What— Joe worry?
"We just have to tweak some things here and there," said Ravens QB Joe Flacco this past weekend before practice after a disappointing showing by his unit against the Falcons in PS2. "We've been down this road before."
Head Coach John Harbaugh had the team in full pads for Saturday’s practice at the Under Armour Performance Center, as they started working out the kinks from Thursday’s game.
“It was a good, tough practice,” Harbaugh said. “Our guys did a nice job. We got a lot of work done, and there was a lot to work on. I’m happy with where we’re at right now.”
Here were some of the highlights from the afternoon:
– Outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil didn’t practice as he suffered a minor groin injury against the Falcons. Despite missing practice, Harbaugh emphasized that the injury is not serious and Dumervil also told reporters after the game that he was fine.
– Tight end Ed Dickson (hamstring) and wide receiver Deonte Thompson (foot) also sat out Saturday after missing the Falcons’ game. The Ravens did get cornerback Chris Johnson and wide receiver Marlon Brown back on the practice field after they sat the second game. Rookie Matt Elam also practiced after tweaking his ankle in the game.
– Right guard Marshal Yanda (shoulder) was back participating in the full contact portion of practice during 11-on-11 drills. He returned to the practice field last week, but had not previously taken part in the full contact drills. When Yanda got into formation at right guard, according to Ravens.com reporter Garrett Downing, Terrell Suggs joked, “We got a new guy. Who’s No. 73?”
– Suggs had an entertaining start to practice, as he walked out on the field in front of the media and took over the video camera from one of the local television stations. He didn’t know exactly how to work it, but joked that he would zoom in on Harbaugh.
– New additions Brandon Stokley and Dallas Clark appear to be getting more in sync with the offense and learning the playbook. They both took reps with the first-team offense, and flashed some nice plays during practice. Stokley had a touchdown grab in the back of the end zone and Clark also made a diving catch in the flat.
– The offense gave a bunch of receivers opportunities to work with quarterback Joe Flacco and the starting offensive line. Jacoby Jones, Tandon Doss, David Reed, LaQuan Williams, Aaron Mellette and Tommy Streeter all had some opportunities to work with the first-team unit during practice, as the Ravens are looking for someone to separate themselves from the pack.
– Rookie second-round pick Arthur Brown saw a lot of action with the starting defense today. Brown started against the Falcons, as the Ravens opened the game in their nickel package, and he is continuing to make improvements during the preseason.
– The defense had a strong day during 11-on-11 drills, as they were able to get the better of Flacco on a number of occasions. Cornerback Lardarius Webb, safety Michael Huff and linebackers Josh Bynes and Daryl Smith all came up with interceptions at some point during practice.
– Linebacker D.J. Bryant got into a scuffle with some of the offensive linemen during blocking drills. The fight was quickly broken up, but the players got right back to work during the drill.
– Right tackle Michael Oher had a few really nice blocks on Suggs during pass-rushing situations. It’s not easy keeping Suggs away from the quarterback, but Oher was able to do it on several occasions.
– Practice ended with a little excitement, as the offense and defense were both tied at a score of 50. Harbaugh had the third-team offense attempt a two-point conversion to break the tie, and quarterback Caleb Hanie threw a pass to Williams on a slant route. Cornerback Asa Jackson broke up the pass, but was flagged for pass interference. Both sidelines erupted to plead their case for why they should win, but then the final horn sounded and everyone came into the middle of the field. “Ravens Win,” Suggs shouted.
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