3 underrated positives from Ravens win over Texans

The Baltimore Ravens are undefeated through two weeks. Here are three underrated positives:

1. Patrick Queen is still off to a great start

The biggest takeaway from the first two games is that Patrick Queen was well worth the first round pick Eric DeCosta used in the 2020 NFL Draft. Queen’s stats through two games are 17 total tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. If you would have told John Harbaugh before the season that’s what the Ravens were getting, he might jump up and down with excitement. The Ravens have a fast, athletic inside linebacker who is inserting himself into every play he can. The fact of the matter is that Queen at no time in the past two weeks has looked like a liability. The Ravens, you can argue, won this game because of their defense. The fact that they have a rookie linebacker leading the way in the middle of that defense is impressive.

What has Queen shown us so far? Well we’re seeing his athleticism manifesting on the field. We’re seeing him being an aggressive linebacker and confidence in a rookie is a big deal. We’re seeing a linebacker who is a weapon for Don Martindale to use in the blitz game. Queen packs a hit and when he gets the polish that comes with experience, he’s going to be one of the most impressive players in the NFL. Queen is already in the conversation for defensive rookie of the year. That’s a first round pick well spent. The sky is so high for Queen.

The expectations for him are high, but he’s being more than the competent rookie Baltimore was hoping for. There are times where you almost forget this guy is a rookie. That is exciting. If you want positive things to point out about the Ravens, Queen and really the whole rookie class is surely a positive. The Ravens are a better football team with their rookie linebacker. This defense is off to an encouraging start. It has issues and Queen isn’t one of them.