about the pass protection, though. Right guard Daniel Faalele and right tackle Roger Rosengarten had a horrendous rep that led to an easy Colts sack in the first half. Lamar Jackson will bail them out during the regular season — Cooper Rush isn’t confusing anyone for No. 8 — but if there’s a question about Baltimore’s high-powered offense, it’s the guys up front. The major negative of the night was the leg injury suffered by Bilhal Kone. The sixth-round pick out of Western Michigan was an intriguing depth piece at defensive back, and it’s a bummer to see him carted off the field in the first few minutes of his professional career. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

Ravens rookie wide receiver and punt returner LaJohntay Wester could feel it coming. So much so that he was telling anyone who would listen, including his dad, John, and teammate Keaton Mitchell leading up to their preseason opener and his NFL debut against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium. “Oh my god,” Mitchell said. “He said he was gonna take one to the crib, and he did it. “He definitely gonna make something happen in this league at punt return.” On a night when quarterback Lamar Jackson and all but five of Baltimore’s expected regular starters did not play, the Ravens’ sixth-round pick out of Colorado provided all the electricity that was needed, taking his second touch of the night 87 yards for a touchdown. With only left guard Andrew Vorhees, right guard Daniel Faalele, right tackle Roger Rosengarten, inside linebacker Trenton Simpson and rookie safety Malaki Starks among the expected starters who played, there were plenty of opportunities for others to solidify their status or make an impression. Wester’s score late in the first quarter helped spark an eventual 24-16 win for Baltimore. More importantly, it provided some certainty and hope for a position that was a significant concern last season. It also wasn’t the only highlight-reel moment for Baltimore, which also showed a good pass rush, albeit against a lot of backups. Here’s a look at the biggest risers and fallers from the Ravens’ first preseason game: Risers LaJohntay Wester: One of coach John Harbaugh’s draft wishes earlier this year was to find a reliable punt returner. It seems he found one in the former Florida Atlantic and Colorado standout. On Wester’s first return of the night in the opening quarter, he settled under the ball, square to the target just like Harbaugh likes to see, caught it comfortably, then side-stepped, stutter-stepped and raced forward for a 17-yard return. It was a nice return. His next one was spectacular. Wester caught the ball at his own 13-yard-line, started left, got a nice block from Jalyn Armour-Davis, cut back right, split two defenders, ran by another one, got blocks from Jake Hummel and T.J. Tampa and that was more than enough. He raced the rest of the way down the right sideline and into the end zone for an 87-yard touchdown. “Oh man, I’ve been overlooked all my life in this game since I was 6 years old,” Wester said, describing his emotions of the moment. “For me to be able to overcome all of that and get here and be able to get my first NFL touchdown in a game, it was amazing. There was a whole lot of build up emotion and anger and frustration and crying. I just let it loose tonight.” It’s early, but it’s probably safe to say that Wester all but solidified his hold on the position even if Harbaugh didn’t go that far in declaring him as the Week 1 starter. Keaton Mitchell: Nearly two years removed from a devastating torn ACL that ended his 2023 season, Mitchell looks every bit as fast — and more developed — than he did before he got hurt. His nine carries for 68 yards and a touchdown only told part of the story. The former undrafted free agent out of East Carolina was shifty, speedy and explosive. He also showed excellent vision, bouncing to the outside on a 22-yard touchdown run at the 8:19 mark of the opening quarter. He also had a 23-yard run earlier in the quarter on a similar play. “I feel a lot better, a lot more confident,” Mitchell said. “So just being more confident in myself and trusting my knee that it’s stronger and it can do what I need it to do.” While Mitchell returned from the injury last November, it’s clear that he’s a different player today. He also gives Baltimore a different dimension alongside Derrick Henry and Justice Hill. Jalyn Armour-Davis: With a talented secondary that includes free-agent additions Jaire Alexander and Chidobe Awuzie, along with a couple of draft picks spent on cornerbacks, Armour-Davis, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, might be considered a bubble guy to make the 53-man roster. His play Thursday night certainly helped his case. In the first quarter with the Colts facing third-and-7 from Baltimore’s 35-yard-line, Armour-Davis cut in front of receiver Ashton Dulin and broke up a pass that would have been enough for a first down but instead led to only a field goal. Later, playing on Wester’s punt return, he did a nice job blocking the Colts’ gunner and preventing him from getting to Wester in what was the first play to help eventually spring the long touchdown return. Later in the second quarter, he had a nice pass breakup of a pass from Daniel Jones intended for second-round rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell on third-and-10 to force a punt. Harbaugh has lauded Armour-Davis’ intelligence and he also has positional flexibility. The issue has largely been staying healthy, but performances like this one only help strengthen his case to be a meaningful contributor. Lucas Scott: The Ravens likely aren’t going to carry more than one fullback on the roster with Patrick Ricard having that role locked down, but the undrafted rookie from Army is making a case to at least eventually perhaps be Ricard’s replacement. Against the Colts, he had two nice blocks on the Ravens’ second series of the night to spring Mitchell first on a 22-yard burst through a big hole on the right side. Then he did a nice job sealing his man to help open a hole, again on the right side, for the 29-yard touchdown. Scott had plenty of other good blocks in the game. At 6 feet 3 and 290 pounds, he certainly fits the part. Tyler Loop: It was a small sample size with the rookie kicker getting just two field goal attempts, but that’s also the nature of the job sometimes. Hooking a 46-yard attempt wide left in the third quarter was not great. Loop had made 58 of 62 attempts in training camp leading into Thursday night’s game, and that included one from 60 yards during a recent team period, but this was not the result Baltimore was expecting in his next phase of development and first game action. The former Arizona standout would of course redeem himself, drilling a 52-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter. Leg strength has never been a question for the 24-year-old, and he showed it off in spades on his second kick of the night. It was a nice bounce back, and he had a tackle on a kick return, which is always impressive (if a little risky). Coaches have talked about the need for Loop to work on his consistency, and that played out Thursday night, but overall Harbaugh was pleased with the performance. “He hit the ball really well tonight,” Harbaugh said. “He passed the test tonight. It might not have been A++, but B+.” Fallers Devin Leary: The third-string quarterback entered the game in the second quarter, promptly threw two straight incompletions and then tried to force a short pass to Dayton Wade over the middle but instead threw it directly to linebacker Joe Bachie. It was a head-scratching decision, with Baltimore facing third-and-10 from the Colts’ 11-yard line. Even if he had completed the ugly throw to his intended target, Wade was blanketed and would have gone nowhere. It’s the kind of mistake a rookie would make, except Leary, who had a penchant for turning the ball over in college, is in his second year. Then, he was strip-sacked on the