BALTIMORE — The Ravens’ offense failed to record a first down for almost 20 minutes, and its top running back finished with 0 yards on three carries. But the opportunistic defense created six turnovers, and that was enough to give the Ravens a 17-14 win against the New Orleans Saints in the preseason opener at M&T Bank Stadium Aug. 14.
As expected, quarterback Lamar Jackson did not play after taking part in just five practices since returning from the league’s reserve/COVID-19 list. Jackson took part in some warmup drills before the game but then watched from the sideline out of uniform.
The Ravens were also missing several other key starters on offense, including tight end Mark Andrews, wide receivers Marquise Brown and Sammy Watkins, running backs Gus Edwards and Patrick Ricard and offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley and Kevin Zeitler, and it showed during a sluggish first quarter in which the Ravens totaled 17 yards of offense.
But the Ravens forced turnovers on three of the Saints’ first four possessions to compensate, and after Tyler Huntley’s 7-yard touchdown run gave the Ravens a 17-14 lead midway through the fourth quarter, rookie Shaun Wade sealed the win for the Ravens with an interception of Saints rookie quarterback Ian Book with 1:42 left.
Here are five quick observations of the win, which extends the Ravens’ preseason winning streak to 18 games dating to 2015:
1. The Ravens need that starting offensive line ASAP.
The Ravens have yet to see what their presumed starting offensive line will look like, but they have to hope it looks a lot better than the patchwork group that faced the Saints.
All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) has been sidelined all preseason and right guard Kevin Zeitler (foot) has missed seven straight practices as well. Complicating things, rookie third-round pick Ben Cleveland, a candidate to start at left guard, has been sidelined the past few days by an undisclosed injury, and starting center Bradley Bozeman left the game with an ankle injury, though head coach John Harbaugh said after the game he was optimistic it wasn’t serious.
Against the Saints, the Ravens started Tyre Phillips at left tackle, Ben Powers at left guard, Bozeman at center, Patrick Mekari at right guard and Alejandro Villanueva at right tackle. Throughout the remainder of the first half, they tried various other combinations, with Powers playing right tackle at times, Trystan Colon playing center and left guard, and Phillips moving from tackle to guard.
That group was overmatched early, and the Ravens didn’t record a first down in the first quarter. McSorley was often under duress, and the Saints got surge up front against the run. On their second series, the Ravens went for the first down on fourth-and-1 and running back J.K. Dobbins was buried for a loss of 1.
In the first half, Ravens running backs totaled 15 yards on 10 carries.
It’s still unclear when the Ravens will have their entire starting offensive line on the field together, but that day can’t come soon enough.
2. In the backup quarterback competition, Tyler Huntley’s creativity can’t be ignored.
One of the most pressing questions facing general manager Eric DeCosta and the Ravens’ brass is whether to keep two or three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. (And will Lamar Jackson’s vaccination status weigh in that decision?)
The competition between Trace McSorley and Tyler Huntley has been hotly contested throughout camp, and neither has created much separation from the other. This game showed more of the same, though Huntley’s big-play ability and ability to improvise proved to be the biggest difference between them.
McSorley played the first half, suggesting he holds a slight lead in the competition, and although he did lead one good drive when the Ravens went up-tempo, he struggled mightily behind a patchwork offensive line that didn’t give him much room to operate.
He finished 11-for-18 for 86 yards and one interception, a deep shot intended for Duvernay down the sideline that sailed too far inside and was picked off by Bryce Thompson.
Harbaugh said after the game that McSorley dealing with back spasms that affected his mobility, though he did have one 22-yard scramble.
Huntley played the entire second half, finishing 12-for-16 for 79 yards passing and a team-high 43 yards rushing on seven carries.
Huntley rolled out to create room to throw at times, but he also used his quickness to escape pressure and create something out of nothing, such as when he avoided a sack and raced for a 17-yard gain.
