ExtremeRavens Posted August 18 Posted August 18 Tavius Robinson’s clutch tackle on a 2-point attempt clinched the Ravens’ 13-12 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in their second preseason outing. Here are five things we learned from the game. David Ojabo reminded us he can be quite a sight coming off the edge This was how he and the Ravens imagined it — Ojabo whipping around his blocker’s outside shoulder and hurrying Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke into an incompletion. Ojabo has spent most of his NFL career fighting to feel like himself. First, a torn Achilles tendon delayed his start. Then, a knee injury cut short his hotly anticipated second season. If his luck does not turn in Year 3, will it ever? Doctors did not clear Ojabo for the Ravens’ preseason opener, but he was back on the field Saturday, and that rush on Heinicke reminded us why the team regarded him as a potential second-round steal in the 2022 draft. As much as anyone on the team, Ojabo needs encouraging game reps after playing so little in his first two seasons. “It seemed like when he was out there, he was a factor,” coach John Harbaugh said. “It’s great in practice, especially when you’re in pads. But the game is when it’s football. So to see guys step up in games is really important.” That hurry and a quarterback hit in the two-minute drill were the highlights of a promising performance in which pass rushing opportunities proved scarce. The Falcons often went with quick throws that flowed away from Ojabo. He dropped into coverage when Atlanta faced third-and-11 on its first drive. Even when he was touted as a first-round pass rusher, Ojabo drew more praise for his length and quickness than his power. He sometimes struggles to generate push when pitted one-on-one against NFL tackles, in this case Atlanta’s third-string left tackle, Julien Davenport. But he did fine setting the edge on a few running plays, and Harbaugh called his run defense “stout.” Falcons defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus, left, tries to get past Ravens guard Daniel Faalele during Saturday’s preseason game. (Kim Hairston/Staff) The Ravens’ offensive line plan was always risky. On Saturday, we saw the downside. The Ravens have spent the last month behaving as if Andrew Vorhees will start at left guard and Daniel Faalele at right guard. That’s a second-year guy who did not play at all last season as he rehabilitated a torn ACL and a converted right tackle who struggled in limited opportunities over his first two years. It’s risky, no matter what you think of Vorhees and Faalele’s potential. Kevin Zeitler’s pencil-it-in excellence is a thing of the past. With the caveat that offensive line play is difficult to judge in the moment, both guards started shakily Saturday. The Ravens’ first drive ended with Falcons defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro mauling quarterback Josh Johnson for a 12-yard loss after he easily shed Vorhees’ block. On their second offensive series, the Falcons stopped running back Owen Wright for no gain on second-and-6 in part because Faalele could not stay in front of his man in space. Wright and Chris Collier combined for a paltry 22 yards on 15 carries in the first half, scary stuff for an offense that counts on leading the league in ground efficiency. Johnson and Wright aren’t Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, but even deity-tier talents need room to work. If the Ravens’ offensive line does not grow up and grow together in a hurry — with coach George Warhop standing in for an ailing Joe D’Alessandris — its inconsistency could undermine everything else that’s good about the team’s offense. “Some, some bad,” Faalele said when asked to assess Saturday’s performance. “The good thing is, it’s still training camp, so we have a lot to work on.” He feels he’s making progress shortening up his pass blocking sets to account for the quicker pace of interior combat. He still texts Zeitler, now with the Detroit Lions, for tips. According to the timeline Harbaugh laid out at the beginning of camp, the Ravens are close to setting their line for the start of the season. They hope the unit, which could include three first-time starters in Vorhees, Faalele and right tackle Roger Rosengarten, will cohere, but that’s a projection based on limited, mixed evidence. “I feel like the more we play together, the more we mesh,” Faalele said. Josh Johnson answered his critics The 38-year-old Johnson’s 4-for-12 performance in the preseason opener had fans calling for general manager Eric DeCosta to make an emergency purchase on the backup quarterback market. Some touted Heinicke, the man starting for the other side Saturday, as a potential target. In a conversation after practice Thursday, Johnson said he doesn’t sweat the criticism. It comes with the territory when you’re backing up one of the league’s most exhilarating talents. Part of the reason the Ravens trust Johnson is that he’s seen and heard it all since he was drafted in 2008. If the worst happens and he has to step in for an injured Jackson, he won’t freak out. His cool was on display against Atlanta as he completed 11 of 11 passes, several into tight windows, to lead the Ravens to a 7-3 halftime advantage. “My style of play may not be as exciting as Lamar, but in terms of making the plays that are necessary, I can do that,” Johnson said. Game-by-game assessments of Johnson’s preseason are largely beside the point. No one is arguing he’s one of the league’s top backups or that he’s going to surprise us at this point in his career. But he knows Todd Monken’s offense inside and out, serves as a valuable sounding board for Jackson and comes at the right price for a team without much wiggle room under the salary cap. Starting the season with him at backup quarterback is no emergency, as he demonstrated Saturday. Anthony Miller has wasted no time making an impression Few of us thought much of it when the Ravens added the 2018 second-round draft pick as part of a wide receiver shopping spree that also brought Russell Gage to Baltimore. Though Miller gave the Chicago Bears reasonable production in his first three seasons, he’s caught all of six passes over the last three seasons, bouncing around practice squads and losing all of 2022 to a shoulder injury. But, man, did he catch the eye as soon as he pulled on a purple No. 5 jersey, running confident routes and accelerating away from coverage as other Ravens receivers trudged through the dog days of training camp. Miller didn’t bust any big plays against the Falcons but caught all three passes thrown his way as he continues his improbable push for a roster spot. It’s probably still a long shot given that Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor are entrenched in the top three spots while Tylan Wallace and Deonte Harty offer special teams value and fourth-round pick Devontez Walker is likely to stick because of his upside. If the Ravens had to play one of these guys in a must-win game next week, however, the 29-year-old Miller looks more ready to help than the rookie Walker, who has struggled to stand out in camp and is now dealing with a rib injury. Ben Cleveland is a man in search of a role The lone strong impression Cleveland made Saturday was a poor one as his errant, mistimed snap derailed a potential scoring drive. Not what you want from a player whose main purpose in camp has been stepping in for injured starter Tyler Linderbaum. “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,” Cleveland explained afterward. “That’s completely my mess up, and 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.” In theory, Cleveland’s ability to play center gives him a leg up in making the Ravens’ 53-man roster. He could also play right guard if Faalele falters. A versatile reserve is an attractive reserve. That said, Patrick Mekari started at center against the Falcons and would likely be the next man up if Linderbaum can’t go in the regular season (assuming Mekari isn’t playing right tackle). Meanwhile, the Ravens seem disinterested in giving Cleveland reps at guard. So we have to wonder if the 2021 third-round pick is finally running out of chances to carve out a meaningful place on the roster. There’s still a case to be made that Cleveland is more of a sure thing than Faalele. He has performed competently in seven career starts. It’s possible Faalele is getting all the first-team reps because he needs them for development while Cleveland is a known quantity. Unless something changes this week, however, the Ravens aren’t treating Cleveland as a candidate for any of their open jobs. If he can’t compete for snaps at his original position, and he’s not really the backup center, what is he to this team? View the full article Quote
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