final play of the first half with the Colts recovering. The offensive line blocking on the left side was not good, but Leary looked like he had little feel that he was about to be pummeled. He didn’t look any better the rest of the night, and finished 3 for 12 for 43 yards with some bad overthrows. Baltimore quarterbacks combined for just 59 yards and a dismal 28.1 passer rating. “We weren’t very good tonight,” Harbaugh said. “We’d like to pass for more than 59 yards, I assure you.” Cooper Rush: In fairness, Rush only attempted four passes by the time that he was relieved by Leary. The problem was that his first pass on the second play of the game from an empty backfield was intercepted. With cornerback Alex Johnson in good coverage on Wade, Rush threw a fade up the right sideline only to have Johnson look like he was the intended receiver. Making matters worse was that Wade was also flagged for offensive pass interference. Rush did have a couple of completions to receiver Tylan Wallace and tight end Charlie Kolar, and running back Rasheen Ali dropped one that hit him right in the hands on a screen. It was an underwhelming showing. But Rush, 31 and with a solid body of work as a backup, is not a player whom Harbaugh is worried about. Related Articles 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ preseason win over the Colts Ravens preseason observations: Is LaJohntay Wester the missing piece? Ravens rookie LaJohntay Wester makes case with highlight-reel touchdown Ravens rookie Bilhal Kone carted off with injury in preseason opener Instant analysis from Ravens’ preseason opener against Colts Rasheen Ali: The second-year back had a touchdown, a 19-yard run and a 69-yard kick return, so there were some positives. But there were a few negatives, too. Five of his nine carries went for 3 yards or fewer. He also had the aforementioned drop. And Harbaugh said that Ali got a little banged up and will be evaluated. It’s an uphill battle for Ali, a 2024 fifth-round pick out of Marshall, with Henry, Hill and Mitchell all in front of him and Baltimore unlikely to carry a fourth running back. His performance Thursday night didn’t do anything to inspire a spot on the roster. Daniel Faalele: In his second year at right guard, Faalele got posterized by Adetomiwa Adebawore early. The third-year defensive tackle literally plowed through Faalele, who ended up on his back, en route to a sack of Rush. It was also one of a few reps in which Faalele was badly outplayed. The rest of the offensive line did not look good at times, either, which included Ben Cleveland at one point also getting trucked. At 6-8 and 370 pounds, Faalele will always look odd at guard, and he will get beaten at times as he did on a couple of occasions Thursday. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Ravens #31 Bilhal Kone, leaves the preseason game against the Colts with an injury. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens #34, Keaton Mitchell, scores a touchdown and celebrates with #81, Devontez Walker, in first quarter of a preseason game against the Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens #34, Keaton Mitchell, celebrates a touchdown during a preseason game against the Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens #34, Keaton Mitchell, scores a touchdown in first quarter of a preseason game against the Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens #34, Keaton Mitchell, dives for a touchdown in the first quarter of a preseason game against the Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens #34, Keaton Mitchell, dives for a touchdown in the first quarter of a preseason game against the Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens #34, Keaton Mitchell, runs away from Colts’ #33, Samuel Womack III, and #25, Rodney Thomas II, for a long gain in first quarter of a preseason game against the Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard autographs for, from left, Kylie Ward of Hanover, and Jordyn Davis of Hampstead, both 17-year-olds who dance with the competition team, Dynamite Dance Company; and Sheila Studivant of West Baltimore during the season’s first NFL preseason game in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Dave Benfield, left of Bel Air, and son Kyle stand in their Field seats before the start of the preseason game between the Ravens and the Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The former press box at M&T Bank Stadium is now the Blackwing Suites. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The former press box at M&T Bank Stadium is now the Blackwing Suites. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The former press box at M&T Bank Stadium is now the Blackwing Suites. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush warming up before the first preseason game of the 2025 season. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson leaps for a ball before the season’s first NFL preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens TE Charlie Kolar warms up before the first preseason game against the Colts. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens kicker Tyler Loop warms up before preseason game against the Colts in Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Eric DeCosta, general manager of the Baltimore Ravens autographs for fans including the football for Gus Henriquez of Pasadena, who turns eight years old next week during the season’s first NFL preseason game in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article

Finally, the Ravens put on pads, took the field and hit guys in different-colored jerseys (although some hit more than others). Tuesday was the first of two joint practices Baltimore has scheduled this preseason. Most of the team’s starters won’t play until the regular season kicks off next month. So, in some ways, these heightened practices are the only tangible preseason assessment. With the Indianapolis Colts in Owings Mills, here are three things we learned. Secondary skepticism The Ravens’ secondary will, in all likelihood, be OK. They have the talent and flexibility to temper some of the NFL’s most lucrative passing attacks. What was the biggest thorn in Baltimore’s side for 10 weeks in 2024 should be a strength in 2025. It just didn’t look like it during Tuesday’s practice, which went on without All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton for what coach John Harbaugh deemed “one of those camp deals” — a precautionary measure after exiting Monday’s practice early. The rest of Baltimore’s secondary didn’t dominate the way many might have expected. In an early iteration of 11-on-11 drills, Colts wideout Adonai Mitchell burnt Nate Wiggins up the right sideline for a deep touchdown. Wiggins, who has had an otherwise strong camp, looked out of sorts in deep coverage, which might have influenced the tension that boiled over into him getting booted from practice for a scuffle that he escalated. In an early session of 1-on-1s, Colts quarterbacks unofficially combined to complete 9 of 15 passes. Alec Pierce got the better of Marlon Humphrey on a crossing route. Mitchell left Jalyn Armour-Davis in his dust on an out route. Josh Downs caught three passes in a row during 7-on-7s, including a 15-yarder over Humphrey and a 10-yard dig route through zone coverage. That said, Baltimore’s defense looked sharper in intermediate throws and played its cleanest defense while backed up in the red zone. T.J. Tampa dove to disrupt a dart from Anthony Richardson. Starks and Jaire Alexander stuffed Michael Pittman Jr. at the goal line. And on one rollout to his right, Daniel Jones tried to shovel a pass up the middle that went nowhere. Either way, it was a small sample size in the first time against a different offense and with Hamilton sidelined. Reading too much into it would be a fool’s errand. “We’re not game planning these guys or anything,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said Monday. “[We’ll] just come out here and practice, run our defense, versus their offense and vice versa and really see where you stack up at.” It wasn’t enough to definitively say the Ravens’ back end issues are a thing of the past. Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Sanoussi Kane make contact during a joint practice Tuesday. The team's defensive backs had an inconsistent performance in the practice with the Colts. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Charlie Kolar looks ready to be TE2 Lamar Jackson flicked a ball over a Colts defender toward tight Charlie Kolar against the right sideline. The throw traveled maybe 20 yards, sinking into a pocket in the defense that Kolar converted into a long touchdown. He had another catch in the middle of the end zone, again finding a hole between defenders that Jackson capitalized on. Kolar arrived in Baltimore in 2022 as a primary pass catcher. He wasn’t much of a blocking tight end at Iowa State, but he has made a professional career out of being a blocking tight end, sitting third on the depth chart behind Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. Now with Likely sidelined for at least the rest of the preseason — he was seen watching Tuesday’s practice in a knee scooter — Kolar should get a slight uptick in targets. Andrews, who still holds the top spot on the depth chart, had an impressive diving touchdown catch in the back of the end zone against the Colts. But if all goes well, maybe Kolar’s success bleeds into the season and gives Jackson yet another viable option in an already crowded room of pass catchers. “Charlie’s getting a great feel for the game,” Jackson said, “looking like a little Mark and little Isaiah out there in his own way. He’s coming along great.” Kolar said he spent most of his offseason fine tuning his athleticism. At 6 feet 6, he’s keying in on how to stay low presnap and fire out of the stance into a route. Opportunities in the passing game have generally come from play-action or swimming upstream. Alignment and leverage, he said, will help round out his game. Although any Likely absence would be a tough blow to the offense, Kolar’s performance during Tuesday’s litmus test opposite an unfamiliar defense is a sign that the Ravens should be OK in the short term. Prioritizing a ‘punt catcher’ LaJohntay Wester snaked through an onslaught of Colts defenders and found the sideline, cruising to the end zone for a kick return touchdown. It appeared that no official made any effort to blow the play dead, insinuating that even if both teams were live tackling, he would’ve been safe. It was a remarkable display from the sixth-round draft pick making a strong case to be Baltimore’s kick and punt returner. Harbaugh and special teams coach Chris Horton don’t prioritize that kind of thing. “Your punt catcher is more important than your punt returner,” Harbaugh said. Wester is in the running to make the roster as a return man alongside Keaton Mitchell, Dayton Wade, Anthony Miller, D’Ernest Johnson and Malik Cunningham. “They all are very good after the catch,” Horton said. Harbaugh said that he thought Wester looked sharp during Tuesday’s practice but acknowledged that the decision comes down to running back the tape and diagnosing everyone’s posture when catching the ball. He wants to see the fundamentals of how the football nosedives into their waiting arms. Harbaugh said that he learned that from Chiefs coach Andy Reid and former Eagles coach Ray Rhodes. Related Articles Lamar Jackson, Ravens’ offense have up-and-down practice vs. Colts Ravens observations: Practice vs. Colts shows much room for improvement Ravens CB Nate Wiggins throws punch, ejected from joint practice vs. Colts Ravens take over marketing for premium areas at M&T Bank Stadium Meet the Ravens rookie who hopes to answer team’s punt return prayers What does good posture look like when catching a punt? “Square,” Harbaugh said, excited to talk special teams minutiae. “You’re perpendicular to the path of the ball. You’re square shouldered on the catch. You are right down the middle, elbows tight, high hands. How’s that? You like that? That’s an easy one for me. I know the answer to that one.” It’s easy to look at how guys are able to give the offense an advantage with their feet. Harbaugh and Horton care far more about whether they get into a position to do something with their feet. Tuesday’s practice also helped get a feel for the way a live punt falls out of the sky versus on a JUGS machine — another nuance to the craft that can get lost in the annals of practice logs. “When we’ve got the JUGS, we’re just trying to shoot the ball as high as we can and make it a timing thing,” Horton said, “because that ball will hang up there a little bit longer, and it might not necessarily turn over, so now the ball’s falling down to the right or falling down to the left. Whereas, when you’re on the live foot, the ball’s turning over and it’s going down to the spot. So, we’re looking for a couple different things with a live punter versus the JUGS.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Lamar Jackson scrambled to his right and away from the Indianapolis Colts’ pass rush, surveyed the field in front of him and in a flick the ball was gone. The Ravens quarterback committed the typically unforgivable sin of throwing across his body and back into the middle of the field. Except this was vintage Jackson, with a leaping Rashod Bateman on the receiving end on an open patch of grass. Other than a benches-clearing brawl that broke out during a punt drill and resulted in Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins and Colts running back Tyler Goodson getting ejected, it was the highlight of a sometimes-up, occasionally-down joint practice for Baltimore’s offense against the Colts on Tuesday afternoon in Owings Mills. It was also as close as Jackson and most of the first-team players will come to seeing full-speed, live action against an opponent before the start of the regular season, with coach John Harbaugh having already said that they won’t play in Thursday night’s preseason opener for both teams at M&T Bank Stadium. “I wouldn’t say [training camp is] boring,” Jackson said of the joint practice. “Just competing another team instead of going against our guys all the time, your competitive side kicks in a little bit more. “We get to see different looks from different guys, different types of coverages, see how different guys guard different people, see different blitzes. We get a lot out of these joint practices.” How did Jackson and the offense fare? “Our offense, there’s always room for improvement,” said the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player who is coming off career highs in touchdown passes (41) and passing yards (4,172). “In camp, we have good days, we have bad days, we have OK days, we have great days. “We’re right where we need to be right now.” As Harbaugh said, “You’re looking at the details, really. You’re not looking at the outcome.” The Sistine Chapel wasn’t painted in a day, after all. And Baltimore’s offense, as deep and talented as it perhaps has ever been in the franchise’s 30 years of existence, is still a work in progress, which was evident against a Colts defense that should be improved under new coordinator Lou Anarumo. Anarumo is a familiar foe for Jackson. He was the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2024, and the two men had a brief chat about their past battles at one point Tuesday. “He was telling me he glad he don’t have to face me twice a year anymore,” Jackson cracked. Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jahmal Banks turns upfield during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews walks during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens tight end Baylor Cupp throws the ball in front of tight end Scotty Washington during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devontez Walker turns upfield during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens cornerback T.J. Tampa and safety Keondre Jackson collide during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Xavier Guillory turns upfield during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Sanoussi Kane collide during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry runs through an obstacle during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens running back Rasheen Ali gets hit while navigating an obstacle course during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Show Caption1 of 10Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jahmal Banks turns upfield during a joint practice at Baltimore’s training facility. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Expand Their most recent showdown had its highs and lows for Jackson and what was the league’s top offense in just about every metric last season and returns intact, if not improved. On the upside was the performance of the tight ends. With Isaiah Likely watching from a doorway leading to the team’s locker room as he recovers from surgery to repair a fractured bone in his foot, Charlie Kolar and Mark Andrews provided a sigh of relief and were the most efficient recipients of Jackson’s passes. Kolar, in the final year of his rookie contract, hauled in one sideline fade from Jackson then rumbled about 50 yards. He also had a touchdown during a red zone period and held on for a tough 20-yard catch over the middle as he got popped on another play. Andrews, long Jackson’s security blanket and in the final year of his contract, looked the part, too. He had a couple of catches early in 11-on-11 periods, then hauled in a pair of touchdowns in two different red zone periods — including one in which Jackson rolled right, pump-faked, then fired into a tight window to the eighth-year vet in the end zone. “Charlie’s getting a great feel for the game,” Jackson said of the Kolar, now in his fourth year. “Looking like a little Mark and Isaiah out there, in his own way.” One of the more intriguing receivers at Jackson’s disposal has been free agent addition DeAndre Hopkins. The two have connected on several plays through the first two-plus weeks of training camp and did so a couple of times Tuesday, including on a nice back shoulder pass during a seven-on-seven period. However, Hopkins also had an uncharacteristic drop on one play and the two had a miscommunication. “I feel like we’re getting better,” Jackson said. “I messed up one time. I didn’t think he seen me on a route I gave him. He did see me.” It wasn’t the only mistake by Jackson. Related Articles Ravens observations: Practice vs. Colts shows much room for improvement Ravens CB Nate Wiggins throws punch, ejected from joint practice vs. Colts Ravens take over marketing for premium areas at M&T Bank Stadium Meet the Ravens rookie who hopes to answer team’s punt return prayers Browns signing ex-Ravens QB Tyler Huntley, AP source says In his final two-minute period, the quarterback tried to throw back against his body again, this time for second-year receiver Dayton Wade, but was easily intercepted by safety Hunter Wohler. It was one of two for the seventh-round rookie, who also had an interception of backup quarterback Cooper Rush in the two-minute period. Jackson also misfired on a few deep passes, including one intended for Bateman, though coverage was also tight. Other times, he had nowhere to go with the ball and took a sack on at least a couple of occasions. The Colts also blew up a few plays before they could develop, forcing Jackson to throw the ball into the dirt. Still, he looked like his old self at times, including on one long run in which he raced deep into the secondary. Asked if he’s as fast as he’s ever been, Jackson said, “absolutely.” “I been saying that except when I was a little bulky, that’s why I had to get that weight off,” he said. “But I feel good. I feel like I did my rookie year speed-wise, mobility-wise. I feel great.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

It was fresh meat day for the Ravens at the Under Armour Performance Center. After nearly two weeks of practicing against each other, the Ravens finally got some new blood to compete against Tuesday with the visiting Indianapolis Colts, whom the Ravens play Thursday night in the preseason opener. It was good for both teams because it’s a change of pace and talent. When teammates face each other consistently, there is a chance of becoming complacent and predictable, even though the Ravens weren’t very good in the nearly two-hour session. In fact, they looked nothing like a team that is expected to seriously challenge for a Super Bowl title. The good news is that it’s not where you start, but where you finish, but the Ravens have work to do. Let’s start with the offense: Not sharp Besides Mark Andrews and fellow tight end Charlie Kolar, few Ravens receivers got open consistently. The Colts were physical and played the Ravens tight, but Andrews easily beat safeties Nick Cross and Camryn Bynum several times. Andrews has perfected the last-minute push off to gain separation. The best catch of the practice came from receiver Anthony Miller, who hauled in a one-handed, 35-yard touchdown reception down the left sideline despite being blanketed by Bynum. The best dropped pass of the session was receiver Rashod Bateman losing a possible 35-yard touchdown along the same sideline on throw from by quarterback Lamar Jackson. Offensive line woes The Ravens’ pass protection during the team period was poor, and at times Jackson showed his frustration by slamming the ball to the ground. He rarely had time to throw, and when he did he usually went to the check-down receiver or running back. The lack of pass protection wasn’t only in the team session, but the individual period as well. On the first four snaps, both tackles, Roger Rosengarten on the right and Ronnie Stanley on the left, were beaten badly. Stanley even got thrown to the ground in what can only be described as an ugly pass-blocking attempt. The Colts certainly worked on the spin move, and just about all of their defensive linemen attempted it. It seemed apparent that the Colts changed up on their defensive line and the Ravens were ill prepared. But then again, a 4-3 defense is pretty standard. It’s not like these guys haven’t seen it before during their high school and college careers. Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Sanoussi Kane collide during a joint practice Tuesday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Sticky coverage Now, on to the defense. Second-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s scheme might not be new, but secondary coach Chuck Pagano continues to put his own spin and emphasis on ramping up the defensive backs, several of whom struggled Tuesday. Pagano repeatedly gave his guys an earful after Baltimore struggled to contain Indianapolis’ pass-catchers during one-on-one periods. Pagano’s messaging was palpable and remained consistent through the ups and downs of the joint session. During 1-on-1s, Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell jetted past cornerback Chuck Awuzie for an easy completion. A few reps later, safety Marlon Humphrey was burned by Colts wideout Alec Pierce on a fade route, but the throw from quarterback Anthony Richardson arrived short and the ball hit Pierce in the hands before falling incomplete as the two players tumbled to the grass. A relieved Humphrey jumped to his feet, retreated to the sideline and jokingly said, “that’s a fast white boy.” Wiggins’ involvement in Tuesday’s brawl could’ve been a build-up from his struggles earlier in practice. During a full-team period, Mitchell burned Wiggins on a deep ball down the right sideline. Richardson’s heave wound up toward Mitchell’s back shoulder, but the receiver adjusted midair to snag the ball against the trailing Wiggins, who tossed his hands up in frustration. One of Wiggins’ sparse highlights included him sticking Pierce on an intermediate comeback route during 1-on-1s. With his running mate and fellow safety