Huntley’s 7-yard touchdown run on a read-option gave the Ravens the lead for good in the fourth quarter.
But Huntley made a costly error as well. After moving the Ravens 74 yards in 10 plays, Huntley took a big hit and fumbled at the Saints’ 15-yard line. It seemed Huntley had a chance to throw the ball away but tried to make a play instead and paid a big price.
“I’ve got to get down a little quicker,” Huntley said.
Still, when the play breaks down, Huntley looks to be more creative and dangerous than McSorley. With an offensive line that looks susceptible to breakdowns, should that factor in the backup quarterback decision?
3. The backup safeties stood out.
While the offensive line depth has to be a concern, the Ravens depth at safety shined. Safety Geno Stone recorded a pair of interceptions, undrafted rookie A’Darius Washington forced a fumble to stop a Saints drive, and third-round rookie Brandon Stephens was all over the field, finishing with a team-high six tackles as he continues to show big upside.
The game was some sort of validation for Stone, a seventh-round draft pick by the Ravens who ultimately was cut late last season, then briefly spent time with the Houston Texans before returning to Baltimore in the spring.
Stone’s first interception came when Saints quarterback Taysom Hill rushed a throw with Stephens bearing down on him. Late in the first half, Stone picked off a pass after cornerback Chris Westry tipped the ball away from Saints receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey.
Washington, meanwhile, stymied a Saints drive as he forced a fumble that was recovered by Aaron Adeoye late in the third quarter. Washington, an undrafted rookie from Texas Christian, faces long odds to make the 53-man roster, but coaches praise his instincts and his nose for the ball, which was on display yet again.
“Guys were flying to the ball, just showing effort and showing that we deserve to be Ravens,” Stephens said. “I was pleased with how we performed.”
4. Patrick Queen says he is “two steps faster now” and it showed.
Patrick Queen didn’t play much, but the Ravens’ second-year linebacker showed the speed that is expected to be at the heart of the Ravens’ defense this year.
Queen’s abbreviated night was punctuated with one two-play sequence late in the first quarter. Queen diagnosed a pass play to Devonta Freeman, pursued him toward the sideline and hammered the Saints running back for a 3-yard loss. Then on the next play, Queen sacked Taysom Hill for a 12-yard loss.
“He was a rocket going to get that, and that’s how you expect him to play,” Harbaugh said. “He did a lot of good things.”
Queen played just the first quarter, but he finished with four tackles, and he said he is playing “two steps faster now” in his second season.
Queen, the Ravens’ first-round draft pick a year ago, is naturally the leader in the middle of the defense and led the Ravens with 105 tackles last year. But he admitted that last year he was at times overzealous and lost discipline, or was fooled by a quarterback’s eyes and lost his man in coverage.
Harbaugh says players make the biggest jump from Year 1 to Year 2, and that’s likely to be even more true for this group of second-year players, who got no real offseason or preseason games as rookies.
On a night when the defense shined brightest, the Ravens have to like what little they saw from Queen in this game.
5. Joint practices with Carolina are the next big step.
The Ravens played the preseason opener without more than a half-dozen offensive starters, and valid questions persist about what this offense will ultimately look like, given how many missing parts there have been throughout training camp.
The Ravens travel to Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., next week for two days of joint practices with the Carolina Panthers in advance of the preseason game against the Panthers Aug. 21, and the Ravens hope to get a little more clarity about their offense then.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews and wide receiver Sammy Watkins should all be available for the joint practices, which Harbaugh has said offer as much value as preseason games, and wide receiver Marquise Brown looks to be close to returning from the hamstring injury that has limited him to just two practices this summer.
Running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards should be more involved as well. Dobbins finished with 0 yards on three carries during that sluggish first quarter against the Saints, and Edwards missed the game because of a family issue, Harbaugh said.
Of course, the offensive line will still be a work in progress, so that’s a concern, but this week the Ravens should be able to take a few meaningful steps forward as an offense.
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