The Ravens' preseason opener and Head Coach Jesse Minter's debut couldn't have gone much better.
With all but two projected starters getting the night off at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens cruised to a 24-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles didn't score until there were two minutes and 14 seconds left in the game, as Minter's defense nearly pitched a shutout.
Here's who stood out:
WR Ja'Kobi Lane
Lane's preseason debut turned up the volume from his training camp buzz. He scored a 16-yard touchdown in the first half when he fought for the end zone after making a strong catch over the middle. Two Eagles defenders hung onto his long legs, but Lane was too big to keep out of the end zone. His first catch was a nifty 19-yarder in which he showed off his wingspan reaching back to make the catch. He finished with three catches for 38 yards.
G Vega Ioane
The Ravens' first-round pick showed his physicality on the first play of his NFL career, shoving a couple Eagles defenders at the echo of the whistle. He was a brick wall in pass protection, standing his man up at the line of scrimmage and blasted an Eagles defender to the turf when he got the chance. Ioane played just two drives, but it was enough to get his feet wet and establish his physicality in an NFL game.
TE Matt Hibner
The rookie fourth-round pick kicked things off for the offense with a 29-yard gain on a wheel route up the sideline on the first drive, showing his downfield playmaking ability. Hibner also reeled in 8 and 13-yard catches in the first quarter and finished with a team-high five catches for 61 yards. Some media members raised concerns about the tight end corps during training camp, but Hibner shined under the lights.
QB Joe Fagnano
Fagnano moved the Ravens offense well throughout the night, completing 22 of 28 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown, although he made one ill-advised throw trying to squeeze in a touchdown pass on the run that was intercepted in the end zone. Fagnano beat out fellow undrafted rookie Diego Pavia and veteran Skylar Thompson has been placed on injured reserve, leaving Fagnano as the leader for the No. 3 quarterback spot. The Ravens added Austin Reed this week to compete, and he also looked good, leading a scoring drive that he capped with a 14-yard rushing touchdown.
CB Keyon Martin
Martin blitzed up the middle for a sack and split a tackle for loss on the same series in the third quarter. The second-year cornerback has consistently made plays in training camp and continued to shine in the preseason. That's how he made the team last year as an undrafted rookie, and he has built his case to do so again.
K Tyler Loop
The Ravens have been looking for any chance to turn up the pressure on Loop after the way last season ended. While he was perfect in four straight practices, Loop didn't pass his first game test, pushing a 49-yard attempt wide right on the Ravens' opening drive. Loop did bounce back with a successful 42-yarder early in the second half.
Rookie punter Ryan Eckley also had a tough start with a 27-yard shank out of bounds on his first attempt but rebounded with a 40-yarder that was fair caught at the 10.
RB Adam Randall
Randall was the Ravens' primary ball carrier with Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, and Rasheen Ali all getting the night off. Randall took 12 carries for 46 yards and showed his power with a 4-yard touchdown rumble in the fourth quarter after getting hit at the line of scrimmage.
WR Elijah Sarratt
Sarratt caught six of seven targets for 66s yards. He made defenders miss in the open field to pick up yard after catch, including one shimmy up the sideline to pick up a first down. However, Sarratt's night ended with a fumble when he got too loose with the football weaving through traffic. It was a good lesson for the rookie receiver.
