Three Observations From Ravens Victory Over Panthers
Baltimore (WJZ) -- The Ravens won their first preseason game 22-19 over the Carolina Panthers. There were plenty of players who sat the first game out which left the door open for young players to make their mark on the football field. Here are a few things that stood out on Thursday night:
Ravens are loaded at running back
The hype-train centered around Terrance West and rightfully so. But it sure does look like Baltimore has an enormous amount of talent at running back. West joins Justin Forsett, Buck Allen, and Kenneth Dixon as a four man wrecking crew. Terrance West ran for two touchdowns and proved that the hype surrounding his play is warranted. Kenneth Dixon carried the ball just as much as West and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. The likelihood of Forsett being a 3-down back has been reduced significantly due to the talent possessed by his teammates. That's great news for the Baltimore Ravens.
Darren Waller crowds tight end competition
Darren Waller WAS the Ravens best kept secret until the game against the Panthers got underway. Waller came into the league as a wide receiver before the Ravens began a project that saw them attempt to convert Waller into a tight end. So far so good on that front for the organization. Waller was all over the field making plays. He used his 6'6" frame to dominate defenders and used nifty moves to get open. Dennis Pitta and Ben Watson seem destined to start for the Ravens while Crockett Gilmore, Max Williams, and Nick Boyle backed them up. But forgetting about Darren Waller may be a big mistake.
Secondary has potential, but struggled in first preseason game
The Ravens have done much to improve a secondary that struggled mightily in 2015. The acquisition of Eric Weddle and the drafting of Tavon Young is just some of the moves made to get this defense going in the right direction. And while we were only given a small sample of the first defense before the starters called it a night, the preview was not impressive. Cam Newton was able to move the ball downfield at will and the corners were unable to get the opposing team off the field. It's early and the play-calling was vanilla at best, but fans wanted to see more from a defense that'll need to be better if Baltimore is going to return to the postseason.