After a rough showing against the Eagles, Josh Johnson was on point all afternoon against the Atlanta Falcons.
The 38-year-old played most of the first half and went a perfect 11-of-11 for 120 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens' 13-12 win at M&T Bank Stadium in the team's second preseason game.
It was a flip from last week, and he showed why the Ravens believe in him as their backup in 2024.
"I thought he played really well," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "Josh did a great job."
Johnson had trouble pushing the ball downfield versus Philadelphia but delivered a couple chunk plays on Saturday.
Johnson hit a pretty ball down the left sideline to veteran receiver Keith Kirkwood for a 26-yard gain, and on the next drive he connected with Tylan Wallace for a 31-yard pickup, giving the Ravens first-and-goal from the five.
Johnson's final pass of the day came a couple of plays later, finding running back Owen Wright in the flat before Wright extended over the goal line for the score.
"It feels good to execute," Johnson said postgame. "That's all we went back to work and focused on this week was execution. Timing, route detail, quarterback feet, everything. All the little details that it takes to be efficient in the passing game. But we took the work from practice onto the field, so I felt good about that."
The only major blemish from the offense came when center Ben Cleveland snapped the ball while Johnson wasn't looking, resulting in a turnover. The Ravens were able to rebound on the next drive and keep their momentum.
"We know we have what it takes, but now it's about consistently doing it," Johnson said. "... We hurt ourselves. When you hurt yourself, you just focus on the adjustments that [are] necessary. Then you go back out and get back to doing what you're supposed to do."
After the preseason opener, when Johnson went 4-of-12, fans began questioning whether Baltimore should consider bringing in another veteran backup. Harbaugh and Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken were steadfast in their support and belief in Johnson. Against Atlanta, Johnson showed why the Ravens have faith in him to operate the offense efficiently if called into regular-season action.
"I was frustrated last week," said Johnson, who has played for 14 teams in his career. "I know I expect more of myself. I expect more of this offense. But I also know there were things that we had to grow on as a unit, and I felt like we focused on that.
"It happened to just be that day was a rough day. But we got another opportunity. We moved on past it and we improved. And now we're going to stack."
Emory Jones and Dayton Wade Deliver Top Play
Two undrafted rookies connected for the play of the preseason so far.
On his second drive of the game, Emory Jones dropped back in a clean pocket and fired a deep ball to Dayton Wade, who beat his defender with a double move, for a 56-yard touchdown.
The play was a big moment for Jones, who played one snap last week and was strip sacked to help the Eagles secure the win.
"I was excited for the young fella because we see it every day," Johnson said. "[Emory's] got all the skills to make all the throws, [and he] shows his talent every day. It was just an unfortunate situation [last week], but like all of us, he responded."
Jones finished 7-of-9 for 100 yards and had a couple other impressive plays, including a 15-yard pass to Riley Sharp to set up the touchdown throw.
The Cincinnati alumni played three drives before being relieved by Devin Leary, who finished 3-of-5 for 24 yards.
