Matched up against the NFL's top-ranked aerial attack, the Ravens' secondary proved it could compete.
Except for a pair of long drives to end the second and fourth quarters, the unit clamped down on the Denver Broncos' high-octane passing game and played a vital role in the team's 31-17 victory at M&T Bank Stadium.
In a showdown between the league's most prolific pass offense and stingiest pass defense, it was the latter that prevailed.
"We're not as bad as what people thought," cornerback Fabian Washington said of a secondary that had been frequently cited as the defense's vulnerability in the preseason. "That's pretty much what it is. It was an opportunity to go out and show the world that, hey, everybody's saying we played against just running teams, and that's why we had success. I think we had a lot of success today versus a predominantly passing team."
Not that the secondary, which activated all five cornerbacks, didn't have its hiccups. Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton completed 23-of-38 passes for 314 yards, and he connected with wide receiver Brandon Lloyd for touchdowns of 42 and 44 yards.
"We're not completely satisfied with the play because we feel like we need to finish it for the whole entire game," cornerback Chris Carr said. "We should be able to dominate them through the whole game and not give up anything. But the name of the game is to play consistently well throughout the game, and we did a good job of that today."
Indeed. Outside of those two touchdown drives, Denver managed just 197 yards of offense. Washington broke up a game-high four passes, and Josh Wilson and Lardarius Webb added two and one pass break-ups, respectively.
"We wanted to go against the best," free safety Tom Zbikowski said. "That's what you want to do as a secondary, to compare and see where you're at. Up against the No. 1 passing offense, there's a reason why they are. They're on rhythm a lot, they've got very talented receivers that have very good ball skills, and they've got a quarterback that can put it in there on time. So us getting that pressure early on and making them feel uncomfortable really helped us out."
Ngata goes in
Haloti Ngata appeared to be the primary target on the Ravens' fourth-and-goal from the 1 in the first quarter, but the defensive tackle said he knew he was covered by safety Darcel McBath, which allowed linebacker Jason Hunter to sack Joe Flacco.
"I knew there was somebody on top of me," Ngata said. "I saw Joe look, and I thought, 'He'll probably just throw it away.' Those guys were quick enough to get to him and they got a sack."
Said Flacco: "Maybe I should've taken a shot and just tried to fire it in at him and see if it would've stuck to him. He has great hands though, so I don't have to be afraid of throwing him the ball."
Ngata, who twisted his knee on the play but returned later, said he wasn't sure whether that would conclude his career as an option on offense.
"I don't know," he said. "We'll see what the coaches think about it."
McGahee's missed chance
Although he scored on a 30-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, running back Willis McGahee couldn't shake the memory of another scoring chance.
On the offense's opening possession, he was stopped twice from the 1. Afterward, McGahee said it appeared that Denver's defense knew that he was going to get the ball.
"I'm kind of mad I didn't get in on that first one," he said. "It's like they were waiting on me. They were cut-blocking and everything, and they kind of made me hesitate. But it's my job to get in there and I didn't get in there."
Redding's first sack as Raven
Cory Redding registered his first sack as a Raven when he dropped Orton for a 7-yard loss in the second quarter, but the defensive end credited outside linebacker Jarret Johnson for assisting him.
"I wouldn't have gotten it if it wasn't for him," Redding said. "He had a good pick and kept the tackle occupied. So I just ran around as fast as I could and at worst, get pressure. He still had the ball in his hands, so credit to Double-J."
Redding, who sat out last Sunday's win against the Pittsburgh Steelers because of a concussion, said he was playing tentatively because of the injury.
"I just had to get that concussion out of my head," he said. "The first series, I had it in my head and I wasn't playing myself. So I had to calm down, say a quick prayer, go out there and play, and let the chips fall where they may."
Jones, Phillips make impression
Linebackers Edgar Jones and Jason Phillips delivered the hit of the season when they sandwiched Denver kick returner Demaryius Thomas and forced the rookie to fumble in the second quarter.
Jones went high and Phillips went low, and it was Jones who ripped the ball from Thomas.