Kyle Hamilton absent, rookie Malaki Starks held his own in his first action against real competition. Starks registered a pass breakup against Mitchell during a full-team period, although the Colts quarterbacks rarely thew Starks’ way the rest of practice, a possible indicator of how sticky the 21-year-old was in coverage. Memory lane It’s tough seeing the Indianapolis Colts practice at The Castle in Owings Mills. For those of us old enough to remember, the new facility is only a few miles from the old one on Owings Mills Boulevard where the Colts left Baltimore on March 28, 1984. Some of us grew up watching quarterback Johnny Unitas and running back Lenny Moore near the tail end of their careers. We saw tight end John Mackey in his prime, but also the “Sack Pack” and colleagues such as former Colts linebacker Stan White and safety Bruce Laird. Quarterback Bert Jones and running back Lydell Mitchell had Pro Bowl seasons here. It still hurts seeing that old horseshoe and blue and white colors on a team from Indianapolis, even though former Ravens owner and the late Art Modell tried to purchase the name back before moving his Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore before the start of the 1996 season. Harbaugh likes to talk about history, but here is one lesson for him: In Week 12 of the 1998 season, his younger brother Jim completed 16 of 25 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns as the Ravens beat the Colts, 38-31, in Indianapolis’ first trip to Baltimore. Afterward, Jim presented the game ball to Unitas, who was standing on the sideline. It was a great gesture, and it doesn’t get any better than that for old Baltimore Colts fans. By the way, one of the people on the field Tuesday was Carlie Irsay-Gordon, who is football executive and co-owner and CEO of the Colts. She is the granddaughter of former Colts owner Robert Irsay and the eldest daughter of late Colts owner Jim Irsay. Rookie gem? Keep an eye on Ravens rookie fullback Lucas Scott, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound undrafted free agent from Army. This kid can play. If he does well in preseason games, he could make the team in some capacity, even on the developmental squad. He’s tough, plays extremely hard and looks a lot like current starting fullback Patrick Ricard. The assumption here is that Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken got a nice tip from his cousin, Jeff Monken, the coach at Army. Penalty problems The Ravens will probably have problems jumping offsides because of changes in the cadence for the rest of the preseason, but it’s not a big deal. Not yet, anyway. Harbaugh said before training camp started that they were working with Jackson on different variations of the cadence, and that always causes confusion, especially early in training camp. The Ravens had several high snaps Tuesday and it threw the timing off. Now, if the flags keep flowing once the regular season starts, then the Ravens have big problems. The alternative isn’t good, like going on the first sound or using hand motions. Those tricks are only good on the road, and for just an abbreviated period of time. Leaving a legacy The Ravens recently brought back defensive end Brent Urban, and he is the kind of player most fans root for. The 34-year-old played at the University of Virginia and was drafted in the fourth round by the Ravens in 2014. Urban hasn’t been a star player, but he’ll make a play occasionally, such as knocking down a pass with his long arms. Urban has 169 career tackles, including 10 sacks and 16 pass deflections. He played well against the Colts. His legacy to survive this long in the crazy world of the NFL is amazing. Plus, he is wearing No. 58, the old jersey of nose tackle Michael Pierce who retired at the end of last season. Another Ravens great once wore that number: outside linebacker Peter Boulware who finished with 70 sacks during his eight-year career in Baltimore and is in the team’s Ring of Honor. Traffic nightmare Here’s hoping that the Ravens and city officials make some modifications for fans traveling to M&T Bank Stadium during the regular season. Right now, traffic is a mess getting in and out of the facility and the roads on Russell Street are closed. In addition, there is currently construction going on at the stadium, so it’s a total mess, much like the parking situation over at the practice facility in Owings Mills. Related Articles Lamar Jackson, Ravens’ offense have up-and-down practice vs. Colts Ravens CB Nate Wiggins throws punch, ejected from joint practice vs. Colts Ravens take over marketing for premium areas at M&T Bank Stadium Meet the Ravens rookie who hopes to answer team’s punt return prayers Browns signing ex-Ravens QB Tyler Huntley, AP source says Familiar face One of the former Ravens who attended practice Tuesday was cornerback Chris McAlister, a first-round pick by the team in 1999. McAlister played for 11 seasons in the NFL, his last one in 2009 with the New Orleans Saints. He was part of the feared duo of cornerbacks on the record-setting 2000 defense as he teamed with Duane Starks, both of whom could play in press coverage. McAlister finished his career with 431 tackles, 137 pass deflections, 26 interceptions and seven defensive touchdowns. He should be in the Ravens Ring of Honor, but the team has yet to give him that nod. Special teams signs Harbaugh has spent a lot of time lately working on special teams. In particular, he seems to be aligning the splits between offensive linemen in preparation for field goal attempts. The Ravens, though, could use a little help after scrimmaging the Colts. Indianapolis would have scored one touchdown on a kickoff return and came close to scoring another. The Ravens did score on a punt return with LaJohntay Wester as the specialist. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article

Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins was ejected from Tuesday’s joint practice in Owings Mills after throwing a punch at an Indianapolis Colts player during a fight between the teams. The altercation occurred during a punt drill, which Wiggins was not involved in. After pushing and shoving broke out between players following the play, the second-year cornerback sprinted in and punched Colts running back Tyler Goodson. Wiggins, 21, then walked inside the team facility, where he watched the rest of practice. Goodson was also ejected, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. Harbaugh said that the team was treating the practice like a game, which is why Wiggins was removed. Harbaugh said that he and Colts coach Shane Steichen agreed that brawls often happen during the special teams portions of practice. “It should be a learning opportunity for our team,” Harbaugh said. Colts safety Camryn Bynum agreed. “No matter what, you can’t get out of joint practice without a fight,” Bynum said. “That’s a staple of joint practice. Every time there’s a special-teams thing, it gets chippy. “That’s just the dog mindset. It’s one of those things. It’s all love.” The fight occurred early in practice on the far-left field of the Ravens’ facility. Defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike said that he did not see it but was eager to ask Wiggins, a 2024 first-round draft pick and rising star, what happened. “I heard Nate was slugging somebody or something, but it was crazy,” Madubuike said. “I might have to say something to him like, ‘Hey bro, did something happen I missed out on? I wanted to get into it.’” Fullback Patrick Ricard said Monday that it’s hard to avoid fights during joint practices. It’s often the first time that players face opponents other than their own teammates, and many are competing for roster spots. Both Harbaugh and Steichen did not seem too concerned about the fight. The teams engaged in a full-team brawl the last time they met up for a joint practice, Ricard said, and this one seemed to be limited to a smaller scale. Related Articles Lamar Jackson, Ravens’ offense have up-and-down practice vs. Colts Ravens observations: Practice vs. Colts shows much room for improvement Ravens take over marketing for premium areas at M&T Bank Stadium Meet the Ravens rookie who hopes to answer team’s punt return prayers Browns signing ex-Ravens QB Tyler Huntley, AP source says There were no other skirmishes for the rest of Tuesday’s practice. Both teams had an up-and-down day, with Ravens running back Derrick Henry saying that “we made some plays, they made some plays.” “I thought guys handled it well,” Steichen added. “You never want to see a fight. We always talk about that in meetings — we’re not fighting. Obviously, one skirmish broke out there, but I thought the guys handled it well. Everyone broke it up, and we went back to practice.” There is no practice Wednesday. The teams will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium for their first preseason game. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article

