Nickel Package

Nfl Week 1

Panthers 10, Ravens 7

Thumbs up

Redman. In his first NFL start, he shook off a rocky first drive and settled down to play a smart game. He threw some tough passes downfield and hung in the pocket despite getting hit 10 times.

Thumbs down

Ravens' run defense. Once the most feared group for running backs, the Ravens didn't match Carolina physically. The Panthers got blockers out on linebackers Ray Lewis and Ed Hartwell and capitalized on missed tackles. The scary part is that the Ravens had trouble bringing down the likes of Lamar Smith, Brad Hoover and Goings.

Stat of the game

33:51. The Panthers' time of possession. Last year, Carolina controlled the clock for an average of 27 1/2 minutes.

Quotable

"This is a 16-week season. After one week, you don't pack your bags up and get ready for Christmas. You keep fighting." - Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

Trainer's room

Three Ravens - receivers Taylor (sprained shoulder) and Johnson (thigh contusion) and offensive tackle Edwin Mulitalo (strained thumb) - missed time because of injuries, but each returned.