BALTIMORE — The Ravens did not generate much offense with their reserve players in a 16-13 preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday night, but there were bright spots, especially on defense.
The Ravens scored their only touchdown on a 1-yard sneak by third-string rookie quarterback Devin Leary with 5:46 left in the fourth quarter which tied the game, 13-13.
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott hit the right upright on a 50-yard field goal with 21 seconds left in the game. Ravens rookie quarterback Emory Jones was strip-sacked by outside linebacker Patrick Johnson, which set up another field-goal attempt. This time, Elliott made the game-winner from 49 yards as time expired.
“The great thing about a first game is you get an opportunity to see where you’re at, and you get to see some good stuff, and you get to see [where] you’re exposed and what you need to work on,” coach John Harbaugh said. “Sometimes it’s hard to see that in practice, so [I’m] happy about that, and we have work to do.”
The Ravens were 2-for-12 on third down.
Former Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett got the start for the Eagles and completed 14 of 22 passes for 89 yards with a short touchdown pass to Will Shipley. The Eagles took a 13-6 lead on a 2-yard run by Lew Nichols with 2:16 left in the third quarter.
Ravens kicker Justin Tucker converted two field goals, including one from 46 yards.
Ravens backup quarterback Josh Johnson struggled and was just 4-for-12 for 62 yards and a 51.4 rating.
“It’s preseason. I think if you watch all of the preseason games, you’re going to see the same things,” Harbaugh said. “I thought [Johnson] handled it well [and] made some really good throws. The timing and that sort of thing, yes, that’s tough to evaluate, because the guys aren’t all out there. It’s not always going to look real great, but I thought he handled himself really well and made some really good throws.”
The Ravens have lost three straight in the preseason after winning 24 consecutive games from 2016 to 2023.
Highlights from 1st preseason game:
Starting offensive line: The Ravens’ starting offensive line consisted of left tackle Josh Jones, left guard Andrew Vorhees, center Ben Cleveland, right guard Daniel Faalele, and right tackle Patrick Mekari. Rookie second-round pick Roger Rosengarten took Mekari’s spot on the second drive of the game. There is plenty of time for the Ravens to make changes to the starters.
Wiggins dominates: Ravens rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins broke up three passes on the opening drive. Pickett was targeting him, but Wiggins won the battle. It’s a good, early sign for the Ravens that their first-round pick performed well. However, he left the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury and his status is uncertain. “I don’t really have any updates on anybody’s status right now,” Harbaugh said.
Wright gets the start: Second-year Owen Wright got the start at running back over rookie fifth-round pick Raasheen Ali. Wright has outplayed Ali in training camp and had a 12-yard gain on his first carry and then caught a 17-yard pass on the next play. Wright finished with 33 yards on seven carries. Ali carried the ball 10 times for 26 yards.
“[It’s] huge, getting these reps and everything, especially on special teams,” Wright said. “[I’m] just trying to be in places where I can help the team out the most [and] sacrifice and do all that stuff. It’s huge, especially in the preseason, just showing what you can do, and how you can display your talents anywhere and your abilities. It’s big.”
Not much happened with new kickoff rules: The Ravens were anticipating how players would adapt to the new kickoff rules but Tucker’s first kick went into the end zone for a touchback. On the ensuing kickoff, the Eagles’ Kenneth Gainwell t returned the ball 19 yards. Otherwise, there were no dynamic plays on the kickoffs.
Short on outside linebackers: Ravens outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo did not play. Two others, Adisa Isaac and Quincy Roche, are coming back from injuries. This meant the team only had three players available — Malik Harrison, Tavius Robinson and Joe Evans. The team’s depth at that position will be something to watch throughout the season.
Simpson solid: Ravens inside linebacker Trenton Simpson took over the starting job for Patrick Queen and has the potential to be a standout. Simpson was a force all over the field and finished with a game-high 11 tackles. “[I saw] a lot of great stuff. [Trenton Simpson] flies around. Trenton is a guy that … He just loves football,” Harbaugh said.
Corner blitz: New Ravens defensive coordinator Zachary Orr took a page from Mike Macdonald’s playbook when he called a slot blitz, and cornerback Pepe Williams picked up the sack against Pickett. Macdonald was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator until taking the head coaching job in Seattle this offseason.
Injury updates: Ravens inside linebacker Chris Board was ruled after being evaluated for a concussion in the second quarter. Rookie safety Sanoussi Kane left the game with a stinger after a hard hit on an Eagles wide receiver. He was also flagged on the play for unnecessary roughness, although it appeared to be a questionable call.
