Propelled by Keaton Mitchell's 22-yard touchdown run and LaJohntay Wester's 87-yard punt return, Baltimore outlasted the Indianapolis Colts, 24-16, at M&T Bank Stadium on Thursday.
Here are my thoughts after a game that gave many young players an opportunity to shine:
Wester has warp speed as a punt returner.
When LaJohntay Wester returns a punt, you don't want to miss it
Wester scampered for an 87-yard house call and took a major step toward winning the punt return competition.
The rookie wide receiver from Colorado looked like an NFL veteran returning punts. On his first opportunity, Wester fielded the ball aggressively and shook several Colts for a nice 17-yard runback that gave fans a taste of things to come.
But that was the appetizer. The main course was Wester's scintillating touchdown run. At least four Colts had a chance to tackle Wester before he found daylight, but he evaded all of them with quick, decisive moves.
Once Wester turned on the gas, it was over. Nobody was catching him.
After celebrating with teammates in the end zone and on the sideline, Wester looked up at the scoreboard jumbotron and saw his face. The crowd cheered and Wester nodded his head confidently as if to say, "This is what I do."
Then in the second half, Wester two catches for 41yards to show he's more than just a return man. Wester made explosive plays as a wide receiver in college, but the Ravens are loaded at that position. Still, there's an opportunity for Wester to make an immediate impact as a returner, and he looks ready to seize the moment.
Mitchell looks like himself.
Mitchell has been saying for months that he's fully recovered from his major knee injury in 2023. After this game, none of the Colts would argue.
Mitchell had a 23-yard run in the first quarter, followed by a 22-yard touchdown jaunt. On both plays, Mitchell showed the explosiveness that makes him such a home run threat. His speed is well documented, but he also runs with a low center of gravity that makes him difficult to bring down.
With Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, and Mitchell, Baltimore's three-headed monster of a running attack is back in business.
Bilhal Kone's knee injury is a bummer.
Watching rookie cornerback Bilhal Kone on the ground in pain after his knee injury was tough to watch. Players and coaches looked on with concern while Kone received medical attention, before being carted off.
Head Coach John Harbaugh said after the game that Kone will miss the rest of the season with a torn ligament in his knee.
The Ravens have a deep stable of cornerbacks that includes Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Jaire Alexander, Chidobe Awuzie, Jalyn Armour-Davis, and T.J. Tampa. However, they drafted Kone and Robert Longerbeam in the sixth round because they have potential and because Baltimore covets depth at that position.
It was going to be difficult for Kone to earn defensive snaps this season, but suffering a significant injury wasn't in his plans. Hopefully, he will make a speedy and full recovery.
Tyler Loop shakes off an early miss.
After missing a 46-yard field goal attempt wide left, Loop drilled a 52-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to give the Ravens a 24-16 lead.
The ability to bounce back after missing a kick is something coaches want to see from a young kicker, and Loop responded. The preseason games will be part of Loop's learning curve as the regular season approaches. Loop would like to be perfect, but it will also be important for him to be resilient.
Extra Points:
- It was a good night for Baltimore's young pass rushers, who had a chance to eat with Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh not playing. David Ojabo had a sack after he was unblocked and given a clear path to punish Anthony Richardson Sr. The Colts' quarterback reportedly suffered a finger injury on the play and was replaced by Daniel Jones. Second-year outside linebacker Adisa Isaac had a second-quarter sack, while rookie outside linebacker Mike Green pressured the quarterback on several occasions. Defensive linemen Aeneas Pebbles, C.J. Ravenell, and C.J. Okoye also brought pressure on several occasions. Ravenell forced quarterback Riley Leonard into a high throw that was intercepted by Ravens rookie linebacker Jay Higgins IV.
- Andrew Vorhees started at left guard, backed up by Ben Cleveland in the second half. Starting right guard Daniel Faalele gave up a sack in the first quarter when he was knocked to the ground by Colts defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore. Rookie Darrian Dalcourt saw action at right guard in the second half.
- Armour-Davis was sticky in coverage during his reps and made an aggressive pass deflection to end a Colts' drive in the first half.
