Find out what Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh had to say after the Raven’s open practice on 8/12/12 at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium:
Plus check out the Ravens Camp Notes from 8/13/12-8/15/12 with Mike Fast:
Monday wasn’t the crispest practice they’ve had, but Baltimore still was able to get looks at players in different positions than they’ve been used to. Most notably, because veteran offensive guard Bobbie Williams got the day off, rookie offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele took his place at left guard. So far Osemele had mainly been a right tackle (Bryant McKinnie was the first-team left tackle and Michael Oher went back to the right side). Other than Marshal Yanda (right guard) and Matt Birk (center), the three other lineman positions have yet to be set. John Harbaugh talked about the mixing and matching going on at the position, saying “We’re gonna work different combinations.”
Speaking of lineman, the defensive line showed its depth as Ma’ake Kemoeatu took the first team reps at nose tackle, while Arthur Jones was the starting defensive end. Outside linebacker Albert McClellan also got reps at defensive end, showing how unpredictable this Ravens defense is. After practice, defensive line coach Clarence Brooks was asked about what it was like to lose Jarret Johnson (to San Diego). Brooks said, “People come and people go.” He mentioned that while the Ravens lost the veteran Johnson, they gained the veteran Kemoeatu (who was a Raven from 2002-05). Brooks also validated how deep Baltimore’s defensive line is, saying he feels good about getting a pass rush even without Terrell Suggs. Haloti Ngata continued to impress, as he showed good lateral quickness and the ability to blow past and through blockers. Still, Ngata says he’s just trying to do his part. “If I try to do more than my own job I find myself messing up the whole defense.”
Offensively, Joe Flacco had some nice touchdowns but also threw a couple of interceptions. Early on, he hit LaQuan Williams on a post route for a touchdown, right in-between Ed Reed and Jimmy Smith. Another Flacco highlight came when he completed a pass of over 50 yards to Anquan Boldin down the left sideline, beating Smith’s coverage. Flacco did a good job using a dummy snap count to see what the defensive pressure and coverages were so he could re-direct his offensive players.
Tuesday, Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said Joe Flacco was phenomenal last year in terms of getting to the line, identifying the defense then adjusting the offense accordingly. The Ravens have used a lot of no-huddle offense during camp, which Cameron says is basically a version of the two-minute drill. One of Flacco’s best passes of the day came early on when he connected with tight end Billy Bajema off of a play action bootleg for a touchdown. The pass went right in-between Jimmy Smith, Corey Graham and Emanuel Cook. Cameron further vouched for Flacco’s progression, saying, “He gets a little bit better at something every day.” Cameron also praised Flacco’s back-up, Tyrod Taylor: “He can light you up in the pocket.”
On Tuesday, Billy Cundiff was 5-for-7 on field goal attempts, missing two shorter attempts (one because of a high snap). Justin Tucker was 6-for-7 on field goal attempts. Wednesday, Billy Cundiff missed a 59-yard field goal, which Ed Reed fielded and tried to run back for a touchdown, until the whistle was blown around the 30-yard line. Sam Koch was 1-for-2 in his field goal attempts, making a 30-yarder. Billy Cundiff was 6-for-7, including two makes from 51 yards and from 52 yards.
While there’s no set order of starters and back-ups right now, in their first game action of the year, Cameron liked what he saw from his offensive line against Atlanta. “Everybody did something really well. Everybody had at least one mistake.”
Defensively, the Ravens had a great day Wednesday. Smith looked strong during 7-on-7 drills, when he defended a pass and then forced a fumble. Cook continued his campaign for playing time after he intercepted a pass from Flacco that went through Bobby Rainey‘s hands. Something the Ravens’ defense has been historically great at is confusing the offense with multiple coverages and blitz packages. Defensive coordinator Dean Pees talked about that after practice: “That’s the key…to disguise the blitz.” Cameron will attest to that, as he thinks very highly of Pees and his coaching ability. “He’s the best I’ve gone against. It’s very hard to decipher what they’re going to do.”
Deonte Thompson got a lot of reps as the second wide receiver, opposite Anquan Boldin.
John Harbaugh knows well the challenges of keeping his players, coaches and himself focused during this part of the football year. When asked how he does that, Harbaugh replied, “How can you not be focused? There’s a lot at stake.” Harbaugh was referring to what Bernard Pollard said after practice: “Today was just a great practice. We have something special Baltimore!!!”
The Ravens saved the most entertaining practice of camp until the end, as today a huge fight broke out that involved two separate groups of players. One rumble consisted of offensive lineman Jah Reid and Pollard, Cary Williams and a couple of other defensive backs. Arthur Jones and Gino Gradkowski were also throwing hands.
A couple of young players who impressed were quarterback Tyrod Taylor and wide receiver Tommy Streeter. Wednesday, Taylor threw a fade to Streeter for a touchdown, even though pass interference was called against cornerback Chykie Brown.
A fight broke out between Jah Reid and the Defensive Backs on Wednesday. What was also noteworthy about the fight was that Harbaugh always stayed calm. He didn’t yell or make them do sprints. Instead, he resumed practice at the same pace and on the same schedule as they had been on. As a matter of fact, he ended practice early. But, on one condition. Harbaugh cleared the field and has Sam Koch could punt to an offensive lineman (Michael Oher) and then to a defensive lineman (Terrence Cody). If the players successfully fielded the punt, practice would be over and their side of the ball wouldn’t have meetings tonight. Koch’s first punt caused Oher to take a few steps to his left before he cleanly caught the punt. Not to be outdone, Cody moved to his left and fielded Koch’s punt with his left arm only.
*Ravens next preseason game is home on Friday 8/17/12 and have an open practice schedule for Sunday, 8/18 at Stevenson University*
