The heat was oppressive Thursday, but Head Coach John Harbaugh liked how the players responded.
The Ravens had one of their sharpest practices of training camp on their second straight day in pads, working in afternoon temperatures in the mid-90's with the heat index close to 100.
There were few pre-snap penalties and players worked hard without losing their composure. Harbaugh thought the team took practice to another level after a mixed performance on Wednesday.
"It was probably 40 percent good, 60 percent sloppy yesterday," Harbaugh said. "Today was much, much crisper on both sides of the ball."
There was a 10-minute break during practice when players went inside to cool off while Harbaugh answered questions from fans. Harbaugh liked the idea of giving players an intermission period on such a hot day.
"With this heat, we felt like that would be like a simulation of halftime," Harbaugh said. "Try to bring the body temperatures down. The players weren't so thrilled about it, the ones I talked to, because they want to keep going and get it done. But I think it was a smart thing to do, and we respect that. Respect the heat, guys were working hard, so that's what we did."
Here are other observations from Thursday's practice:
- It was a strong day for wide receiver James Proche II, who's looking for a bigger role in the offense and is getting extra opportunities with Devin Duvernay sidelined by a thigh bruise. Proche caught a 70-yard touchdown pass on a deep corner route after a pretty throw from Lamar Jackson, who got plenty of distance on the pass with just a flick of the wrist. Later in practice, Proche showed his reliable hands by snatching a low pass in stride for a red zone touchdown on a corner route. After, Proche and Rashod Bateman worked on their touchdown celebration.
- Rookie tight end Isaiah Likely caught three touchdown passes in the red zone, including two on back-to-back plays, and continued to be the early breakout player of training camp. Likely sometimes looked winded between plays, but once the ball was snapped, he dug down and found the burst to keep getting open. Likely also got extra looks with Nick Boyle getting a day off and fellow rookie Charlie Kolar sidelined.
- Recently-signed rookie outside linebacker David Ojabo watched a portion of practice intently from the sideline. Ojabo tore his Achilles at his Pro Day and won't be practicing for awhile, but he's back in the building and soaking up knowledge.
- Odafe Oweh's ability to bend low around offensive tackles without losing speed helped him get into the backfield on several occasions. The second-year player turned in another strong practice day. He would have had a big quarterback hit on one play, then came around for a clear sack on 11-on-11s.
- Rookie Kyle Hamilton was back on the field and had a solid practice after leaving early on Wednesday.
- Running back Corey Clement ran a nice pattern and made a catch out of the backfield on his best play of the day. Clement had a solid practice and hopes to stand out among the several running backs competing in a wide-open competition for reps and playing time.
