ExtremeRavens Posted August 13 Posted August 13 Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had the type of performance Tuesday that he needs to have in the postseason. In the past, opposing teams have been able to shut down the Ravens’ running game and force Jackson to beat them by throwing outside the numbers or down the field. It didn’t help that Jackson hasn’t had a legitimate No. 1 receiver over the previous six years. On Tuesday’s practice in Owings Mills, Jackson lit up the secondary with the long ball. He connected with tight end Mark Andrews on a roughly 50-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline and then threw another long touchdown pass to newly signed wide receiver Anthony Miller on the next play. Seconds later, the Ravens scored again on the long pass, this one to receiver Nelson Agholor straight down the middle. These passes weren’t toss-ups or jump balls — Jackson hit receivers perfectly in stride. We’ve seen this type of accuracy on occasion from the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player in previous years, but not as consistently as Tuesday. This isn’t to say that Jackson is now more accurate, but at least there is potential for him to excel in the postseason. Opposing teams are going to stack the line of scrimmage to shut down running back Derrick Henry, and Jackson will have to make these types of plays if the Ravens want to get to the Super Bowl. Miller making his case Receiver Rashod Bateman was in on a lot of team drills Tuesday, which was much different than Monday when he only participated in individual matchups. At this point, the Ravens are just glad that Bateman is back on the field after he missed time with an injury that coach John Harbaugh described as not serious. But Bateman better get into shape quickly. Miller, a fifth-year veteran who joined the team this week, has come up with big catches the past two days and took some repetitions with the first group Tuesday. The 2018 second-round draft pick has good explosion, goes in and out of breaks well and has no fear going up to make the big catch. If the Ravens decide to keep Miller, he gives the team depth and might challenge Bateman and Agholor for playing time during the regular season. Ravens training camp, August 13, 2024 | PHOTOS Injury updates Safety Kyle Hamilton participated in a full workout after suffering a “sprain” in Sunday’s practice. Hamilton gets slighted because he is a big safety at 6-foot-4 and 224 pounds, but he has good speed and it showed when the Ravens played him over the top and he had to cover a receiver to the opposite side of the field. Those long legs can make up ground quickly. Cornerback T.J. Tampa practiced but left the field early before the first 11-on-11 session. The rookie fourth-round pick was just cleared Monday to return from the physically unable to perform list because of a sports hernia, and Harbaugh said the team was trying to rev him up Monday. Drop and give me 20 There was more of the old-school element at practice. When safety Marcus Williams dropped a deep pass that he easily should have intercepted, he dropped to the ground and quickly knocked off about 20 push-ups. It reminds me of the offensive linemen running a lap around the practice field if they jump offside. Accountability is a good thing and needs to be incorporated into more practices on the recreation and high school levels. He’s hungry There was another Miller sighting. On a 40-yard pass from backup quarterback Josh Johnson, he wrestled the ball away from cornerback Ka’dar Hollman. Miller isn’t playing around. He’s hungry to make this team. Offensive line updates Second-year left guard Andrew Vorhees might be the best trap blocker on the team. He had a great one against the Philadelphia Eagles in the preseason opener, and he knows how to get low and explode through an opponent. The best thing is that he puts his head on the outside and forces his opponent to run around him, which basically takes the defender out of the play. That doesn’t happen a lot in the NFL anymore. As for Josh Jones, I thought he would challenge for the starting job at right tackle when the Ravens signed him to a one-year deal in March, but the 27-year-old hasn’t been overly impressive. In fact, it’s easy to understand why the Ravens might start rookie Roger Rosengarten at that position over Jones despite the gap in experience. As for starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley, he had a tough day against outside linebacker Odafe Oweh. Oweh didn’t just eat his lunch, but his dinner, too. Getting back to business It looks like receiver-return specialist Deonte Harty is back to normal after missing some time with a soft-tissue injury in his lower leg. The Ravens worked him in as a receiver and he did field some kickoff returns. The former Middle River resident and Archbishop Curley graduate is expected to be the team’s top return specialist this year. When asked if Harty would play in the last two preseason games, special teams coach Chris Horton said: “Do I have a chance of putting him out there? I think we’ll get him out there at some point and just see where he is. [We] haven’t decided how much we want to get him out there because I know what he can do as a returner, but I definitely think we will see him at some point.” View the full article Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.