ExtremeRavens Posted August 17 Posted August 17 Backup quarterback Josh Johnson might have eased some concerns about him possibly filling in for starter Lamar Jackson with a solid performance Saturday in the Ravens’ 13-12 win against the Atlanta Falcons in the second preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium. Johnson, a 10-year veteran, had a spotty performance a week ago in the preseason opener, completing only 4 of 12 passes for 62 yards in a 16-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He was slow as far as making his reads, which also resulted in poor decision-making. But Saturday, Johnson completed all 11 of his passes for 120 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Owen Wright in the second quarter before being relieved at halftime. The 38-year-old veteran appeared more in control of the offense and threw some nice touch passes, including ones of 31 and 26 yards. Just as important, Johnson appeared in control of the offense, redirecting offensive personnel before the snap. The Ravens could still possibly bring in another quarterback, but they have to feel better about Johnson after Saturday’s game. “I think I can handle everything that’s expected of me [with] regards to the operation of the offense,” Johnson said. “My style of play may not be as exciting as Lamar [Jackson], but in terms of making the plays that are necessary, I can do that. For me, I use my experience to my advantage. Being able to know what the defense is doing and knowing where guys should be, I know how to handle the protections and all those different things. So, I just try to make sure to bring that to practice and in the game, and every game.” David Ojabo shows progress … The Ravens couldn’t get outside linebacker David Ojabo cleared to play last week, but he had a strong performance against Atlanta. Ojabo, a second-round draft pick out of Michigan in 2022, has missed most of the past two seasons with leg injuries and the team has worked hard to get him into playing shape for the 2024 season. The 6-foot-4, 252-pound edge rusher played well Saturday. He wasn’t credited with any tackles but had one quarterback hit and several pressures that forced Falcons quarterbacks to step up in the pocket. The Ravens are counting on Ojabo to have a strong season, especially after their top edge rusher, Jadeveon Clowney, signed with the Carolina Panthers during the offseason. Clowney led the team’s outside linebackers with 9 1/2 sacks in 2023. The Ravens want Ojabo to work into a rotation with fellow outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh. On Saturday, Ojabo showed good speed to the outside and was able to change direction once his progress was halted. He still needs to hold the edge longer, but that will probably come with more playing time or until a running back breaks a long run off the edge he vacated. “It seemed like [Ojabo] was out there, and he was a factor,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “It looked like he was really stout against the run. I thought he set some edges really well. He had his eyes back inside — falling back on the ball — trying to get in the C-gap a few times, and then, [his] pass rush was a factor out there. He had some pressures. He looked good.” … but offensive line doesn’t The Ravens started Ben Clevleand at center, Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees at the guard positions and rookie Roger Rosengarten and Josh Jones at the tackle spots, but the group wasn’t impressive. The unit wasn’t very dominant up front and seldom got much movement off the ball. There were times when the pass protection was better than the run blocking, which is ironic considering the Ravens have had one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL over the past five years. The biggest mistake came on third-and-2 from the Falcons’ 22-yard line with 12:04 left in the first half when Cleveland snapped the ball out of the shotgun to Johnson, who wasn’t ready. Atlanta recovered the loose ball on its own 43, ending a promising drive. We’ll take that ball if you don’t want it!@brandon_dorlus FOX | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/jnUXhRNymO — Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) August 17, 2024 Baltimore had 301 yards of total offense, but only 71 rushing yards on 30 attempts. “Yes, that was just a miscommunication,” Cleveland said. “We were trying to go fast, and I was trying to get guys lined up, and everybody was talking and talking. You hear something from this side and something from that side, and I thought I heard the cadence. That’s completely my mess up, and [it’s] on me, so we’ve just got to figure out how to differentiate that — the quarterback’s voice to everybody else’s voice — and move forward and not let it happen again.” Cornerback ups and downs Third-year cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis had a strong training camp and has played well in two preseason games. Davis, often bothered by injuries earlier in his career, had two tackles against Atlanta and broke up one pass. Even when he didn’t knock down a pass, his coverage was strong, especially his recovering and closing speed. One player, though, who has struggled has been cornerback Damarion “Pepe” Williams, who has lacked a strong physical presence since the start of camp. Williams had four tackles Saturday, but also missed a couple of tackles on running backs to the outside. Ravens tight end Riley Sharp lifts wide receiver Dayton Wade after the undrafted receiver scored a 56-yard touchdown against the Falcons on Saturday. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Undrafted rookie makes a play The best fake of the game came from Ravens undrafted rookie wide receiver Dayton Wade, who gave Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams a quick squat or sit down move before blowing by him and catching a 56-yard touchdown pass near the left side line from Emory Jones. Hellams did a lot of talking after the catch, but there wasn’t much he could say. “I got the play out of the huddle, knew it was a double move, I got off coverage, and [Falcons cornerback Anthony Johnson] was playing hard inside. I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to set it a little more,’ because I know, previously, I ran the same route, which I ran the double move off of, and they were just playing hard inside and sitting on it,” Wade said. “I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to make sure I really sell it,’ just so I can get the defender to drive, and when I’m coming out of my break, I just know he’s going to try to put hands on me, because I know I’m going to [burn] him right there. So, I got his hands off of me, saw the ball in the air [to] drive and track the ball.” Backup quarterback watch If the Ravens are still in the market for a backup quarterback, they got a nice audition tape from Atlanta’s Taylor Heinicke, who completed 8 of 16 passes for 114 yards. They should also continue to monitor the situation in Cleveland, where the Browns have Jameis Winston at No. 2 followed by former Ravens backup Tyler Huntley and second-year player Dorian Thompson-Robinson backing up starter Deshauwn Watson. Harbaugh said he was happy with his current quarterbacks on the roster, but that could change quickly. Adisa Isaac impresses Outside linebacker Adisa Isaac had a strong game for the Ravens, finishing with four tackles. The rookie from Penn State was relentless in pursuit, and few of the Falcons could block him cleanly. Isaac was drafted in the third round in April but was put on the non-football injury list because of a hamstring injury on July 15. When on the field, it appears this kid can play. “He was a factor, rushing the passer [and] in the run game,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a big guy. He’s explosive. He’s not as far along as David [Ojabo] is — as far as the conditioning part of it — because he had the hamstring [injury], so he’s going to be sore tomorrow; I’m quite sure. Hopefully, we can get him back in time for next week, just because that’s tough to get out there and work that kind of … play in a real game with that kind of [explosiveness] and that kind of speed when it’s hot out there without as much conditioning. “So, I do worry about that a little bit with him, but I am happy about the way he played. He sure looked good. He’s kind of got a start there.” Keep an eye on Anthony Miller It might be wishful thinking to believe veteran receiver Anthony Miller will make the roster, but he just keeps making plays. He had only three catches for 16 yards Saturday, but he certainly put Johnson in a comfort zone by completing several quick outs early in the first quarter. View the full article Quote
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