The Ravens couldn't have looked much better than they did in Sunday's dominant victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Joe Flacco threw five touchdown passes in the first two quarters, and the Ravens returned to Baltimore with a 48-17 victory to improve to 4-2 on the season.
Here's a look back at some of the key plays of the game, and what you might have missed in the matchup (mobile users tap "View in browser" to view the film screen grabs).
All of these plays were viewed using NFL Game Rewind, which is available for fans to purchase.
Slants Wide Open For T. Smith
Torrey Smith often gets labeled as a deep threat who can only beat teams over the top. Sunday's game was another example of how that argument lacks validity, as Smith demonstrated that he has much more in his repertoire than the seam route. Tampa's defenders showed their respect for his speed by playing several yards off him at the line of scrimmage, and Smith made them pay with the underneath slant routes. His first touchdown [photo 1] came on a slant route, and later in the first quarter he had an 18-yard reception [photo 2] on another slant pass. The photos show that Tampa left the middle of the field wide open, allowing Flacco and Smith to exploit the holes.
Williams Disruptive On Defensive Line
Second-year defensive tackle Brandon Williams has emerged this season as one of the Ravens' top players on the defensive front. The interior defender was disruptive against the Bucs offensive line, and he caused problems for the running game and as a pass rusher. This image illustrates his speed and ability to bring an outside pass rush, as he ran by Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins to split a sack with Elvis Dumervil.
Ngata In Coverage
Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is known for his impressive athleticism that allows him to eat up double teams and still beat offensive linemen off the line of scrimmage. But how about his skills in pass coverage? The Ravens had some creative calls up front Sunday, including this play in the first quarter where Ngata dropped back into coverage. He was lined up over the center to start the play, but immediately dropped back to cause some confusion for the offensive line. The play call worked, as safety Darian Stewart then had a wide open lane to quarterback Mike Glennon on the blitz. The pressure from Stewart forced an interception to cornerback Jimmy Smith, which set up Baltimore's second touchdown.
Daniels Getting Respect
Tight end Owen Daniels has been one of the Ravens' most productive offensive players this year, and opponents are taking notice. The veteran tight end attracted three defenders in his direction – a linebacker and two safeties – to help set up rookie Michael Campanaro's first career touchdown. Daniels sucked three defenders into the middle of the field, leaving Campanaro in one-on-one coverage for a seam route. Flacco then threw a perfectly lofted pass to Campanaro in the end zone, and the rookie receiver make a great catch to haul in the pass with a defender in his face.
Play-Action Gives Flacco All Day
A big talking point coming into the season was how Gary Kubiak's heavy use of the play-action would impact the Ravens offense. This picture tells the story. Flacco faked the handoff to running back Bernard Pierce, and the Bucs bit hard on the fake. Flacco then rolled to his left and had all day to toss this deep pass to wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. When Flacco set his feet, he had no defenders within 10 yards of him. Smith then beat the cornerback on a double move, where he faked an out pattern and then continued up the field for the touchdown. This is what a strong running game and good protection from the offensive line will do for a quarterback.
