By now you’ve probably seen the replays of Will Hill
’s “kick-six” from the thrilling Monday night victory about 100 times.
But there were plenty of other notable moments from the 33-27 win that you might not have noticed or forgotten about because of how the game ended.
Here’s a closer look back at plays you might have missed. All of these were viewed using NFL Game Pass, which is available for fans for purchase.
Breakdown Of Jernigan’s Hit
Defensive lineman Timmy Jernigan has made some big strides in recent weeks, and he showed that with a crushing hit on quarterback Josh McCown in the third quarter. The hit actually broke McCown’s collarbone and ended his season. Jernigan deserves plenty of credit for getting to the quarterback, but he also had help from outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith. The rookie pass rusher cleared Jernigan’s path to the quarterback by running over Cleveland’s first-round pick Cameron Erving at left guard. Jernigan then had a wide-open lane to McCown to deliver the big hit.
Canty Dominates Erving
It was a rough day overall for Erving, who also had his hands full trying to block veteran defensive end Chris Canty. Erving struggled to slow down the 11-year pro, who was disruptive in the running and passing game. Canty finished the day with just one tackle, but he did plenty that never showed up in the stat sheet. The play below is a perfect example. Canty simply overpowered Erving with a bull rush into the backfield and pressured McCown into getting rid of the football for an incompletion. Canty was Baltimore’s highest-rated defender by Pro Football Focus in this game, and he had his way with Erving for most of the night.
Shelton No Match For Yanda
Young running backs Buck Allen and Terrance West had a nice outing in the Ravens’ first game without starter Justin Forsett, and they also had the benefit of running behind an offensive line that did a nice job clearing lanes. West ripped off a 16-yard run in the third quarter thanks to a great block form right guard Marshal Yanda, who blew rookie nose tackle Danny Shelton off the line of scrimmage. Shelton, the No. 12 overall pick in the draft, was pushed completely out of the play by Yanda, and West then scurried down the middle of the field on the first-down carry. This kind of play is par for the course for Yanda, who has gone to four straight Pro Bowls.
Allen’s Good Vision For Cutback Lanes
Allen owned the Ravens’ longest run of the day when he had a 21-yard carry early in the game. The offensive line got a good push off the ball, and then he displayed his vision for the cutback lanes. Allen turned inside to avoid a defender and get an extra block from left guard Ryan Jensen, and that allowed him to get upfield on the play. Allen has good vision as a young back, which is part of the reason he’s a strong fit in the zone-blocking scheme the Ravens like to run.
