Here’s a look at the highlights from the Ravens’ padded practice Saturday, the team’s first session since its preseason win Thursday over the Indianapolis Colts.
Attendance
Running back Keaton Mitchell, inside linebacker William Kwenkeu and cornerback T.J. Tampa, all of whom played against Indianapolis, missed practice. Coach John Harbaugh said none of them have serious injuries.
Undrafted rookie running back Marcus Major Jr. (concussion) and safety Kyle Hamilton (undisclosed) spent part of practice working on their conditioning as they prepare for a return.
Tight end Isaiah Likely (foot/ankle) and cornerback Robert Longerbeam (undisclosed) remain sidelined, along with rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. (shoulder) and safety Ar’Darius Washington (Achilles tendon).
Rookie cornerback Bilhal Kone, who tore a ligament in his knee against the Colts, was placed on injured reserve, ending his season.
Lamar watch
Quarterback Lamar Jackson had another up-and-down practice, mixing a couple of impressive throws with two interceptions. Unofficially, he finished 11-for-17 in 11-on-11 action and 8-for-11 in seven-on-seven action.
In a full-team red-zone drill, Jackson connected with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on a back-shoulder throw along the left sideline that beat tight coverage from cornerback Nate Wiggins. Jackson later found wide receiver Zay Flowers in the end zone for a score on a designed rollout. Flowers shed cornerback Marlon Humphrey as he worked his way across the grain on the route.
Jackson’s first interception also came in cramped quarters. During a seven-on-seven red-zone drill, Flowers appeared to break off a route near the back of the end zone after Jackson had already released his throw. Wiggins secured the easy pick before stepping out of the back of the end zone.
Near the end of practice, in an 11-on-11 period, Jackson was knocked off his spot by pressure and looked for wide receiver Tylan Wallace, running an intermediate crossing pattern. But the ball landed behind him and in the arms of cornerback Chidobe Awuzie.
Kicker watch
Rookie kicker Tyler Loop didn’t kick, but the Ravens did involve him in a drill where they simulated field goal block attempts.
End zone
- The Ravens’ second-string offense had one of the roughest stretches of camp for any unit, committing three false-start penalties in a span of four plays in an 11-on-11 red-zone period. After the offense needed to take a timeout, and later committed a fourth false start, Harbaugh substituted four of the five linemen on the field. Quarterback Cooper Rush found tight end Scotty Washington for a leaping touchdown catch on the next play. “Seemed effective — cleaned it up after that, did you notice?” Harbaugh said of the hockey-style line change. “It seemed like it worked, for the most part.”
- Jackson had to take a “sack” and settle for a couple of throw-aways in the face of the Ravens’ pass rush. The team ended practice with a lively pass rush drill between the offensive line and the defensive front as the rest of the team watched. The defense appeared to get the better of its reps, with outside linebackers Tavius Robinson, Mike Green and Malik Hamm all winning on the edge. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley celebrated one good rep by borrowing cornerback Jaire Alexander’s buckle-your-seatbelt gesture, and tight end Charlie Kolar was quick to point out offensive wins to his defensive teammates. “That ramped it up, right?” Harbaugh said. “The stakes definitely go up. It was fun. It’s a fun drill. That’s been a good drill.”
- Wiggins ended a short stretch of underwhelming practices with a resurgent performance. In red-zone one-on-ones, he denied a fade to undrafted rookie wide receiver Jahmal Banks by getting his head around and offering a Dikembe Mutombo-esque swat for the pass breakup. He also swallowed up a route by wide receiver Rashod Bateman later in the drill and followed it up with his interception against Jackson. Wiggins’ biggest misstep came in a half-field passing drill, when he allowed wide receiver Devontez Walker to blow by him on a go route and catch a deep pass.
- Walker should’ve had another explosive play in the half-field passing drill, but he couldn’t secure a slightly underthrown ball from Jackson after a stutter-and-go. Undrafted rookie cornerback Marquise Robinson recovered in time to contest the ball at the catch point, then somehow got his hands on the deflection for a bobbled interception. Afterward, Jackson met with Walker as he walked back to the sideline and appeared to offer pointers on the play.
- Humphrey, one of the quiet stars of camp, had an uncharacteristically poor afternoon. He lost to Wallace in one-on-ones on a comeback route, gave up an in-stride completion to Walker on an in-breaker and allowed the touchdown to Flowers.
- Hopkins hasn’t had much variety in his catches at camp. Most have come on throws 5 to 15 yards downfield and outside the numbers. But they’ve been hard to stop. After beating Wiggins on the back-shoulder throw in the red zone, Hopkins got just enough separation from the starting cornerback for a catch on a comeback route in the half-field passing drill. Hopkins also snagged a low pass from Jackson over the middle for a short gain against Humphrey in a red-zone period.
- Safety Beau Brade ignited one of the more chaotic sequences of camp in an 11-on-11 red-zone period, jarring the ball loose from Walker with a punch-out after a catch in the low red zone. An offensive lineman appeared to pick up the bouncing ball, only to lose it just as quickly. Rookie inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan ended up scooping the bouncing ball and running down the left sideline.
- There was no shortage of highlight-reel catches. Along with Washington’s diving score, wide receiver Anthony Miller had a one-handed grab in one-on-ones for a touchdown, Banks had a leaping touchdown grab over Robinson near the end of practice, wide receiver Dayton Wade secured a red-zone touchdown with a contested grab against cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis, and Kolar had a nearly full-extension grab for a score near the back of the end zone.
- Rookie wide receiver LaJohntay Wester dropped a pair of balls in one-on-ones. After the second, which came after separating from rookie safety Malaki Starks, the sixth-round pick dropped to the ground and did 10 pushups as a crowd of kids watching from the stands counted off each rep.
- Starks was so quick to break on a short pass to tight end Mark Andrews, which ended with a breakup in a seven-on-seven period, that it seemed as if they’d banged knees, a no-no during a noncontact period. But both were fine after the play.
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