OWINGS MILLS, Md. โ His first NFL season hasnโt gone exactly to plan, but cornerback Jimmy Smith is ready to prove to everyone why the Ravens used their 27th overall pick to select him in Aprilโs draft.
With Lardarius Webb suffering from a turf toe injury and unlikely to play against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday night, Smith is in line to receive his first assignment as a starting cornerback. And a challenging one it will be as a pair of 6-foot-5 receivers, Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd, will try to get the best of Smith and Cary Williams.
However, at 6-foot-2, Smith is better-equipped to go up against taller receivers than most cornerbacks in the NFL. Not only are Jackson and Floyd challenges in terms of height, but their speed is deceptive, according to Smith.
โThese are really big dudes,โ Smith said. โIโm considered a big corner, so these dudes have to be considered huge as far as receivers. They can run as well. When you watch them on film, theyโre big and they can move pretty well.โ
With Smith injuring his ankle early in the season opener against Pittsburgh, his development was stunted after a six-week layoff forcing him to miss four games. While the Colorado product needed time to re-adjust to the speed of the NFL, his preparation in meetings and watching films kept him sharp mentally as his ankle healed in the first half of the season.
That mental preparation has enabled Smith to begin playing at a higher level in recent weeks, as heโs intercepted two passes while playing at cornerback in the Ravensโ nickel package on third down and other passing situations.
โYou can see how fast heโs coming back and now the plays that heโs starting to make,โ defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said. โThatโs only going to continue to go up. From a schematics standpoint, heโs not out there thinking about what his job is anymore. He understands, he knows what to do, and now heโs being able to diagnose and recognize formations and down-and-distance and things like that and just be able to go out and play and make plays.โ
From the first day he arrived at the teamโs practice facility in Owings Mills after the Ravens selected him in the first round of Aprilโs draft, Smith hasnโt lacked confidence and feels comfortable if called upon to step in for Webbโs starting spot on the defense. Heโll need that swagger matching up against two of the biggest receivers in the NFL.
โI feel confident, I always feel confident,โ Smith said. โA corner with no confidence is a corner whoโs getting beat. I feel very confident that I can step in and do a good job.โ
Pagano Bowl?
Though it lacks the luster of the much-anticipated Harbaugh Bowl that took place on Thanksgiving night, the Ravens defensive coordinator will meet his younger brother John Pagano on Sunday night. John is the linebackers coach for the Chargers as the two will meet on opposite sides for the eighth time.
โWe donโt talk this week,โ the Baltimore coordinator said. โOne text after [last] Sundayโs game โ โGood jobโ โ and then we kind of shut it down and then wait till the gameโs over and then we visit.โ
However, the elder Pagano is looking to improve his lifetime record against his younger brother, who had the upper hand when Pagano was an assistant with the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns before joining the Baltimore staff in 2008. The younger brother is the longest-tenured assistant on the San Diego coaching staff after 10 years with the organization.
โIโm 1-6 [against my brother], so the first six were JV teams that we took in there,โ Chuck said. โI took a varsity team (the Ravens) there in 2009 and won. Weโre taking a varsity team out there again. So, Iโm 1-6 against him. Itโs always fun to do it, but when that ballโs kicked off, itโs football, so you forget all about that stuff.โ
Backfield awareness
The Ravens lead the NFL with 45 sacks, and theyโll try to collect a few more against San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers on Sunday night. However, the manner in which they go about doing it will have to be carefully designed.
Running backs Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert have combined for 90 catches and 790 yards this season as the Chargers will try to discourage the Ravens from blitzing heavily by releasing their backs in open space. Baltimore will need to create pressure with its front four on passing situations to avoid the problems created by the duo of running backs.
โWhen we do pressure, if we do pressure them, we have to do a great job of making sure we know exactly where they are, because they will free-release them,โ Pagano said. โThey will get [the running back] out in a heartbeat, so they are not afraid to do that.โ
When asked about the Chargersโ tendency to get the ball to their running backs in the passing game, Pagano said itโs no different than quarterback Joe Flacco finding Ray Rice in open space as vertical threats such as Torrey Smith and Lee Evans stretch the field.
โWhat you see from our offense, itโs the same thing,โ Pagano said. โItโs the same exact offense. Thatโs why people have to do such a great job with handling Ray Rice. They are throwing balls vertically down the field, and everybody is dropping in coverage. Then, you dump it off to him in space.โ
Weddle waiting
Flacco will have to deal with the NFLโs seventh-best pass defense in San Diego that is led by fifth-year safety Eric Weddle.
A second-round pick in the 2007 draft out of Utah, Weddle is tied for the league lead in interceptions with seven this season.
โHeโs smart, heโs tough,โ offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said. โEverybody that watched him coming out of college, you can see why they traded up to get him. He kind of quarterbacks the defense and is having a solid year.โ
Punt return problem
With Webbโs status remaining unknown, not only will the Ravens be lacking a starting cornerback but also an impact player in the return game.
After Webb returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown two weeks ago in Cleveland, the Ravens must now scramble to potentially find a replacement for the third-year cornerback. The most likely candidate would be veteran defensive back Chris Carr, who has handled those duties in the past, and rookie wide receiver LaQuan Williams.
โWe really donโt know yet,โ special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg. โHonestly, we have to wait and see how heโs going to be on Sunday, and weโll make a decision on Sunday.โ
The use of Williams at the punt return spot would be a welcome change for the Maryland product after being inactive the last two weeks. The Baltimore native had played in the Ravensโ first 11 games before finding himself on the sidelines against Cleveland and Indianapolis.
โWe have high hopes for LaQuan; I think heโs got a very bright future here,โ Rosburg said. โI think that as we go forward the rest of the season, his practice reps have been good, and heโs going to be a very good special teams player, I think. The Ravens have a lot of plans for LaQuan.โ
Visit the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault right here to hear more from Chuck Pagano, Cam Cameron, Jerry Rosburg, and Haloti Ngata, who was named to USA Footballโs All-Fundamentals Team for the third straight year.
First-round pick Smith ready to shine against San Diego receivers
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Luke Jones
Luke Jones is the Ravens and Orioles beat reporter for WNST BaltimorePositive.com and is a PFWA member. His mind is consumed with useless sports knowledge, pro wrestling promos, and movie quotes, but he often forgets where he put his phone. Luke's favorite sports memories include being one of the thousands of kids who waited for Cal Ripken's autograph after Orioles games in the summer of 1995, attending the Super Bowl XXXV victory parade with his dad in the pouring rain, and watching the Terps advance to the Final Four at the Carrier Dome in 2002. Follow him on social media @BaltimoreLuke or email him at Luke@wnst.net.
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