The start to Marlon Brown's 2015 season has been slower than he wanted.
The third-year receiver dealt with a pair of injuries early in training camp, missing time because of back and hamstring issues. The back problem came first, and once that cleared up, then the hamstring gave him trouble.
The issues kept him sidelined during some practice sessions and for the preseason opener, but he made his preseason debut Saturday against the Eagles.
"I definitely have to make up for the lost time," Brown said. "I was just out there enjoying myself and trying to have a good time."
Brown played 33 snaps and finished with one catch for 21 yards. He told reporters after the game he now feels to 100 percent healthy.
"I'm good," he said. "It is tough dealing with injuries and injuries happen all the time. You just have to deal with it day by day and get over it."
Brown had three passes thrown his direction against the Eagles, including one that starter Joe Flacco sailed over his head when the receiver had a few yards of separation. Flacco missed on the throw, but the fact that Brown is getting open and drawing his quarterback's attention is a good sign.
He could likely end up being an important piece of the offense, much like his rookie year where he caught seven touchdowns. The Ravens are already dealing with injuries to key receivers – first-round pick Breshad Perriman (knee) hasn't practiced since July 30, and Michael Campanaro (soft-tissue issue) recently went down – and Brown is the team's most experienced receiver outside of Steve Smith Sr.
"You just have to go out there and relax and play football," Brown said. "At the end of the day, it's football. The ball is going to be in the air, you have to make a catch, you have to run after the catch and that is it. You cannot put so much pressure on yourself because that is when people start to mess up."
The remaining preseason reps are important for Brown to get in rhythm with Flacco before the start of the regular season. They've played together the last two years, but Brown's role was diminished last season after the arrival of Smith as the team's top receiver.
Brown has one more preseason game where Flacco and the first-team offense will play, and it's a chance to make up for lost time. Brown emphasized there is a "sense of urgency" heading into the third preseason contest against Washington, but not any more than what he's used to seeing.
"I don't put pressure on myself where I start to lose sight of what is really important and that is the moment," he said. "I feel at the end of the day, everyone on the team loves to play football so anytime there is a game, we will have a sense of urgency."
