With the Ravens blowing out Jacksonville in a 29-0 win to begin the preseason, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Lamar Jackson was solid operating in the kind of conservative offense you’d expect in the first exhibition game. His best pass was a back-hip 18-yard completion to Chris Moore after the timing of Nick Boyle’s out route was out of whack. Jackson’s showing reinforced what we’ve watched in camp.
2. The 30-yard bootleg completion to a wide-open Moore is the kind of big play offensive coordinator Greg Roman hopes to generate with motion, play fakes, and Jackson’s mobility. The young quarterback simply needs to deliver a catchable ball in those instances, which he did perfectly there.
3. The ground game struggled to get going beyond an isolated run or two, but Jackson acknowledged the game plan was “not close at all” to what we’ll see in September. He then smiled and said, “It’s going to be fun to watch though.” Revolutionary or not, it’ll be very interesting.
4. I couldn’t help but ponder how many members of the second-team Ravens secondary would play meaningful roles for other NFL teams. Anthony Averett had some hiccups Thursday, but the depth in the defensive backfield on this roster is remarkable.
5. Miles Boykin had two drops and is still developing, but it’s clear how much both Jackson and Trace McSorley like throwing to him. His final three catches to end the half — the last being a pretty McSorley touchdown pass negated by a hold — flashed the go-to potential he could have.
6. It was good seeing Tim Williams and Tyus Bowser apply some pressure and collect a half-sack apiece, but both standing their ground on the edge for Chris Wormley’s third-and-1 stuff early in the second quarter was another good sign. They’re clearly ahead of Shane Ray at this point.
7. There wasn’t much running room for Justice Hill, but his 14-yard catch-and-run illustrated the need for the Ravens to find ways to get the rookie the ball in open space. He’ll definitely make defenders miss.
8. On just 14 defensive snaps, Patrick Ricard had two sacks, batted down a pass, and recorded another stuff at the line of scrimmage. That’s what you call making the most of opportunities when battling for a roster spot. He also played seven offensive snaps.
9. We didn’t see rookie third-round pick Jaylon Ferguson until the second half, but he was very active late in the third quarter, registering a tackle for a loss and a quarterback hit. No, the competition wasn’t exactly stiff, but that should serve as a confidence boost as he continues learning.
10. The numbers say it all for Kaare Vedvik, who connected on all four field goals — one from 55 yards — and recorded two punts for 58 and 53 yards. After what he experienced last year, you have to feel good for him. He’ll be kicking somewhere in the NFL this season.
11. Special teams coach Chris Horton couldn’t have liked his kickoff team giving up a 102-yard return for a touchdown that was nullified by a holding penalty, but Justin Tucker abstaining from trying to make a tackle definitely brought a sigh of relief. He’s been overzealous at times in past preseasons.
12. As John Harbaugh said, you “like to win” preseason games, but the Jaguars sat 32 players compared to Baltimore’s 14 and played only three listed starters from their depth chart (see below). The domination surely reflects the Ravens’ depth, but we’ll now turn the page to overreacting to next week.