It’s probably better than it looks… but the Ravens have temporarily lost Tyrod Taylor as their backup QB…
Tyrod Taylor ended his night with his left arm in a sling as his audition to cement his status as the Baltimore Ravens’ backup quarterback was cut short by a punishing blow that bruised his left shoulder. Taylor’s status was the primary drama surrounding what amounted to a glorified scrimmage Thursday night as the Ravens concluded the preseason with a 21-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome.
“The good thing is it’s not a separation, I passed the tests,” said Taylor, who indicated that he hadn’t had his shoulder X-rayed. “I think it’s just
something minor. It’s a short setback, a couple of days off and we’ll get ready for that Pittsburgh game.” The injury was characterized as a contusion, and Taylor didn’t return after leaving the field with team doctor Leigh Ann Curl. The former Virginia Tech standout was replaced by third quarterback Hunter Cantwell.
“The only issue we encountered this game was Tyrod Taylor and his small injury that might just be a bruised shoulder,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We will see how serious it is, but it looks like it won’t be that serious If we find out he can’t play, then we will definitely have an issue.”
Ravens LB Chavis Williams is all over Falcons’ backup QB John Parker Wilson in the second half of the Ravens 21-7 win…
Chykie Brown returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown and Baltimore scored the clincher after another Atlanta turnover, an appropriate way to decide a dreadful game won by the Ravens 21-7 on Thursday night to complete a winless preseason for the Falcons.
Not that this finale was much of an indicator of how either team will look once the score actually matters. Both teams sat out of many of their key starters, including quarterbacks Matt Ryan of the Falcons and Joe Flacco of the Ravens. Both teams were mainly concerned with staying healthy going into the regular season.
Most of those who did play were battling for roster spots, or may have been out of the running no matter how well they performed. Given who was on the field, the results were to be expected. The Ravens (3-1) failed to generate much offense, totaling just 175 yards. Atlanta (0-4) turned it over four times, basically handing Baltimore its two TDs.
Third-string quarterback John Parker Wilson was intercepted twice, including the pick that Brown, a rookie, grabbed right in front of the Atlanta bench and took down the sideline for a touchdown to erase Atlanta’s 10-7 lead with 1:59 left in the third.
After Billy Cundiff kicked his second field goal to stretch Baltimore’s lead to 13-7, the Falcons’ last gasp ended with yet another turnover. Wilson, who took quite a beating, was leveled by Michael McAdoo and coughed up the ball. It was recovered by Jason Phillips at the Atlanta 5-yard-linewith 2½ minutes remaining in the game.
On the next play, Damien Berry took it to the end zone to finish off the Falcons, who failed to win a preseason game for the first time since 2003.
Now, the Ravens will internally debate whether they should anoint Taylor as the primary backup to quarterback Joe Flacco or if they need to sign a veteran insurance policy such as Jake Delhomme, Todd Bouman, Chris Simms or J.P. Losman or wait to see if Sage Rosenfels or David Carr is released. Taylor finished the preseason with one touchdown pass and run apiece and three interceptions.
Harbaugh said the Ravens will keep their options open. “It’s like I’ve been saying all along, it’s going to depend on who’s out there,” Harbaugh said. “If we find out he can’t play next week against Pittsburgh, then it does affect us.”
The Ravens opted to rest quarterback Joe Flacco and the starting offensive line after contemplating all week whether to have them make a brief appearance to build timing. “It came down to the wire,” Harbaugh said. “At the last minute, I decided not to do it.”
The Ravens intercepted two passes and recovered two fumbles. “It was a good night for the guys, especially the defense, which did an outstanding job,” Harbaugh said.
The Ravens offense struggled mightily as Cantwell struggled with his accuracy and decision-making. Cantwell completed just 13 of 28 passes for 111 yards, no touchdowns and an interception for a 38.1 passer rating. He’s not expected to make the team, though, and could be brought back to join the practice squad.
The Ravens’ top performances were on defense where defensive end Pernell McPhee and outside linebacker Paul Kruger applied a lot of heat to the Falcons’ quarterbacks.
Kruger decked former Ravens quarterback Chris Redman for a sack and forced fumble in the first quarter after the offensive line overplayed blitzing safety Bernard Pollard. And Pollard pounced on the loose football. One quarter later, McPhee sacked Redman for a nine-yard loss and forced a fumble recovered by cornerback Jimmy Smith.
For the third time this preseason, though, McPhee had a forced fumble and sack overturned by instant replay as the officials ruled that Redman’s arm was moving forward.
Auditioning for the sixth wide receiver job, undrafted rookie wide receiver LaQuan Williams had a 33-yard punt return. Undrafted rookie outside linebacker Michael McAdoo had a sack and forced fumble to lead to Berry’s touchdown. McAdoo went undrafted in the NFL supplemental draft and was signed to a three-year contract by Baltimore. He hadn’t played in a football game in two years due to eligibility problems.
“Special teams did an excellent job,” Harbaugh said. “We stayed healthy.”
All in all, a night of hope and optimism for the Ravens…and a night of fruitful dreams for a couple of young players who will make this roster… and a wake-up call to Ozzie and Harbaugh that a backup QB better be on their speed-dial tomorrow…
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