Ravens GameBlog: Flacco fills in, Ravens fall to Rams 24-10
Joe Flacco came into tonight's game expecting to see maybe 10 or 15 minutes of playing time in the fourth quarter. As things turned out, he got a lot more game action than that.
Troy Smith, who was scheduled to start at quarterback, came down with a stomach virus before the game, and Kyle Boller, Smith's competition for the starting job, is nursing a shoulder injury. That left the rookie, who has been all but eliminated from consideration for the starting job, as the only option under center.
Flacco struggled in the first half, at some points looking badly outmatched, but he made some adjustments and seemed to gain more confidence as the game progressed. He finished 18-for-37 for 152 yards and a TD.
Despite leading the team to only 209 yards of total offense, the Delaware product did not turn the ball over the entire game, something that can not often be said for Boller or Smith.
"It felt good," Flacco said. "It was a really good chance for me to get in there and get my feet wet. There are things that I would like to do better. But it's a great learning experience."
Overall, however, the offense failed to capitalize on opportunities and the defense had its second straight poor performance.
Baltimore converted on just 1-of-13 third downs and St. Louis moved the chains 26 times to the Ravens' 10. With the exception of a few nice special teams plays and Baltimore's opening drive of the second half, things did not go too smoothly.
On that drive, Flacco went 4-for-4 for 61 yards, all of which went to receiver Derrick Mason. The two capped off the drive by connecting on a fade route for the Ravens' first passing touchdown of the preseason.
Mason finished with an impressive 85 yards receiving, and Le'Ron McClain chipped in with 41 yards rushing on 8 carries.
The two teams traded field goals in the opening quarter, but the Rams pulled away with back-to-back touchdown passes from Marc Bulger in the second. Bulger found Keenan Burton for a 4 yard TD which was initially rulled incomplete because Burton looked like he had landed out of bounds.
Rams coach Scott Linehan challenged the call, and the ruling was overturned, giving St. Louis the lead. On the Rams' next drive, Travis Minor brought the lead to 14 with a 1 yard TD catch.
After Mason's touchdown cut the lead in half, Rams' running back Lance Ball countered with a 5 yard TD run, and the Ravens were not able to get any closer.
Tom Zbikowski had a showcase game, blocking a punt in the first half and grabbing an interception in the second. Zbikowski, Jim Leonhard and Haruki Nakamura all played fairly well in place of injured safety Ed Reed, who is still out with a shoulder injury. Leonhard also showed up big on special teams, coming through with a couple nice punt returns.
Unfortunately, Smith's stomach illness prevented the former Heisman Trophy winner from being able to distance himself in the race for the starting spot. Boller initially was scheduled to fill in, but he experienced stiffness in his shoulder while warming up before the game. Boller was injured last week against the Vikings.
Flacco's chance at extended playing time will be great for his progression as an NFL quarterback, but it surely doesn't help head coach John Harbaugh as he tries to name a starter for the Sept. 7 opener against the Cincinatti Bengals. The performances of Smith and Boller in the final preseason game (Thursday at home against the Falcons) suddenly look like they will go a long way to determining who gets the nod to start the regular season.
Dan Kolko's GameBlog
D gives up 7 more
Any momentum the Ravens might have gotten from their first passing touchdown of the preseason was erased almost immediately, as former Maryland Terrapin Lance Ball scampered into the end zone from 5 yards out to give the Rams a 24-10 lead.
The big play of the drive came on Keenan Burton's 40 yard reception over Cory Ivy. Burton now has 63 yards receiving and a TD on the evening.
Flacco has the gun, but starting to show touch
Joe Flacco has one of the strongest arms in the NFL. Trust me. The guy can fling a ball 65 yards with just the flick of a wrist. But what impressed me the most tonight wasn't the strong arm he showed, it was the touch he displayed on the Ravens' first drive of the second half.
Flacco had a double-move going with Derrick Mason, and the rookie QB sold the pump fake beautifully. He then lofted a pass that was a little underthrown, but the pump fake had bought Mason so much space that he was able to make the catch and still turn upfield for a few extra yards.
His second nice pass of the drive resulted in the points. Flacco again looked for Mason, and tossed a nice fade pass into the end zone which Mason grabbed for the TD.
