Ravens: Carl Davis and Lawrence Guy steal the show vs Saints

The first week of the preseason is now firmly in the books and we are starting to look ahead to Saturday’s match up against the Philadelphia Eagles. There was a lot to be encouraged by during the first outing of the 2015 Baltimore Ravens, and having finally had the chance to look more closely at the tape, two players in particular showed up very well and both were on the defensive line.

Carl Davis and Lawrence Guy both got plenty of reps this week and made the most of them, finishing the game as the two top rated Ravens according to Pro Football Focus (Davis +2.8, Guy +2.4).

On a number of occasions, both players could be found in the backfield and showed up best against the run, which for the most part will be their main role this coming season.

Take the play below for example:

This play (1st quarter-1:11 remaining) is a 3rd and 1 with, for the most part, starting caliber players on the field (minus some injuries and held out veterans). The play is a pretty simple power run with the full back leading the way.

Here you can clearly see as Lawrence Guy pushes the right guard off the line of scrimmage and into the running lane. Guy proceeds to make the tackle for a loss, forcing a punt and putting the offense back onto the field.

Later on in the game we can see Carl Davis doing much the same thing:

This time (3rd quarter-13.19 remaining) it’s a 1st and 10, and by this point it’s almost entirely back ups and rookies on the field. Nevertheless, Carl Davis gets off the line quickly and gets outside of the left guard, forcing the running back to try to cut it outside. Once this happens Davis and Steven Means combine for the tackle, leaving a gain of only 1 yard.

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These plays are just one example of what each of these players was repeatedly doing last week, and in my eyes there were a number of occasions when I saw them causing havoc in the backfield.

With Timmy Jernigan held out because of a foot injury, last week’s game gave us a great opportunity to see what these two players can do given more reps, and they didn’t disappoint.

It’s well noted that the Ravens will be relying on young guys to keep up a strong tradition on the defensive line. If these guys, who will likely end up being rotational players, can build on performances like this then there is a good chance that it will be a long time before running backs enjoy coming through Baltimore.

Next: Ravens stock report: Preseason week 1

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