Ravens Vs. Chiefs Analysis

Yesterday, the Baltimore Ravens took on the Kansas City Chiefs in the second preseason game. The Ravens came away victorious 31-13. There were many things that I liked and I saw an overall improvement from last week. If the Ravens continue to improve each week, they should be more than ready for the Pittsburgh Steelers in week 1.

Analysis after the jump…

Going into the game, I was still worried about the offensive line, particularly right tackle. Though the O-line is still suspect, they looked much better than last week. They opened up holes to run through and gave Joe Flacco some solid protection in the pocket.

I’m still not sold on Oniel Cousins. He was moved from right tackle to guard for this game, but still hasn’t impressed me a whole lot. While he did definitely do better than last week, he continues to false start and I saw him get blown back into the pocket on numerous occasions. Luckily, Marshall Yanda’s back injury is nothing serious and he won’t be sidelined for long. Cousins does have some potential and once he gets more comfortable and experienced, he’ll add solid depth at O-line.

Jah Reid played the whole game at right tackle. For a rookie, he was quite impressive. There were a few mistakes here and there and I did see him have some trouble pass blocking at times but he should be the solution to the right tackle problem. The only thing he lacks at this point is experience and he hopes to gain more in the next few preseason games. If he continues to improve than he should start against the Steelers in week one. But as we all know, nothing can prepare a rookie for a game against the Steelers.

Though Joe Flacco was having trouble with his accuracy last night, I was very impressed with his overall confidence, pocket presence, and awareness. For the past few years, Flacco has looked uncomfortable in the pocket. I’ve been waiting for him to take the next step for the past few years and it now looks like he is finally ready. He was evading defenders in the pocket with ease while keeping his eyes downfield and he brought a composure to the team that I’ve never seen before. Though it’s only preseason, I’m excited to see what the future holds for Joe Flacco.

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