Ravens WR Steve Smith Destroys Panthers In Epic Reunion
By Samuel Njoku
The Ravens handled their first game outside of the division pretty well as they defeated the Carolina Panthers 38-10 at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore improved to 3-1 on the season thanks to great performances from key players.
Offense Grade: A
The Panthers have one of the tougher defenses in the NFL. The Ravens didn't seem to care too much about that — especially Steve Smith. Facing his former team for the first time since his release, Smith put on a show that Carolina will never forget. He finished the day with 7 catches for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns. But it almost felt like he could've done more if he wanted to. The Panthers simply had no answer for the 35-year-old receiver. With Torrey Smith hauling in a touchdown of his own, it was a great performance for the corps overall.
The running game has been impressive for Baltimore, as well as confusing. With the system that Gary Kubiak has implemented, it appears that many of the Ravens running backs are finding success with it. This week, it's Justin Forsett getting involved with 14 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown. Bernard Pierce was active but saw no action as Forsett and Taliaferro took care of business against Carolina's stout defensive front. The Ravens are going with the hot hand this season, and on Sunday the hot hand was Justin Forsett.
Defense Grade: B-
The Ravens defense came to play on Sunday in hopes of rectifying the mistakes they made last week against the Browns. And while their performance was much improved, there are still flaws on this defense. Most notably, the secondary continues to struggle to defend the pass. With Lardarius Webb missing his third game this season with back issues, the Ravens defensive backs have been asked to step up in his absence. But too often receivers are left running open. Baltimore may finally get to where they need to be when safety Will Hill returns from suspension, but until then Dean Pees will have his hands full.
Pees did a great job game-planning this week and it centered around the phenomenal play of his defensive front. Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil were seemingly on Cam Newton's back on every passing down. And guys like Brandon Williams and Pernell McPhee disrupted plays on a consistent basis and coupled with the play of the Ravens offense, the Panthers had no chance at all. No matter how bad the secondary may play at times, this defensive front will keep the team in every game if it continues to play like this.
Quarterback Grade: A+
The story of this game may be centered around Steve Smith, and rightfully so, but everyone should be talking about the play of Joe Flacco. It's amazing how well he's adjusted to Kubiak's offense, and the 7 year quarterback continues to improve with each passing week. Even with this being his first year in the system, Flacco leads the offense down the field with precision. He's in complete control and his big arm only makes things worse for opposing defenses. There was a play when Flacco fumbled the snap, picked up the football, and flung the football down the field to Steve Smith for a touchdown in a matter of moments. That should be evidence enough that everything is going his way this year.
Special Teams Grade: B
Jacoby Jones didn't have much of an opportunity to return many kicks but he did secure the football. That was good enough in this game. Justin Tucker was 1 for 2 after missing a long one from 57 yards away.
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Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. Samuel Njoku is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.
