First quarter: Ravens-Falcons
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Well, the Ravens are resting 13 of 22 starters during their final preseason game, and I can't say I blame them.
That's not going to stop me from blogging though. Did you notice who's starting at quarterback for Atlanta? Former Raven Chris Redman. Redman played in Baltimore from 2000-2003. That was before I was in Baltimore. What are Ravens' fans lasting impressions of him?
How they scored
-- The Ravens took a 7-0 lead as Kyle Boller hit Demetrius Williams on a 59-yard touchdown strike. It was a one-play drive that lasted eight seconds.
-- The Falcons tied the game at 7 as they put together a 10-play, 74-yard drive towards the end of the quarter. Redman hit running back Jerious Norwood for a 15-yard touchdown.
Good news
-- Jarret Johnson applied pressure on Falcons quarterback Chris Redman during a third-down play on Atlanta's first possession, forcing a punt.
-- Nice job all around on the Boller touchdown pass to Williams. The offensive line did a great job in protection, Williams ran a nice route, and Boller made a good pump fake and then a perfect throw. Williams dropped a ball on the first play of the game but came back strong.
Bad news
-- B.J. Sams failed to call a fair catch on a punt before the Ravens' first offensive possession and was drilled by a Falcons special-teams player. At least he held on to the ball.
-- Demetrius Williams dropped a pass from Kyle Boller on the Ravens' first offensive play. However, Williams had an 18-yard catch and run two plays later.
-- Edgar Jones is on the bubble according to Jamison Hensley's article today. He didn't exactly help his cause in the first quarter. On the Falcons' touchdown pass, Jones was coming off the end and being blocked by Norwood, Atlanta's small running back. Norwood's El Matador-type block allowed Jones to get past him. However, the Ravens' rookie linebacker couldn't get to Redman in time, and the Falcons QB found Norwood for the score. It was pretty much a busted play, but still, Jones' job was to get to the quarterback.
Did you notice...
-- The mic'd-up piece during the pre-game show. Rick Neuheisel was wired and had some interesting things to say during the Ravens' first preseason game against the Eagles. Troy Smith was in the game for the first time and fired a pass at full speed towards the sideline. Neuheisel told Smith not to overthrow and explained that the ball would have put someone in the hospital if it hit them. Smith explained that he was just excited, which Neuheisel agreed was normal.
-- Daryl "Moose" Johnston call Ravens rookie Marshal Yanda 'Walter' during the pre-game show.
-- Dick Stockton reference Don Markus' article on Justin Bannan that ran in yesterday's Sun
-- How they didn't get to Johnston's keys to the game until there was 1:15 left in the first quarter. I love when that happens.
-- That they didn't show the Falcons' kickoff after they scored a touchdown because the network was still at commercial. That is one of my absolute pet peeves as a sports fan.
Comments
I always thought Redman got a "raw" deal. In 2002, when he was supposed to start all 16, Billick pulled him (they said he was injured) after only 6 games because of a supposed "bad back". Billick never liked him because Redman, during a preseason game in 2000 or 2001, didn't listen or want to do the play Billick called for on a certain play. Needless to say, Billick was salivating at the first chance to put in the strong-armed but not too well liked by his teammates qb of Jeff Blake (sounds like another current second string qb for the Ravens, eh?)
Redman, in 2003, methodically marched the team right down the field on the first drive of the preseason. Of course, Billick only wants 80 yard bombs that make up 15-second drives over accurate and timely clock-sonsuming plays so Boller got the call from then on out.
During the 2002 regular season, he struggled during his first two starts, which were his first in the NFL. Then, during a Monday night game we were supposed to get killed in against Denver, he had a pretty decent game (of course so did the defense and cmac's 100+ yard return with the best Ray Block ever helped out too).
In all, Redman's patient, methodical style didn't fit Billick's urge for the deep bomb on every play so Blake and then Boller quickly supplanted him.
Posted by: dmcg | August 31, 2007 8:24 PM