For the first time in training camp, the Ravens had to deal with inclement weather.
Moderate rain persisted throughout almost all of Wednesday's practice, and as a result, players had occasional trouble hanging onto wet footballs. There were a few drops that would've likely been catches under normal conditions, but the footballs rocketed off players' hands instead.
Skylar Thompson tried to throw a pass rolling to his left during 11-on-11, but the ball slipped out of his hand on the wind-up. Later in practice, Matt Hibner caught a pass, and the ball fell out of his grasp without anyone else touching it (Hibner jumped on the ball to prevent a turnover).
Despite the offense's struggles under damp conditions, Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle didn't seem to mind playing in the rain.
"You're pretty fortunate to actually get this weather during a training camp setting and being able to have to deal with the rain a little bit," Doyle said. "This actually happened to us earlier in OTAs. We practiced outside, and I didn't think we handled it particularly well. I do think that today, they responded positively."
"We play in the AFC North," Doyle said later on, "and in order to win games late in the year, you're going to play in some {bad} weather games and things like this that are less than ideal. And so we've got to get used to playing in this weather."
Here are other notes from Wednesday's practice without pads:
- After sitting out Tuesday's practice following an agreement to a contract extension, Zay Flowers returned to the field on Wednesday and scored two touchdowns during 11-on-11 in the red zone.
- Guard/center Corey Bullock also returned to the practice field, as he passed his physical and was removed from the Non-Football Injury or Illness (NFI) list. Bullock, who hadn't practiced since OTAs, will be a part of the Ravens' ongoing center competition.
- Ja'Kobi Lane made another superb catch. This time, it was a leaping snare in the back of the end zone while being guarded by Marlon Humphrey during seven-on-seven.
- Roquan Smith intercepted Lamar Jackson early in practice on a short throw over the middle, then lateralled the ball to Malaki Starks while running down the right side of the field. If it were an actual game, Smith and Starks might've pulled off something like what Kyle Van Noy and Alohi Gilman did last year against the Cincinnati Bengals.
- Josh Cuevas had his most productive day of training camp. He tallied three touchdown catches, two during seven-on-seven in the red zone and one during 11-on-11 in the red zone. His best touchdown catch was his second of the day, a sliding grab on a throw from Tyler Huntley. Cuevas also made a catch over the middle of the field for a long gain on a throw from Thompson.
- Octavian Smith Jr. had consecutive touchdown catches during seven-on-seven and almost had a third touchdown later. Bilhal Kone, who came off the PUP list last week, had a stellar pass breakup at the goal-line, preventing a touchdown by knocking the ball out of Smith Jr.'s hands.
- Another player who came off the PUP list last week, Adisa Isaac, had a strip sack of Thompson and recovered the fumble.
- C.J. Okoye had one of the louder pass breakups during training camp so far, swatting a pass at the line of scrimmage from Huntley that looked like a basketball block.
