Getty Patrick Queen celebrates.
Patrick Queen has a fondness for the Baltimore Ravens and franchise legend Ray Lewis, so after his first game, he paid the best kind of tribute possible to the Hall of Fame linebacker.
Not only did Queen play a leading role in a big win as a tough linebacker, the rookie took time afterward to give the proper credit right back to Lewis by wearing an awesome shirt and giving Lewis a great shout out.
“It’s all about respect.”
@Patrickqueen_ repping the OG @raylewis
Queen said:
“It’s all about respect. Growing up, Ravens defense being physical. Ray Lewis really set the picture for me for the Ravens defense. Just giving him his respect by wearing this shirt. Letting him know that I respect his game, respect what he did for this organization and I’m just trying to follow in the same footsteps.”
Queen’s rookie debut was a good one for the Ravens. The linebacker recovered a fumble, had 4 tackles and a sack and did a great job in a commanding win. He looked a lot like Lewis, flying around and making some big time plays for his defense.
In the process, Queen remained humble and paid tribute to the legend.
Wink Martindale Loves Patrick Queen
Speaking to the media during training camp, Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale was asked to break down what he’s seen from the young players so far. As he said, they’re typical rookies with ups and downs on the field, but he is more impressed with the caliber of person each player is.
DC Wink Martindale likes what he’s seen from Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison:
Martindale said:
“I think they’re exactly what we expected. They’re young and they’re making some mistakes but for the most part, first of all, they’re great people. I’ve had some good conversations with them besides just football. We really haven’t gotten into the 11 on 11 pads where you can see their instincts. I think from all the film we’ve watched they’ve both done a really nice job and haven’t disappointed anyone.”
Queen and Harrison figure to be in the mix for the team moving forward and leading the charge at a position that needed tons of help this offseason. When they get on the field, it’s likely they will continue to not disappoint their coach, but it’s nice to see he’s already excited about the new players and personalities coming into the mix.
Clearly, Queen keeps proving his coach right.
Ravens Defense Called NFL’s Best
Everyone knows the Ravens defense is good. Are they the best group in the NFL, though? That might be the case according to Fox Sports analyst Mark Schlereth. As Schlereth said in a recent video, he is picking the Ravens as the best defensive group in the conference thanks to what they can do in terms of personnel.
The best defense in each conference according to @markschlereth ⬇️
– AFC: @Ravens
– NFC: @49ers
Agree?
“There’s a bunch of ’em, but I’m going to go with the Ravens because they match their defensive personnel with what they do so well on the offensive side.”
The Ravens defense also quietly plays a huge role in the team’s success even though the offense generates more headlines. It was the team’s defense which helped play a huge role in both of the Super Bowl titles the franchise has claimed, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see the squad getting back to their elite ways.
With only 6 points allowed and Queen looking like a solid pickup who understands the team and culture, this might only be more of the case.
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