Troy Smith's stomach illness and Kyle Boller' shoulder injury have given Flacco a great opportunity that not many rookie quarterbacks get -- playing an entire preseason game. Flacco is getting a chance to work through his mistakes and learn as he goes, and while it might hurt the Ravens that neither Smith nor Boller can play tonight, the "future" is getting great on-the-job training.
Flacco comes out of the locker room looking sharp
Where did this offense come from?
I'm not sure what John Harbaugh told his team in the locker room, but whatever it was, it worked. Joe Flacco lead a beautiful drive, taking the Ravens 75 yards on seven plays, capped by a 15 yard touchdown pass to Derrick Mason. Mason just got both feet in bounds, and the Ravens had their first passing touchdown of the preseason.
Halftime Thoughts
One might expect the Ravens' offense to struggle with Joe Flacco forced under center for the full game, but the struggles on the defensive side of the ball are the bigger concern.
The front-seven has gotten little pressure on Marc Bulger, and they haven't been able to contain reserve running backs Antonio Pittman and Travis Minor. Cornerback Chris McAlister and safety Ed Reed are not in uniform again tonight, but the Ravens can't keep making that excuse. They simply have to perform better on the defensive end.
Perhaps the lone bright spot has been the special teams. Kick returner Yamon Figurs has shown the ability to break one any time he touches the ball, and Tom Zbikowski was able to break through the line on a punt and get a piece of the kick.
Sam Koch has also had a few booming punts, and twice has downed the Rams within their own 10.
Rams tack on 7 more just before the half
The Ravens' secondary is getting picked apart and rookie Joe Flacco hasn't been able to do much on the offensive end to even things out.
Marc Bulger has gotten the Rams in the end zone on consecutive drives, with Travis Minor bringing in a 1 yard TD pass just before halftime to give the Rams a 17-3 lead. Bulger went 18-for-25 for 182 yards and the two touchdowns in the first 30 minutes, with Flacco going just 4-of-13 for 33 yards.
Rams back on top thanks to instant replay
You've got to love instant replay -- unless it gives your opponent seven extra points.
St. Louis coach Scott Linehan tossed out his red flag after Keenan Burton was called out of bounds in the end zone, and the officials overturned the initial call, giving the Rams a touchdown and a 10-3 lead.
Burton ran a fade route, brought in Marc Bulger's pass, and got his knee down just before the rest of his body landed out of bounds, and St. Louis is back on top.
Steven Jackson who?
St. Louis' star running back is not playing tonight after just ending his extended holdout earlier this week, but Antonio Pittman and Travis Minor are literally carrying the workload, and looking just fine in the process.
The two running backs have combined for 66 yards on 15 carries, and have made the Ravens' defensive front look very average.
Special teams living up to the name
John Harbaugh spent 9 years as the special teams coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. He has to be loving what he's seeing so far tonight. Yamon Figurs had a 37 yard kickoff return to start the Ravens' first possession, and a few minutes later, rookie Tom Zbikowski blocked a punt, setting the Ravens up at the Rams 20 yard line.
Joe Flacco led Baltimore inside the 10, but they couldn't bust it into the end zone, and Matt Stover knotted the game at 3 with a 22 yard field goal.
Flacco through 1 quarter
Joe Flacco will have a fantastic opportunity tonight, as he will not only play the whole game, but see live action with the Ravens first-string offense (minus Todd Heap and Willis McGahee.)
Through the first quarter, Flacco is 1-for-5 for 14 yards. The Rams are stacking the box to stop the run, almost taunting the rookie to throw the ball. He hasn't looked sharp so far, but hasn't made any serious mental mistakes either.
He was called for an intentional grounding call, and forced a throw into traffic when he had pressure in his face, but he hasn't turned the ball over, which is a definite plus for Ravens fans who are used to watching Kyle Boller lead the Ravens down the field and then give the ball away.
Walker getting picked on
Frank Walker had a rough go of it last week against the Vikings, getting burned deep a couple times and missing some tackles. Apparently the Rams were taking notes, because they have come out and attacked Walker on deep routes twice in as many drives.
This time, Walker has been up to the task, knocking a pass out of the hands of Drew Bennett, and hanging with Dane Looker step-for-step on a go route down the sideline.
Walker is competing for one of the backup cornerback spots on the roster, and will have to keep up his good play to hang with Cory Ivy and Derrick Martin.
