1. The Ravens are for real
There was a lot of doubt surrounding the Ravens coming in to the Rams game. Many didn’t know whether to respect the team that got pummeled in Tennessee last week or the team that dominated the Steelers in week one. The fans received the latter which shows that the Ravens are an intimidating team that shouldn’t be overlooked. Consistency is the key now. We know what they can do when their running on all cylinders but the real question is, how long can they keep it up?
Continue reading to see the rest of the takeaways…
2. The Ravens are deeper than you think
You wouldn’t think that the Ravens were missing several key players after a game like that. Jimmy Smith and Dominique Foxworth were inactive which put much of the burden on Cary Williams, Lardarius Webb, and Chris Carr. With two starters missing, the Ravens secondary adapted well.
While Ben Grubbs was out last week, the Ravens offense fell apart with Mark LeVoir in the lineup. Instead, the Ravens opted to go with veteran Andre Gurode and he did not disappoint. The Rams hardly touched Joe Flacco and the line opened up holes for Ray Rice and Ricky Williams all game.
Additionally, kick returner and wide receiver David Reed was out as well as Lee Evans. This prompted Lardarius Webb, Laquan Williams, Torrey Smith, and Tandon Doss to attempt to match their production. In actuality, they exceeded expectations showing that the Ravens now have a real deep threat and a plethora of wide receivers.
3. The defense is as proficient as ever
It’s been awhile since I’ve witnessed the Ravens defense completely dominate good teams on a consistent basis. The pass rush is something to be reckoned with as Terrell Suggs, Cory Redding, and Haloti Ngata will provide enough pressure by themselves. Throw in some complex blitzing schemes put in by Chuck Pagano and the quarterback will be seeing stars in no time.
As weak as the secondary seemed this offseason, they’re really starting to come into their own. Cary Williams has provided great coverage on opposing team’s best receivers and Bernard Pollard is a solid option at strong safety. As long as injuries don’t get in the way, the defense will continue to get better and better. We may be looking at one of the best Ravens’ defenses that we’ve seen in quite some time.
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