The regular-season opener is always a chance for coaches to really see what they have in their team.
The Week 1 matchup in Denver provided its share of disappointment and optimism for this year's Ravens, and here's a film breakdown of some of the plays you may have missed watching the game live.
All of these plays were viewed using NFL Game Pass, which is available for fans to purchase.
Williams Controls Line Of Scrimmage
Nose tackle Brandon Williams continues to play like one of the best young defensive linemen in the NFL. The third-year player was a run stuffer throughout Sunday's matchup with Denver, consistently forcing the Broncos to bring double teams his way. When the Broncos left an offensive lineman against Williams in a one-on-one situation, he typically made them pay. Williams bulldozed Denver center Matt Paradis on this play to stuff a running play at the line of scrimmage.
Williams even had success against some double teams. He split this double team from Paradis and Pro Bowl left guard Evan Mathis to stuff the running play for no gain.
Example Of Suggs' Impact
Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome and Head Coach John Harbaugh have said many times over the years that Terrell Suggs does far more than just rush the passer. He's the kind of player that opposing coordinators spent the week game planning to stop, and he can make an impact in many facets of the game. Suggs draws a crowd, and his play is a perfect example of what the Ravens will miss now that he's injured. They won't have him to draw double teams like this, which creates opportunities for his teammates on the defensive front.
Flacco Had No Time
Quarterback Joe Flacco had a rough day against Denver, finishing the afternoon 18-of-32 passing for 117 yards with no touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. It clearly wasn't the best day for the veteran quarterback, but the rough outing doesn't fall entirely on his shoulders. The offensive line struggled to stand up to Denver's front seven, and Flacco hardly had time to set his feet in the pocket like the two videos show below. Left tackle James Hurst and right tackle Rick Wagner struggled to handle the outside pass rush from Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, and then the Broncos made life even more difficult by bringing blitzes up the middle.
Smith's Interception Showed Great Instinct
Cornerback Jimmy Smith's pick-six certainly didn't go unnoticed by anyone Sunday, but how he made the play may have been overlooked. Smith started defending the outside receiver on the play, but he read quarterback Peyton Manning and perfectly jumped the short out route. The play showed tremendous instincts from Smith, who allowed the outside receiver to continue down the field while he came up in coverage to make a big play against the shorter route.
Ravens Got Good Look On Final Play
The Ravens' hopes of mounting a late-game comeback came up short when Flacco's pass for Crockett Gillmore was intercepted by safety Darian Stewart in the end zone. The result wasn't what the Ravens wanted, but the play call gave them a great look for the touchdown. Gillmore was in single coverage against safety David Bruton and the middle of the field was wide open. Wide receivers Steve Smith Sr., Kamar Aiken and Marlon Brown attracted the outside coverage, leaving Gillmore room over the middle. Flacco left the ball slightly underthrown, and he may have connected with Gillmore if he led the tight end in the back of the end zone.