The Ravens will take over marketing for all events in the exclusive areas and club level of M&T Bank Stadium under a new deal with the Maryland Stadium Authority. The move, approved by the Maryland Stadium Authority board of directors, shifts promotional duties from the state agency to the team, which already has dedicated staff, established corporate partnerships and brand assets to help sell premium spaces. “The team’s rationale for doing this is that there are new spaces on the surface level and the new clubs,” Michael J. Frenz, executive director of the Maryland Stadium Authority, said at the group’s monthly meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 6. “Those are team-exclusive areas, so they control nongame-day catering there. We both agreed it didn’t make sense to bifurcate nongame-day catering between club-level events and other events.” Under the agreement, the financial arrangement will shift from a percentage-based system to a flat annual fee of $431,085 for fiscal 2025. That amount will rise 3% annually, a figure calculated by averaging 11 years of stadium revenues while excluding the lowest-performing years and the pandemic period. The change comes amid a major $489 million renovation of M&T Bank Stadium, which is scheduled for completion in 2026. The state earmarked $434 million in public funds for the project, but the Ravens will contribute an additional $55 million to cover cost overruns. The Maryland Stadium Authority will reimburse the team up to $35 million of that amount. Most of that funding comes from a 2022 state law authorizing the stadium authority to issue up to $1.2 billion in bonds for upgrades to M&T Bank Stadium and Oriole Park at Camden Yards — $600 million for each facility. The Ravens became eligible for their share of those funds in January 2023 after agreeing to a lease extension that keeps them in Baltimore through at least 2037. In addition, Al Tyler, vice president of the Capital Projects Development Group at the Maryland Stadium Authority, confirmed that all historic portions of Pimlico Race Course might not be salvaged in light of recent demolition work. Notably, Stall 40 — traditionally reserved for the Kentucky Derby winner when horses arrive for the Preakness Stakes — was mostly eaten away by a termite infestation. The stall has housed some of racing’s most celebrated champions, including Triple Crown winners Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and American Pharoah (2015). The goal is to reconstruct the stall with the salvageable material. “We think we can save the front, which is what you see in the pictures with the green front with the gate,” Tyler said at Tuesday’s meeting. “The back wall seems to be in pretty good shape. For what reason — I’m not sure why — the termites don’t like to make a left on the way down the road. But the sidewalls are gone.” The Maryland Stadium Authority began structural demolition at Pimlico last month, starting with the barns and outbuildings along Winner Avenue. The work will clear the way for a major redevelopment of the site. The project is part of a $400 million plan approved by state lawmakers in 2024 under House Bill 1524. The legislation authorizes the authority to fund a complete overhaul of Pimlico in Baltimore and build a new training facility at Shamrock Farm in Carroll County. Preparations for demolition began shortly after the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes in May. During construction, racing and training operations will shift temporarily to Laurel Park. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@baltsun.com or on X as @ToddKarpovich. View the full article

LaJohntay Wester is used to being the smallest and thus usually doubted. Long before the rookie was a sixth-round draft pick of the Ravens selected to be their answer to last season’s punt return woes, he spent his childhood in southwest Florida sandwiched between his bigger, taller football playing brothers John Jr. and Jaylen, both of whom played defense and often had their way with the diminutive middle child of John and Laquita Wester. “I didn’t really like contact growing up,” LaJohntay told The Baltimore Sun. “I wanted to score and dance, so I stayed on the offensive side.” It wasn’t always easy to do so in the Wester household, where the boys’ father wouldn’t return home from his day jobs as a personal trainer and massage therapist until around 11 p.m., walk in the door and immediately challenge his sons to race him out in the street. “The house was super competitive,” John Jr., a former 6-foot-2, 180-pound defensive back at Fayetteville State and Florida Atlantic told The Baltimore Sun. “LaJohntay probably had it the worst being the only offensive player.” Indeed. His other brother, Jaylen, who also played with the siblings at FAU, is currently a linebacker at Western Kentucky. “LaJohntay’s always been small,” John Jr. continued. “But having that extra oomph in his personality is what made him able to make crazy plays.” Still, when LaJohntay was a senior at Palmetto (Fla.) High School in 2019, a college recruiter in attendance for the Tigers’ game against nearby Largo told Wester’s coach, Dave Marino, that he wasn’t interested in talking to the undersized, unranked senior. So Marino promptly delivered the message to Wester before the game and Wester responded by returning a punt and kickoff each for a touchdown and added another score on a bubble screen in the 44-6 rout. “He was just electric,” Marino told The Sun, adding that Wester’s ability as a point guard in basketball through high school added to his spatial awareness. “Every time he had the ball in his hands, you were just waiting for something special to happen, even at that young age. But because he was undersized, he always had a chip on his shoulder like, ‘I’ll show you.’” Yet even then it took a bit of serendipity. With Bowling Green and Kansas among the few schools offering a scholarship to the 5-foot-9, 170-pound speedster who was even smaller back then, Marino, a onetime grad assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles who went on to a long and successful high school coaching career called his old friend Willie Taggart, who was from the same area and then in his first year as FAU’s coach. Marino pestered him to offer a scholarship to the receiver who in his senior season had returned seven kick and punt returns for touchdowns and tallied 758 receiving yards and eight more scores. Taggart obliged. In four seasons for the Owls, Wester racked up 2,703 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns on 252 catches. He also returned a punt for a touchdown, was named American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Year and was an AAC first-team selection at both receiver and special teams as a junior in 2023. Then came Colorado’s Big 12 opener against Baylor last season. Two seconds on the clock. Third-and-10 from the Baylor 44-yard line. Trailing by 7. As quarterback Shedeur Sanders scrambled left, he spotted Wester, who’d transferred to Boulder to play for coach Deion Sanders and increase his NFL exposure, and heaved the ball into the front left corner of the end zone. Wester broke free from his man and made a sliding grab between two defenders for the touchdown. Colorado won in overtime and Wester was on his way. “Deion knows Florida football,” Marino said. “He had no hesitation bringing an undersized guy into the Power 5 level of football coming from a mid-major.” Wester ended the season with 74 catches for 931 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also averaged 12.2 yards per punt return, which included a 76-yard return for a touchdown against Utah. Along the way, he was finally able to switch jersey numbers, too, going from No. 10 to No. 1. “He wanted the No. 1 when he came here,” Sanders told reporters following the Buffaloes’ win over Cincinnati. “No. 1 ain’t something you acquire, it’s given to you. … He earned it.” Now, he hopes to earn something else: The starting job as Baltimore’s punt returner. Ravens wide receiver LaJohntay Wester, while undersized, has the speed and elusiveness needed to make an NFL roster as a rookie. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Finding a dependable option was among coach John Harbaugh’s draft wishes after the Ravens last season ranked 26th in total punt return yards, 16th in yards per return and struggled to find someone who could consistently catch the ball as they uneasily bounced between Tylan Wallace, Deonte Harty and Steven Sims. So general manager Eric DeCosta used the 203rd overall pick on Wester, a player who of course Taggart, now the Ravens’ running backs coach, was intimately familiar with. “What stands out about him is really his returnability,” DeCosta said following the draft. “If you watch him, we think he’s a twitchy, explosive punt returner.” Through the first two-plus weeks of training camp, Wester has gotten only scant chances to show his stuff. He’s caught most but not every ball during kick and punt return drills but at least has looked comfortable fielding them. “What I’m seeing from LaJohntay every day is the consistency in the ball catching,” special teams coordinator Chris Horton said. “He has great technique. He has great fundamentals in really how we want to field the ball.” This week, he’ll finally get more opportunities to do so at full speed in a joint practice against the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday followed by the Ravens’ first preseason game on Thursday night against the Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. Related Articles Browns signing ex-Ravens QB Tyler Huntley, AP source says Ravens observations: No Lamar Jackson on a light practice day From hospitalizations to pancake blocks, the Ravens love playing in pads Josh Tolentino: Embarking on a new chapter with a familiar passion | COMMENTARY READER POLL: Was the trade deadline a success for the Orioles? When he does, he hopes to channel one of his idols, Devin Hester, who he used to watch highlights of on YouTube and ESPN and then try to imitate. The only player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a returner, Hester starred at the University of Miami before going on to set an NFL record with 19 career returns for touchdowns (14 punt, five kickoff) over 11 seasons with the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Ravens and Seattle Seahawks. For now, though, Wester has a simple but effective philosophy he’ll lean on first when it comes to the return game. “Catch the ball,” he said. “Before you do anything, before you think about anything, catch the ball. If we make explosive plays off it, that’s a big plus. But the main objective is to just catch the ball.” Once he does, the rest should take care of itself. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns’ crowded quarterback competition will add one more because of injuries. The Browns are signing Tyler Huntley, a person close to the situation said Monday night. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced. The Browns will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday to take part in joint workouts with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday and a preseason game Friday night. Huntley will become the the sixth quarterback on the Browns roster. Joe Flacco is in the lead to start the Sept. 7 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, but faces competition from Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Deshaun Watson is on the physically unable to perform list, but was listed fifth on the first depth chart released on Monday. Watson is expected to miss the entire season due to two Achilles injuries. However, the Browns are lacking healthy QBs at the moment. Pickett and Gabriel are dealing with hamstring injuries while Sanders sat out the Aug. 2 practice due to a sore arm. Pickett and Gabriel participated in individual drills Monday, but are questionable to do any team drills the rest of the week. Coach Kevin Stefanski would like to have Flacco go in the joint practice but sit him out of the preseason game. Barring any other injuries, that would make Sanders and Huntley the quarterbacks for Friday night’s game. “Injuries are a part of this game. They’re frustrating from the standpoint of when you lose a guy for a good amount of time you feel, that’s tough on the players. But the dealing with injuries, adjusting because injuries, that’s just part of the game,” Stefanski said before Monday’s practice. Huntley was with the Browns during the preseason last year, completing 37 of 51 passes for 322 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions and a 92.1 passer rating before being released. He signed with Baltimore’s practice squad before being claimed by the Miami Dolphins before Week 3. Huntley started five games for the Dolphins, including Week 17 at Cleveland when he was 22 of 26 for 225 yards and a touchdown in Miami’s 20-3 victory. In five NFL seasons with Baltimore and Miami, Huntley has appeared in 25 games and made 14 starts. Related Articles Ravens observations: No Lamar Jackson on a light practice day From hospitalizations to pancake blocks, the Ravens love playing in pads Josh Tolentino: Embarking on a new chapter with a familiar passion | COMMENTARY READER POLL: Was the trade deadline a success for the Orioles? Ravens CB Nate Wiggins in Year 2 is ‘a totally different ballgame’ View the full article

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson did not practice on Monday for what the team called a pre-planned personal matter and excused absence. This was Jackson’s first missed practice of training camp. Without the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player or wide receiver Rashod Bateman and a scheduled day off for kicker Tyler Loop, Monday’s shortened practice proved to be vanilla. Dozens of young children repping Jackson’s No. 8 jersey searched across the Ravens’ practice field for him. “I see Lamar,” one yelled, only to be disappointed when he learned he’d be watching a Jackson-less practice. Howard County resident Patrick Campbell said his two children asked at least six times where the quarterback was. His 6-year-old son’s interest waned when Campbell told him Jackson wouldn’t be practicing today. Jonas Ritter, a 17-year-old from White Marsh, said, “I’m a little upset” about not seeing the starting quarterback. It’s “got to be disappointing for [children] to realize he’s not here.” Tight end Isaiah Likely (foot), running back Marcus Major Jr. (concussion), offensive tackle Emery Jones (shoulder) and cornerback Robert Longerbeam were all expected absences. Safety Kyle Hamilton appeared to come off the field early and was stretching his groin. He did not return, but a majority of the veterans enjoyed a lighter day. Wide receiver Xavier Guillory was pulled early, too, and did not return. Neither case appeared to be serious. Monday’s shell practice set up what should be a dramatic Tuesday. ‘It’s two games this week’ On Tuesday, the Ravens host their first of two joint practices. This one, against the Indianapolis Colts, is the opening act to the preseason opener Thursday night. