Baltimore vs. New Orleans
Ravens Remain Preseason Kings, Rally for 18th Consecutive Exhibition Win
Things looked to be returning to normal at M&T Bank Stadium. More than 70-thousand packed the house after a pandemic year plagued with mostly empty venues, and the Ravens preseason dominance rolls on.
Make it 18-in-a-row as undrafted free agent quarterback Tyler Huntley rushed for the game-winning score late in the fourth quarter as Baltimore topped the New Orleans Saints 17-14 on Saturday.
“It was thrilling,” head coach John Harbaugh described of the gameday atmosphere. “It just felt like it was supposed to feel. It wasn’t eerie like it had been last year. Our fans are great. You could tell they were excited to be there. So, (I’m) looking forward to when they can tailgate again; that’ll be a nice day.”
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2019 MVP Lamar Jackson did not see the field versus the Saints, giving coach John Harbaugh an opportunity to fully assess his backup options. Trace McSorley and Huntley split duties, each playing one half against New Orleans.
The sixth-round draft pick out of Penn State got the early nod and completed 11 of 18 attempts for 86 yards and was intercepted once by Bryce Thompson. McSorley also rushed four times for 26 yards, spotlighted by a 22-yard scamper that set-up a Jake Verity 53-yard field goal to close the first half.
Huntley finished 12-of-16 for 79 yards passing and took a quarterback draw up the gut for a 7-yard score that helped provide the 17-14 final tally.
“I thought they both operated really well,” coach John Harbaugh said while breaking down both of his quarterbacks. “Trace (McSorley), he was dealing with a little back spasm issue. So, I think that limited his ability to move around in the pocket and run around, but he made some good throws. Then Tyler (Huntley) came in and just played tremendous football.”
Jackson is not expected to see action next week against the Panthers either, so the backup battle could be on full display against Carolina again. Even if both options don’t view it as a direct competition.
“Not when you’re out there,” explained quarterback Tyler Huntley. “I don’t think about it, period. We’re just playing football, and everything else is going to take care of itself. We’re teammates, there isn’t a competition, for real.”
New Orleans’ starting quarterback has yet to be determined, but the Saints’ top two options did see playing time. Second-year safety Geno Stone picked off both Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill while fifth-round draft pick Shaun Wade intercepted an errant throw by rookie Ian Book to secure the win. The defense also forced and recovered three fumbles from Saints’ running backs Devonta Freeman, Latavius Murray, and Tony Jones Jr.
“Yes, the defense was everywhere,” beamed rookie linebacker Odafe Oweh. “Geno (Stone) was everywhere, Ar’Darius (Washington), DeShon (Elliott), Brandon (Stephens), just everywhere. There was havoc going on everywhere. We’d like to get a few more sacks, but in terms of just being all over the field, I think we did that. It was really a Ravens’ defense.”
The Ravens have not lost in the preseason since Sep. 3, 2015 against Atlanta when Bryn Renner took the majority of the snaps in a 20-19 defeat.
GAME RECAP
The Saints took the opening kickoff and quickly traversed the field to set up a goal-to-go scenario. The drive came up empty though after Broderick Washington jarred the football free from Latavius Murray and recovered by DeShon Elliott.
After a three-and-out, Baltimore’s defense forced another turnover. Taysom Hill’s pass intended for Ty Montgomery sailed wide and Geno Stone made a diving interception at the Saints’ 48. The offense could not capitalize as J.K. Dobbins was stopped behind the line on a 4th-and-1 rush for a turnover on downs.
Both sides would exchange punts before the Ravens would record another takeaway. Justin Madubuike knocked the ball free from Devonta Freeman and fallen on by 4th year player Chris Board at the New Orleans’ 35-yard line.
Despite losing yards on the series, the Ravens put the game’s first points on the board with Justin Tucker connecting from 56 yards out to open the second quarter.
Tony Jones Jr. dominated the next possession, ripping off runs of 28, 17, and 18 yards, the last of which going for a touchdown to give New Orleans a 7-3 lead with 11:38 remaining in the half.
Trace McSorley then led a 13-play, 52-yard drive that resulted in three more points, this time from backup kicker Jake Verity, who was good from 42 yards out.
The Saints and Ravens both went three-and-out before Jameis Winston completed five consecutive passes, including an 8-yarder to Lil’Jordan Humphrey to extend New Orleans’ advantage to 14-3.
The next two plays both resulted in interceptions as McSorley was picked by Bryce Thompson and then Stone immediately grabbed his second of the evening off a throw by Winston with under a minute until halftime.
A 22-yard McSorley scramble was sandwiched in-between completions to Ty’Son Williams and undrafted free agent Jaylon Moore before Verity connected on a 53-yard field goal attempt at the horn to make it a 14-6 ballgame at the break.
Tyler Huntley took the snaps under center for the second half, but the offense was forced to punt after picking up a couple of first downs.
The following two possessions ended with fumbles, as Aaron Adeoye recovered a Jones Jr. fumble inside the red zone while Huntley coughed it up deep in Saints’ territory after being hit by a pair of defenders.
Huntley’s mishap didn’t prove to be costly as the Ian Book-led Saints offense went three-and-out. He then led the Ravens’ only touchdown march of the game, capped a 7-yard quarterback draw. The two-point conversion by Williams made it a field goal lead, 17-14 with 6:35 remaining in regulation.
Both sides would quickly punt and Book drove the Saints to edge of field goal territory with under two minutes to play. A back shoulder throw toward the sideline intended for Kawann Baker was intercepted by Shaun Wade to effectively end it. A couple of Huntley kneel downs later and the Ravens had their 18th straight preseason victory in the bag with a final score of 17-14.
UP NEXT
Baltimore (1-0) hits the road for its remaining two preseason games, starting next Saturday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. to play the Panthers. Carolina (0-1) trotted out backup quarterback P.J. Walker, who threw for 161 yards and a touchdown against the Colts before rookie quarterback Sam Ehlinger out of Texas lead two scoring drives, the second of which resulting in an Eddy Pineiro game-winning field goal with seven seconds remaining in a 21-18 Indianapolis win.