Baltimore Ravens Pass Rush Makes History, Terrence Cody to Practice

Dec 29, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive end Chris Canty (99) and nose tackle Terrence Cody (62) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Bengals defeated the Ravens 34-17. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to Lunchtime Links, where we round up all the latest Ravens news from around the web for your convenient consumption.  Today we discuss the return of Terrence Cody and Will Hill, find out that the Baltimore Raven’s pass rush made some history on Sunday, discuss why John Harbaugh didn’t pull Joe Flacco earlier in a blowout win, and discuss the good games both Torrey Smith and John Urschel had against the Bucs.

Baltimore Ravens pass rush makes history

"Joe Flacco wasn’t the only one on the Baltimore Ravens who made some history. The Ravens’ pass rush applied pressure that hasn’t been seen since 2009.Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon was sacked or put under duress on 26 of his 49 dropbacks (53 percent). That’s the highest pressure percentage on a quarterback with at least 40 dropbacks in the last five seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information."

Terrence Cody and Will Hill to return to practice this week

"Both safety Will Hill and defensive tackle Terrence Cody are moving closer to action for the Ravens.Hill’s six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy ended Sunday, meaning he can return to the field when the Ravens resume practice Wednesday. Coach John Harbaugh said Hill would be allowed to practice for one week before the Ravens had to decide whether to add him to the active roster."

John Harbaugh says pulling Joe Flacco earlier in blowout win would have been a mistake

"Don’t expect Head Coach John Harbaugh to pull quarterback Joe Flacco very early from games.That’s just not the way Harbaugh operates – or the rest of the league, for that matter.Since the Ravens were leading 38-0 at halftime on Sunday, Harbaugh was asked on Monday whether he considered sitting quarterback Joe Flacco early in order to prevent a possible injury.Flacco remained in the game until the Ravens’ final offensive drive, which began with three minutes, 42 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Baltimore leading, 48-17."

Ravens quick hits from week six

"It’s been said often that the true measure of character isn’t determined by how someone deals with success, but rather how he or she handles adversity. Kudos to Torrey Smith for answering his critics, myself included.Smith has struggled with consistency as a ball catcher and he’s been pretty much a one-trick pony. Yesterday he began to resemble the player who seemed to be growing as a receiver until he hit the wall in 2014. If he, Joe Flacco and Gary Kubiak can build upon his 4 catches for 51 yards and 2 scores it could really open things up for the offense."

Torrey Smith finally breaks out

"Plenty of Ravens had a splendid Sunday, but none needed one more than Torrey Smith. After struggling through the first five games with 11 catches and one touchdown, Smith caught a touchdown pass on each of the Ravens’ first two possessions, sparking them to a 48-17 rout of the Buccaneers."

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"This was the kind of day Smith needed, to shake a slump that was obviously bothering him. Smith tweeted last week that he was going through difficult times. But after Sunday’s game, Smith was wearing a smile, looking as if some of the stress had been lifted.“It was a huge, Smith said of his first touchdown, a 15-yard reception on a slant pattern. Smith second touchdown was a nine-yarder over the middle."

Rookie guard John Urschel plays well in his first NFL start

"Ravens coach John Harbaugh displayed faith in rookie guard John Urschel, starting him for the first time Sunday when left guard Kelechi Osemele (knee) could not go. Urschel showed he was ready, as the Ravens’ offensive line kept quarterback Joe Flacco from being sacked while he threw for five touchdowns.Urschel, a fifth-round pick from Penn St., played next to rookie left tackle James Hurst, as the Ravens went with two rookies on Flacco’s blind side. A gamble? Perhaps, but Harbaugh said he believed Hurst and Urschel would make it pay off.“I think his footwork is really good, he’s smart,” Harbaugh said of Urschel. “Same thing goes for James. They’re both very smart and both good athletes. To a degree, they’re strong. They’re still really young, but they’re going to get stronger.”"