Ray's night over
Ray Lewis is done for the night. Lewis played the first drive of the game, and then Nick Greisen came in to replace him.
Not a bad way to earn a paycheck. Play five minutes, take a shower, watch your friends play football.
Rams on the board early
Yet again, the Ravens first-string defense came out of the locker room looking a little rusty. They allowed Marc Bulger to move the Rams down the field with relative ease, but clamped down in their own territory, holding St. Louis to a 37 yard field goal.
Ray Lewis made a key stop of Bulger on third down to force the field goal. Joe Flacco is on the field with the Ravens offense to try and get the Ravens on the board.
BREAKING NEWS
Troy Smith, previously slated to start for the Ravens at quarterback, will not play tonight because of a stomach illness. Rookie Joe Flacco will step in and is expected to play the entire game, as Kyle Boller is nursing a shoulder injury, and will only appear in an emergency.
Flacco is coming off a solid performance last week against the Minnesota Vikings, going 10-for-15 passing for 74 yards.
The Rams have possession to start the game.
Lineup Changes
For the Ravens:
LT Chad Slaughter is in for Jared Gaither
TE Adam Bergen is in for Todd Heap
RB Ray Rice is in for Willis McGahee
NT J'Vonne Parker is in for Kelly Gregg
DE Justin Bannan is in for Haloti Ngata
CB Frank Walker is in for Chris McAlister
S Jim Leonhard is in for Ed Reed
Game Preview
Baltimore Ravens at St. Louis Rams
The third preseason game is typically the best chance that coaches and fans get to see what their team will look like before the regular season gets underway. Starters usually begin the game and play a full half, if not more.
Head coach John Harbaugh has made it clear that although Troy Smith is getting the start tonight, he will not necessarily be the Ravens' starting quarterback when the Sept. 7 opener rolls around. He sure will have a chance to earn that title with a good performance, however.
Smith had a similar opportunity last week against the Vikings, but went just 3-of-5 passing for 25 yards. Harbaugh said he wants another look at what Smith can do, and so yet again, the former Heisman Trophy winner will have the pressure squarely on his shoulders.
How the second-year QB performs is the obvious story line going into the Ravens match-up with the Rams, but here are three other things to keep an eye on Saturday night:
Baltimore's 1st string defense
The top defensive unit did not perform well against Minnesota a week ago, allowing two touchdowns and a field goal in the Vikings' first three possessions. Yes, safety Ed Reed, cornerback Chris McAlister, and linebacker Terrell Suggs did not play, but the effort of those who did suit up did not please defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. At halftime last Saturday, Ryan expressed his disappointment in his squad, saying, "That wasn't Ravens defense."
Reed will not play yet again tonight, but Suggs and McAlister should be back on the field for part of the first half. It's important for the first-string to get their swagger back, as most of these guys will not play in the preseason finale against the Falcons.
The tight end position
Todd Heap and Daniel Wilcox are starting to work their way back from injuries, and it will be interesting to see how much playing time each is given tonight. The coaching staff wants to be especially careful with Heap, who had a hamstring injury that ended his season last year and a calf injury that kept him out of most of training camp this year.
Wilcox has not seen a lot of live action after returning from his offseason toe surgery, but the last two preseason games will be a good test to see where he stands.
After Heap and Wilcox, who will get the most reps at tight end? Third-year man Adam Bergen has been impressive, and could be battling for a roster spot. Edgar Jones, who made the switch from linebacker to tight end this week might see some time as well.
Terry back in action
Offensive tackle Adam Terry returned to the field this week after missing most of training camp with a sprained ankle. His timing couldn't be better, as getting some playing time in tonight's game will allow him to get closer to game speed, and if things go well, he can rest for most of the final preseason game to ensure he is ready for the Sept. 7 opener.
Terry will immediately jump back to the first-string unit, strengthening the protection for QB Troy Smith.
I think Flacco is developing well. He is improving at every opportunity, starting to show signs that he deserves being a first-round pick. Hopefully next week we will see what Troy Smith can do, since he missed that opportunity last night when he had stomach problems. I still believe that Smith should start opening day, but Flacco should start sometime during the season if the other options are exhausted.
As for the defense: Last night's performance has done nothing to calm my worries. I know its preseason, but some players just need to step up for the occasion. Offenses are moving much to easily against the defense