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The Baltimore Ravens entered their Week 14 AFC North matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers already down their MVP-winning quarterback with Lamar Jackson out with a knee injury.
The team had all the faith in backup Tyler Huntley who led a game-winning drive against the Denver Broncos in Week 13 and started the game. However, when he left late in the third quarter with a concussion, they were forced to turn to rookie Anthony Brown to take over under center for the remainder of the game.
Instead of succumbing to the pressure of being thrust into his first regular-season action on the road in a very hostile environment, Brown didn’t back down and while he wasn’t asked to do a whole lot, he didn’t make a critical mistake, and actually made a few nice throws.
“When you might least expect it, there’s your opportunity, and he stepped into it heroically,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said in his postgame press conference.
There’s no greater pressure for a quarterback of any experience level to face than that of being backed up deep in his team’s own territory. Brown’s first regular season snap came at the Ravens’ 1-yard line after a controversial ruling by the officiating staff that overturned a touchback following a turnover by the defense.
He stayed poised and helped the offense avoid disaster and gather some breathing room when he completed his first attempt for three yards. The Ravens would go on to pick up 12 more yards on the next three plays before Brown was sacked for a 4-yard loss they were forced to punt.
“That’s kind of how he is. His personality is that. He’s kind of calm, cool, and collected,” Harbaugh said. “[He’s] very much a student of the game; [he] works very hard at it in terms of preparing himself.”
After that, he would go on to lead the offense on a pair of time-consuming drives in the fourth quarter, one of which nearly drained eight minutes off the clock and ended in a field goal while the other iced the game after they picked up a crucial first down. He finished 3-of-5 for 16 passing yards and his other two completions went for modest gains with the last resulting in a first down.
“It was super impressive just the way he commanded the huddle, the way that he brought us all together and all that,” tight end Mark Andrews said in his postgame press conference. “Acting like he had been there before, and [I] just have a lot of respect and love for the way he came in and handled it.”
The first-year signal caller had originally signed with the team as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon and hadn’t taken a snap in a live game since the final week of the preseason on August 27, 2022. After the game, he expressed his appreciation for coach Harbaugh and the organization for giving him a chance to live out his dream and trusting him enough to let him serve as the backup after being called up from the practice squad for the first time this season.
“It was unbelievable; they said they had a plan for me, and low and behold, here we are in Pittsburgh, and we got it done,” Brown said in his postgame press conference. “I’ve been hearing it all my life from my father, ‘Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.’ This was just a testament to that. Then on top of it – like I said – just following the plan, following the process, and making sure I was ready for whenever this moment came.”
Brown will definitely have the stay ready and locked in this week as the Ravens will be playing on Saturday since the availability of both Huntley and Jackson for the team’s Week 15 matchup with the Cleveland Browns is uncertain at the moment according to Harbaugh. If neither can suit up on the short week of preparation, the rookie will be in line to make his first career start and will be backed up by veteran Brett Hundley who spent the summer and preseason with the team and was brought back on the practice squad last week.
“If Tyler can go, he’ll be there, and Anthony will be backing him up. If he can’t go, Anthony will be there playing, and Brett will be backing him up,” Harbaugh said. So, we’ll go with what we have. I promise you; everybody in that locker room trusts everybody that we have.”
First-Round Rookie Played Well v. 5-Time Pro Bowler
Brown wasn’t the only first-year pro on the offensive side of the ball that had a strong showing in his Ravens-Steelers debut. First-round center Tyler Linderbaum was very impressive as a blocker in the run game and more than held his own against Cam Heyward who is one of the best interior defensive linemen in the entire league.
“They put Cam over him quite a few times, which is not their norm all the time. I think they felt like they were going to test Tyler, and Tyler came through,” Harbaugh said in his press conference on Monday, December 12, 2022.
One of his best blocks of the game came against the three-time All-Pro when he shifted over to a zero-technique at nose tackle. Linderbaum proceeded to fire off the ball to combo block Heyward with right guard Ben Cleveland before climbing to the second level to washout inside linebacker Devin Bush and spring running back J.K. Dobbins for a 44-yard jaunt which ended up being the Ravens’ longest offensive play of the game.
He admitted that Heyward was still able to make some plays too and that “there was a lot of back and forth in the run game and the pass game”. Not only did Linderbaum help his team emerge victorious going up against a future Hall of Famer for most of the game, he finished as the team’s highest-graded player by Pro Football Focus with an overall of 91.3.
“Cam Heyward’s one of the best players in football. So, I thought Tyler did a heck of a job,” Harbaugh said. “He acquitted himself excellent, excellent. He had some really phenomenal blocks and just continues to improve all the time. So, really happy we have him.”
Veteran Wide Reciever Has Been a ‘Pleasant Surprise’
While Demarcus isn’t in his first year in the league as a seven-year veteran, he is in his first year with the Ravens and has emerged as one of the reliable weapons in their passing game this season, especially as of late. According to Baltimore Beatdown’s Spencer Schultz, he has caught 29 of his 39 targets over the Ravens’ last six games, resulting in 15 first downs.
Robinson currently leads the team’s receivers in targets (56), receptions (38), and receiving yards (390) according to Pro Football Reference. He has been a consistent chain mover all season long when targeted and Schultz also pointed out that he is a good blocker in the run game and comes with plenty of playoff experience stemming from his time spent with the Kansas City Chiefs for the first six years of his career.
His prowess as a savvy route runner and underrated ability to pick up yards after the catch makes him a threat to generate chunk plays for first downs on any given down. Robinson’s best game as a Ravens came in the team’s Week 11 win over the Carolina Panthers where he caught all nine of his targets for a team-leading 128 receiving yards.
After that game, Robinson said that he believes that he could be a “big focal point” in the Ravens’ offense. While he has recorded just 13 receptions for 110 receiving yards in the three games since combined, his contributions in crucial situations where the offense has needed key conversions show just how valuable he has been to the team’s success.
He has already become a fan favorite with many hoping that he will be back next year. Given that he has been a solid role player that’s shown flashes of impressive playmaking ability throughout his career, especially against the Ravens.
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