Ravens Have Battles to Wage vs. Buccaneers

Baltimore Ravens What to Look For

The Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens open the preseason tonight, as they travel to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Under then-first-year head coach Greg Schiano, the Bucs finished 7-9 in 2012. Kick Off at Raymond James Stadium is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

The Ravens are coming off the franchise’s second Super Bowl win, as they defeated the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII in February. Last season, the Ravens were 14-6 overall record – 10-6 in the regular season and earned a second consecutive AFC North crown. Under head coach John Harbaugh, Baltimore is the NFL’s only team to make the playoffs each of the last five years. In addition, the Ravens have won at least one postseason game in each of those seasons. Over those five campaigns, they have the most victories in the league, tying New England with 63 wins.

With last season over and this season about to begin, the story in 2013, at least to start is how the Ravens are going to cope with so much loss from last year’s championship team. Baltimore lost nine starter-quality players, including future Hall of Famers LB Ray Lewis (retirement) and S Ed Reed (Houston). Also gone is C Matt Birk (retirement) and WR Anquan Boldin (49ers), as well as linebackers Paul Kruger (Cleveland) and Dannell Ellerbe (Miami).

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome had the busiest offseason of his tenure in the Charm City. The Wizard signed more than capable replacements in players such as three-time Pro Bowl OLB Elvis Dumervil, standout linemen DE Chris Canty, DE Marcus Spears, S Michael Huff and ILB Daryl Smith. Huff (Oakland, seventh overall) and Spears (Dallas, 20th) are former first-round selections.

According to the draft experts, Newsome and his scouting department aced another NFL Draft. With their first selection in the first round (32 overall), the Ravens selected Florida safety Matt Elam, who is known to be a hard‐nosed, physical player with excellent instincts. In other words, Elam is a perfect fit for the Baltimore Ravens and the way this franchise plays the game.  While Ravens fans were happy with the Elam pick, they were still left wondering who the Ravens had in mind to replace No.52, whom the franchise has never started a season without since moving to Baltimore in 1996.

The Ravens did not make their fans wait very long on day two, as they selected, from Kansas State, linebacker Arthur Brown. Scouts say that Brown is an athletic defender, who can fight off blocks and plays both the pass and run very effectively. The Ravens mix of youth and not so old veteran leadership has made this a defense that is different in two very critical areas in 2013. Last season many labeled the once great defense as old and slow. Nevermore— in 2013, Newsome has indeed assembled a much faster and younger unit for HC John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dean Peas this season.

On offense, many will want to see the effect Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco’s new $100 million plus contract will have on the humble and cool one this season. He’s not likely to see much action against the Bucs but he is going to have to start finding a way to replace his best friend and the Ravens most reliable pass catcher heading into the season, TE Dennis Pitta.

Pitta required surgery on his hip after injuring it on the second day of camp and is out for the year. Ten year veteran and former Giants, Vikings and Patriots TE Visanthe Shiancoe was brought in to play with T Ed Dickson but Baltimore’s other tight end is also hurt. Dickson will be held out of the preseason opener after slightly tearing his hamstring this week in camp.

Therefore, after undergoing more roster change than any Super Bowl champion in the modern era, what can you expect to see in Tampa on Thursday night? For one, you will see a lot of critical position battles and an opportunity for the revamped Ravens to form a cohesive bond as a unit. OC Jim Caldwell and DC Dean Peas will have their hands full figuring out depth charts after all of the change last season. Nevertheless, this is the Ravens and this is what the preseason is for—well that and trying not to sustain any more injuries.

Following the cameo of the first team players, who are expected to last only a series or two at the most, the real fun begins. What are the battles to watch for as the Ravens backups or possible starters take the field tonight?

WHICH WIDE RECEIVER(S) WILL EMERGE?

Who will emerge?

QB Joe Flacco knows he has Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones as returning familiar faces but that is about it, especially after the Pitta injury. Sure, there is Ray Rice out of the backfield but with no Pitta, the Ravens screen game could be a shell of its former self to start the season. Whichever young wide out steps up and plays the most consistent throughout the preseason is likely not only going to find themselves on the 53-man roster but also getting some looks in Denver from Flacco in Week 1. The battle, which started when camp opened, will continue in earnest at Raymond James tonight.

The participants include third year men LaQuan Williams and Tandon Doss, sophomores Deonte Thompson and Tommy Streeter, as well as rookies Aaron Mellette and Marlon Brown. Streeter is considered a long shot to make the team. Williams has four catches for 46 yards and nine special teams’ tackles in 23 NFL games. Doss resume includes seven catches for 123 yards and one touchdown in two NFL seasons. Deonte Thompson has five catches for 51 yards but is arguably the Ravens fastest man having returned 15 kickoffs for 389 yards in 2012. Rookies Aaron Mellette (304 catches for 4,254 yards and 44 touchdowns in 4 seasons at Elon) and former Georgia WR Marlon Brown are sleepers and both have impressed during camp.

There  is also David Reed, who has five career catches for 66 yards and 39 kickoff returns for 1,150 yards and one touchdown over three NFL seasons but he can’t’ stay health and after impressing earl on in camp, is likely to miss the preseason opener with a tender groin.

According to NFL.com and for my money, bet on Deonte Thompson. Undrafted out of Florida last season, Thompson had a stellar 2012 preseason for the Ravens, has stood out during early camp practices, and has practiced plenty with the first team. He is clearly making the progression and is a clear leader early and someone to watch. However, catching balls from Tyrod Taylor is a lot different than catching them from the Super Bowl MVP.

