It was a special treat for Ravens fans who live near Annapolis and in southern Anne Arundel County… and it may grow into a regular trend if owner Steve Bisciottti has his way.
Over 20,000 fans flocked to the Navy’s home football stadium to watch a Ravens practice.
Pretty impressive turnout on a Sunday afternoon in August— and the Navy PR department made sure it was a festive atmosphere…
Safety Bernard Pollard said he was shocked and amazed by the exuberance of the fans in Annapolis who turned out for a Sunday afternoon practice held as one of the team’s few open practices this year…
More improtantly, perhaps, the Ravens got some good work done. Nice workouts on 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills… and some simulated game-condition field goal kicking from both incumbent Billy Cundiff and rookie challenger Justin Tucker.
Meanwhile, some “bubble” guys were still high on their grades after last Thursday night’s exhibition against Atlanta…
Like rookie safety Omar Brown, who picked up three turnovers in the Falcons game…
As Sarah Ellison reported from Ravens.com’s NFL site, the Ravens have to be feeling good about their rookie free agent class – which head coach Harbaugh declared the best he’s seen since coming to Baltimore in 2008. Brown wasn’t the only one to make the head coach think twice about cutting him from the roster.
Below are four players – three being rookie free agents – that are longshots to make the team, but had glowing performances in the Ravens’ preseason opening 31-17 win in Atlanta.
Brown: “Omar Brown again?” tweeted Matt Vensel after the Marshall alumnus notched the trifecta in his first NFL game. He recovered two fumbles and nabbed an interception, his first three-turnover game since high school. He also tied Albert McClellan for the team lead with five tackles. Brown was a key contributor in the Ravens’ ability to come from behind and outscore Atlanta 31-3 down the stretch to secure the preseason victory.
Receiver Deonte Thompson: This Florida rookie free agent’s standout performance didn’t come as a surprise to fans that have been following his buzz in training camp. Thursday night’s performance, in which Thompson led all Ravens receivers with three catches for 53 yards, was just a continuation of what he’s done in practice. He consistently got behind the Atlanta secondary and his biggest highlight was a 22-yard touchdown grab that gave the Ravens the lead for the first time. “[He] wore out the Falcons’ backup defensive backs, who simply couldn’t cover him,” wrote CSNBaltimore.com’s John Eisenberg.
But his bid for a roster spot is still far from over in a crowded receiving corps. In addition to Tandon Doss, LaQuan Williams and David Reed, Thompson is also competing against Ravens sixth-round pick Tommy Streeter. Baltimore rarely likes to cut its draft selections. “[Streeter] has the size and speed (6-5, 4.4) that NFL teams covet,” wrote CBSSports.com’s Jason Butt. “But undrafted rookie Deonte Thompson might be leading him at this time in the race for the final receiver spot on the 53-man roster. His speed is unquestioned, and he certainly raised some eyebrows with his play.”
Running back Bobby Rainey: What a night for the compact 5-foot-8, 212-pounder who is competing with rookie Bernard Pierce, first-year back Damien Berry and second-year vet Anthony Allen for the No. 2 job behind Ray Rice. “[Rainey] won this first game easily,” Eisenberg wrote of the competition.
Not only is the Western Kentucky star built like Rice (same height and weight), but he produced like the Pro Bowler too. He rushed for 36 yards on 12 carries and also caught three passes for 28 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown pass was Rice-like too, pulling in a screen pass and then zigging and zagging his way through defenders for the 18-yard score. Oh, and he added 76 yards on special teams. “Rainey made a case that he should be given some second-team reps next week, that is if third-round rookie Bernard Pierce remains out with a hamstring injury,” wrote Butt.
Quarterback Curtis Painter: The former Peyton Manning backup is trying to convince the Ravens to allocate a third coveted roster spot to the quarterback position. Painter threw three second-half touchdown passes to lead the Ravens in the come-from-behind win. He finished the night completing 7-of-14 passes for 76 yards and a 106.0 quarterback rating. “Curtis Painter, where has this been all training camp?” asked Vensel. For real. If the four-year veteran is going to stick around, he will need to do more of the same over the next several weeks.
All these guys shined at Annapolis on Sunday. There is undoubtedly a good feeling surrounding this 2012 Ravens team going into the final stretch of the preseason. 20,000 fans in Annapolis will vouch for that statement.
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