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr said he’s telling his players, particularly the ones on the roster bubble, “it’s two games this week.” Orr was in that position during his playing days. So he’s using the buildup to Tuesday and Thursday to remind them that “no matter where you’re at in your career … every single time you step on that field, you’re fighting for your career. You’re getting evaluated and you got to think that way.” Tuesday’s practice should break up the monotony of camp, too. The Ravens have spent the past two weeks running plays against their teammates. This is finally a different colored jersey to hit. “It’s just fun to do something different,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. Sunday’s stadium practice was the first time in weeks that Monken didn’t wake up and go through his regular, strict routine, he said. Tuesday poses the first challenge for this iteration of his offense to test itself against new schemes and unfamiliar formations. And considering coach John Harbaugh said Sunday that no Ravens stars will be suiting up during the preseason, the joint practice means valuable reps for guys like Jackson, Derrick Henry, Roquan Smith and others. Monken equated the first joint practice to the first day of training camp. Guys are reenergized. In 2018, when these two teams shared a practice field, it led to a full-out brawl, spawning from two players throwing punches on a punt return. How hard is it to manage those tempers and avoid fighting? “I think it’s pretty hard,” veteran fullback Pat Ricard said. “We’re in training camp, especially guys who are fighting for their jobs, their livelihoods. … Hopefully that doesn’t happen again because it got crazy out there [in 2018].” Ravens quarterbacks Devin Leary, left, and Cooper Rush, pictured during the first day of training camp last month, took the snaps under center at practice on Monday with Lamar Jackson absent. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) A pair of Rush highlights Without Jackson, backup quarterbacks Cooper Rush and Devin Leary split Monday’s practice reps. It wasn’t until the back half of the 90-minute session that Rush connected with Zay Flowers streaking upfield for a long touchdown, eliciting the afternoon’s first cheers. A few plays later, Rush made another throw from inside the red zone that Tylan Wallace corralled against the left corner of the end zone over cornerback Nate Wiggins. “I think [Rush] just gets it,” Monken said of what’s impressed him most about the new backup. “When I was in Tampa, we tried to get him there but we were pretty loaded at quarterback. You don’t make it as long as he has without understanding, one, what’s asked of you through your system and yet knowing your liabilities as a player. And I think he’s maximized that.” Related Articles From hospitalizations to pancake blocks, the Ravens love playing in pads Josh Tolentino: Embarking on a new chapter with a familiar passion | COMMENTARY READER POLL: Was the trade deadline a success for the Orioles? Ravens CB Nate Wiggins in Year 2 is ‘a totally different ballgame’ Ravens kicker Tyler Loop receives ‘A+++’ grade for first stadium practice Cornerback No. 3? Baltimore’s top two cornerback spots are all but locked up, with Marlon Humphrey and Wiggins. One of two new guys in the room could grab that No. 3 spot: Jaire Alexander or Chidobe Awuzie. Orr doesn’t see it that way. “Both of those guys know they’re gonna play,” Orr said. “You’re gonna see those guys out there at the same time. I think that’s a decision, if Coach [Harbaugh] and them wanna make it. I’m not really looking at it as a competition. Those guys are gonna play for us. I’m not looking at it as 1s or 2s.” Baltimore Sun reporter Sam Jane contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Odafe Oweh was a towering 6-foot-5, highly touted four-star recruit at Blair Academy in New Jersey. But the first time Oweh practiced in pads at Blair, he ended up in the hospital. The Ravens defensive end was sprinting upright during kickoff coverage, opening his chest and ribs to a potential target. A smaller player spotted the vulnerability and hit Oweh between his ribs. Oweh collapsed and he was hospitalized after practice. “After that, I was like, all right, I know what I’m doing now. Stay low,” Oweh said. “I’ll always remember that, even when I’m out here.” With the Ravens back in pads for training camp, The Baltimore Sun asked Ravens players and coaches about their favorite or first memory in pads. Some players, such as running back Derrick Henry, were prolific from the beginning of their careers, while others eventually grew into their frame. Fullback Patrick Ricard was an average size for most of his childhood, but blossomed into a strong athlete by his sophomore year of high school. During practices that season, he would de-cleat players and pancake them on running plays, earning a starting spot. “Actually being able to run full speed into someone,” Ricard said about his favorite part of putting pads on. “When you have pads on, [teammates] have pads on, so there are no excuses, you can leave no doubt on the field.” Wide receiver Tylan Wallace was a little more timid the first time he was tackled. As an 8-year-old, he was nervous to be hit. When he got hit hard, Wallace would “get in his feelings” and trot to the sideline in tears. Eventually, he embraced the physicality of the game and turned into a four-star recruit who starred at Oklahoma State. “Once you get that first hit, tackle in, and as a kid I was flying all over the place. After that, I was like, ‘Oh this isn’t bad at all,’” Wallace said. Training camps have changed over the years, as the allowable contact has scaled down to limit preseason injuries. Coach John Harbaugh remembers practicing twice a day during his playing career at Miami University in the 1980s. “You see guys walking in the cafeteria beforehand and you’re like ‘Oh, my God,’” Harbaugh said. “I remember bouncing off the running back one time, early on and being like ‘Wow, this is different.’” The Ravens are only allowed to practice in pads for three consecutive days during camp, according to the NFL Players Association rules. Practices are typically two hours long and can’t stretch past 3 hours, 30 minutes, according to guidelines. During the Ravens’ first week, temperatures rose into the upper 90s. Players were constantly cooling down on the sideline with water, misting fans and cold towels. Harbaugh said the weather helps the players’ condition for the season. Related Articles Ravens observations: No Lamar Jackson on a light practice day Josh Tolentino: Embarking on a new chapter with a familiar passion | COMMENTARY READER POLL: Was the trade deadline a success for the Orioles? Ravens CB Nate Wiggins in Year 2 is ‘a totally different ballgame’ Ravens kicker Tyler Loop receives ‘A+++’ grade for first stadium practice “Constantly got to cool the body down,” Wallace said. “Once you take the pads off, you feel like you can breathe all over again.” The challenge of camp comes with its reward. Veteran players will make an average of $3,500 per week during the 2025 training camp. Rookies make $2,000 per week. Training camp lasts until Aug. 27. The Ravens will have joint practices against the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday and the Washington Commanders on Aug. 21. In total, they’ll have 25 practices and three preseason games before making it to the regular season, when their work practicing in pads is put to the test. Ricard still recalls his first training camp as one of his favorite memories in the NFL. “Wearing an NFL jersey with my name on it, it was a surreal moment. Just everything you’ve been through to get here,” Ricard said. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh, right, blocks tight end Charlie Kolar during practice last Tuesday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article