WHAT WILL THE DEFENSE SHAPE UP TO LOOK LIKE? THREE BATTLES TO WATCH:

One must initially like the way the Ravens defense looks on paper. A defensive front that includes Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil, Haloti Ngata, Chris Canty, Marcus Spears, Courtney Upshaw, Arthur Brown and others, looks almost elite on paper. Nevertheless, paper champions are usually cut and used for confetti when the real champions are crowned in February. Can defensive coordinator Dean Peas generate the right mix and the right schemes to make it work? Not to mention can Peas finally get the Ravens secondary to be the strength everyone thought it was going to be to start last season.

Peas has plenty of time and talent to figure it out. There are three solid positional battles to watch for in the Ravens preseason opener. In one corner (no pun intended), it will be cornerbacks Jimmy Smith and Corey Graham doing battle to play opposite Lardarius Webb, who is likely going to be ready to start the season after tearing his ACL in Week 6 last season.  According to Greg Rosenthal this week, this one remains too close to call. Graham is probably playing too well to lose his job and Smith is going to have to steal it.

As big but younger and faster in 2013

As big but younger and faster in 2013

The man in the middle is likely to be…well, it’s complicated. You cannot replace Ray Lewis with just one man—can you. If his injury issues from last season are behind him then former Jaguars linebacker Daryl Smith could be quite a catch for the Ravens. Currently, he is listed as the Mike inside linebacker with the battle being waged for the Will spot. Keep your eyes on Josh Bynes, Albert McClellan and rookie Arthur Brown. Jameel McClain’s spinal contusion continues to linger, which means he is likely to remain out for a significant amount of time–if he return at all. This should end up being Suggs, Smith and Brown but it is possible Bynes has a big preseason and pulls off a big surprise. Whatever happens and as long as all of them stay healthy, this is likely to be the best battle to watch during the next three and a half weeks.

The final position to watch on defense is whether Matt Elam will emerge as the starter or will James Ihedigbo continue to hold him off. Currently, the Ravens depth chart has Michael Huff and Ihedigbo as starting but Elam has had a strong camp, and with a few “Elam type hits” in the preseason, could easily take the job.

Whatever happens, the Ravens must stay healthy, which is easier said than done. This defense looked slow and out of sync at times last season. It finished the regular season ranked just 17th in total defense in 2012. They were 17th in passing defense, 20th in rushing defense and tied for 15th in sacks after ranking among the five-best in the league in those same four categories in 2011. It was also the first time in nine seasons the unit ranked out of the top 10 in the league in overall defense.

NEWS AND NOTES & BONUS BATTLE:

Joe Flacco is likely to play the first series or two of the game unless the Ravens manage a scoring drive, of any kind, on their first possession. Following Flacco will be Tyrod Taylor and then Caleb Hanie, who is likely to see most of the action the fourth quarter.

Keep your eye on the center position. Gino Gradkowski, currently listed as the starter is involved in what HC John Harbaugh calls one of the best battles of camp with A.Q Shipley. The Ravens offensive line will also experiment a tad bit this evening. While all but the center position is set with Bryant McKinnie at left tackle, Kelechi Osemele at left guard, All Pro Marshall Yanda at right guard and Michael Oher at right tackle, the Ravens aren’t deep and if injury occurs, this could be a unit in big trouble. It will be interesting to see how Jah Reid has progressed during the offseason.

BY THE NUMBERS:

The Ravens are 40-27 all time in preseason play. Under head coach John Harbaugh (since 2008); Baltimore has compiled a 13-7 mark in the preseason. Baltimore has won 12 of its last 16-preseason games. The Ravens are 19-14 all time in preseason road games, producing victories in five of their last eight contests.

Among NFC South teams, Baltimore has never faced Tampa Bay in the preseason. The Ravens have played Atlanta nine times, Carolina five times and New Orleans once. This is the Ravens first trip to Tampa since September 10, 2006 when they beat the Bucs 27-0 in the season opener. The Ravens are 2-2 all-time vs. Tampa Bay during the regular season, with the Bucs outscoring the Ravens 57-54 in those four contests.

SPEAKING OF THE BUCS:

Bucs Building

Tampa Bay was one of three teams (Carolina and New Orleans) in the NFC South to finish with a 7-9 record. After beginning the season 6-4 under first-year head coach Greg Schiano, the Buccaneers dropped five of their final six contests, missing the postseason for the fifth-straight season.

HC Greg Schiano served in his first NFL head-coaching capacity in 2012, improving the team by a three-win margin from the previous year. Under Schiano, seven of Tampa’s nine losses were decided by one score or less, while his seven victories were the second-most by a Buccaneers’ first-year coach. Prior to joining Tampa Bay, he was Rutgers’ head coach for 11 seasons.

On offense, the Bucs set franchise marks with 5,820 yards of offense (ninth in NFL) and 389 total points. QB Josh Freeman set franchise standards with 4,065 passing yards and 27 TDs. Rookie RB Doug Martin earned Pro Bowl honors, as his 1,454 rushing yards were the NFL’s fifth most. WR Vincent Jackson enjoyed his first campaign with the team, posting the club’s second-most single-season receiving yards (1,384 – fifth in NFL) en route to making the Pro Bowl.

After finishing with the NFL’s No. 32 run-stop in 2011, Tampa’s defense ranked first in the league vs. the rush in 2012. The worst-to-first turnaround in one season was the first of its kind since the 1970 merger. DT Gerald McCoy anchored the unit, earning his first-career Pro Bowl. Conversely, the Bucs produced the NFL’s last ranked pass defense, permitting 297.4 yards a contest. Their big offseason prize was trading for Jets CB Darrell Revis, who will not be playing tonight. He tore is ACL in Week 1 last season and will be ready to start the season when, ironically, the Jets come to Tampa.

After tonight’s game at Tampa, the Ravens play back-to-back home games against the Atlanta Falcons (8/15) and Carolina Panthers (8/22). Baltimore concludes the preseason at St. Louis on Aug. 29.

 

 

 

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