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Despite spending the past four seasons with the team and helping lead them to their second Superbowl title in franchise history in 2020, Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul understood why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided not to bring him back for the 2022 season.
He was coming off a 2021 season in which he played most of the year with one shoulder, battled through other injuries, and recorded his lowest sack total since 2015.
“I understand the business side of football, and it is what it is, but I have no hard feelings, no bad blood against Tampa,” Pierre-Paul said in a press conference on October 25, 2022. “I was there for four years and did my job there, and now I’m here. I’m just going to go out and show them what they don’t have.”
While the Buccaneers are tied for the third most sacks in the league through the first seven weeks of the season with 22 and the Ravens, his new team, have the fifth most with 20, one team’s defense is trending upward while the other is struggling.
Pierre-Paul has been a great find for the Ravens and even though he only has one sack in four straight starts, he has been excellent at setting the edge against the run, is still generating consistent pressure, and has the same amount of pass deflections as All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey according to Pro Football Reference.
He admitted that there is a little more juice for him personally heading into this interconference matchup with his old squad but he is more focused on continuing to prove the Ravens right for giving him the opportunity to extend his career.
“I’m going to be showcasing my talent as a Raven, and I’m going to show them why they chose me to be here, and get the job done,” Pierre-Paul said. “I’m a great pass rusher, great run stopper. Somebody still believes in me – so at the end of the day, I’ve got to showcase my talent.”
Still Scratching the Surface
Even though Pierre-Paul has been on the team for just over a month since officially signing on September 22, 2022, he is still getting acclimated to not only playing with his teammates but playing football period. Since he didn’t sign with a new team until after the season had gotten underway, the two-time Superbowl champion believes that his best is yet to come.
“I [came] here and didn’t have a training camp or anything,” Pierre-Paul said. “It was like a preseason to me. But I’m ready to go. I’m fired up and ready to go now. My body is feeling good, and this is how it’s going to be for the rest of this year.”
Getting more edge rushers healthy and back from injury will help lessen his workload while simultaneously helping him be more effective and stay fresher late in games as well as for the long haul of the season. According to Pro Football Reference, he played over 70% of the team’s total defensive snaps from Weeks 4-6 and 63% in Week 7 in the Ravens 23-20 win over the Cleveland Browns.
His fellow veteran pass rusher, Justin Houston, recorded a pair of sacks and nearly a third in just 16 total defensive snaps this past Sunday in his first game back from a groin injury since Week 3. The Ravens will also be getting veteran Tyus Bowser and rookie David Ojabo back soon as well so they’ll be able to rotate their edge rushers, even more, to keep all of them fresh.
Could DeSean Jackson Make Ravens Debut?
Pierre-Paul isn’t the only three-time Pro Bowler that began his career on an NFC East team and also spent time with the Buccaneers. The Ravens’ newest addition to their wide receiver depth chart played for Tampa Bay from 2017-2018 where the two veterans were teammates for one season.
In 26 games that included 23 starts, Jackson recorded 91 receptions, 1442 receiving yards, seven receiving touchdowns, and averaged 15.8 yards a catch. He also ran the ball nine times for 67 yards and a touchdown.
In a press conference on October 24, 2022, head coach John Harbaugh responded “I don’t know; we’ll see” when reporters asked if the 15th-year veteran wideout would be making his debut as a Raven against his former.
However, he will have had just over a week of practice under his belt by the time Thursday rolls around and still possesses the blazing speed to give the team’s struggling scoring offense a much-needed jolt with the vertical threat he presents even at 35 years old.
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