Ravens Insider: Risers and fallers: Josh Johnson, David Ojabo stand out in Ravens’ 13-12 preseason win over Falcons

ExtremeRavens · August 17

The preseason is when offenses struggle to find a rhythm. That’s especially true when the Ravens aren’t playing their starters, as they did for the second straight week.

Still, Baltimore’s offense, for at least the first half, was much better than a week ago and had its moments in a 13-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons on a warm but overcast Saturday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium.

Notably, quarterback Josh Johnson had a near-perfect passer rating and led Baltimore to its only touchdown drive of the first half in the second quarter. But that was only part of what stood out for the Ravens, who ended their three-game preseason losing streak.

Who stood out

Quarterback Josh Johnson: A week after completing just four passes in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles, Johnson connected on that many on one drive, leading to the Ravens’ lone touchdown of the first half.

Three passes in particular stood out, with the 38-year-old veteran hitting receiver Malik Cunningham for 13 yards to convert on fourth-and-2 from the 50-yard line, then nicely leading receiver Tylan Wallace over the middle for what ended up being a 31-yard gain to the Falcons’ 5. Three players later, Johnson hit running back Owen Wright on a short play-action pass for the 6-yard score.

Earlier in the game, Johnson also connected with Keith Kirkwood for a 26-yard gain with a zippy throw on a deep out.

Johnson ended the day perfect, completing 11 of 11 passes to eight targets for 120 yards and a touchdown in the first half. He also had a nice 8-yard scramble.

Baltimore Ravens DB Beau Brade is hit by Falcons OL John Leglue after getting his hands on the ball in the second half of pre-season game at M&T Bank Stadium. The play was deemed to be an incomplete pass to an Atlanta receiver. (Kim Hairston/Staff)

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Baltimore Ravens DB Beau Brade is hit by Falcons OL John Leglue after getting his hands on the ball in the second half of pre-season game at M&T Bank Stadium. The play was deemed to be an incomplete pass to an Atlanta receiver. (Kim Hairston/Staff)

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Inside linebacker Trenton Simpson: There’s never been any question about Simpson’s speed, and he showed it off against the Falcons.

On Atlanta’s opening possession, the 2023 third-round draft pick rushed Taylor Heinicke on third-and-11 and got a quarterback hit, helping force an incompletion with Jalyn Armour-Davis breaking up the pass on the other end. Simpson also had a tackle for loss, nabbing running back Jase McClellan in the backfield, and made a nice open-field tackle on Heinicke on third-and-9 one play later to keep the Falcons well short of the first down.

Lastly, and just as he has all training camp, Simpson showed good skills in pass coverage, which included a pass breakup on tight end John FitzPatrick.

Outside linebacker David Ojabo: After not being cleared by doctors for last week’s opener against the Eagles despite practicing all week, Ojabo made his preseason debut and didn’t disappoint.

After showing good burst, power and consistently being in the backfield in practice all week, the 2022 second-round pick carried those same traits to the game. On the stat sheet, he was credited with just one quarterback hit, but he was bothersome and disruptive on a handful of occasions and showed off his bend when it came to getting around the edge.

That’s an encouraging sign for a player who is not only just nine months removed from ACL surgery but will be expected to be a significant contributor to the Ravens’ pass rush.

Wide receiver Anthony Miller: The 29-year-old veteran has been with the Ravens for only a week but has continued to make plays both in practice and now in his first game action.

First, he worked his way open for an 8-yard catch on third-and-4 from his own 25 late in the first quarter. One play later, he snagged another ball for a 2-yard gain. Then he made a short catch for a 6-yard gain before being shoved out of bounds.

Three catches on three targets is a solid start for a player who could push to make the 53-man roster if rookie fourth-round pick Devontez Walker ends up starting the season on injured reserve. Walker, who missed practice Thursday, did not have a catch and played on special teams.

Who didn’t stand out

Guard-center Ben Cleveland: It already seems that Cleveland has fallen by the wayside in the competition for the starting right guard spot with the Ravens continuing to give Daniel Faalele first-team snaps there, as they did again Saturday. Cleveland didn’t help himself at backup center, either.

With the Ravens on the move in the second quarter and facing a third-and-2 from the Falcons’ 22, Cleveland snapped the ball clear over Johnson’s head as the quarterback was still signaling the play.

A 2021 third-round pick who is now in his fourth year, the expectation was that Cleveland would be a dependable starter, but that just hasn’t been the case. He played well when he was on the field last season, and he’ll likely make the 53-man roster, but he stood out for the wrong reason Saturday.

Outside linebacker Tavius Robinson: The 6-foot-6, 262-pound second-year edge rusher has the physical makeup of a player who should be a contributor off the bench.

Too often, however, he’s struggled to get off blocks and therefore did not get to the quarterback or have much of an impact. Robinson finished with a pair of tackles, but too often was late to the play.

The saving grace for the 2023 fourth-round pick, however, was that he stuffed McClellan on the Falcons’ 2-point conversion attempt with under a minute to play to seal the victory.

Quarterback Devin Leary: The Ravens’ third-string quarterback played only sparingly and did not impress in the short time he was on the field.

A week after he had a some receivers running the wrong routes, Leary completed just one of three passes on a drive late in the second quarter — and Dayton Wade did most of the work on the 11-yard play — before being replaced by Emory Jones at the start of the second half. Jones later connected with Wade for a 56-yard touchdown pass after the undrafted receiver made a nice double move to get free down the left sideline.

Leary returned late in the fourth quarter but finished just 3-for-5 with 24 yards.

Offensive line: Ravens running backs had just 71 yards on 30 carries, and while Wright and Chris Collier shoulder some of the blame, they often had little in the way of holes to run through.

It was telling, for example, that right tackle Roger Rosengarten, right guard Faalele and center Cleveland were all on the field to open the second half after Rosengarten and Faalele started the game.

The rest of Saturday’s starting offensive line, including Josh Jones at left tackle, Andrew Vorhees at left guard and Patrick Mekari at center, was shoved around some and lacked the kind of push to open up running lanes.

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Ravens Insider: Risers and fallers: Josh Johnson, David Ojabo stand out in Ravens’ 13-12 preseason win over Falcons

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