SHAKY START
Tyrod Taylor and the Buffalo Bills have rough outing in season opener,
BALTIMORE— The Ravens played defence in a fashion Rex Ryan could surely appreciate — even if the performance came at his team’s expense.
Baltimore used a touchdown pass by Joe Flacco , two field goals and a throwback defensive effort to beat the Buffalo Bills 13-7 on Sunday in the season opener.
Getting 11 tackles from cornerback Shareece Wright, the Ravens limited Buffalo to 160 yards and sacked former teammate Tyrod Taylor twice.
That’s how Baltimore played defence under Ryan from 1999-2008, and that’s how it won the 2012 Super Bowl.
Ryan is now Buffalo’s head coach, and it pained him to see his offence struggle against a defensive unit that last year yielded 401points.
“It’s a pretty darn good defence over there,” Ryan said.
“I’m probably one of the only coaches that’ll give credit to the opponent because they deserve it. That defence played extremely well. They’re well coached and they got after us.”
Returning from a knee injury that ended his season last November, Flacco went 23-for-34 for 258 yards, including a long touchdown pass to newcomer Mike Wallace in the second quarter that put the Ravens ahead for good.
That, plus field goals of 50 and 37 yards by Justin Tucker, was enough for Baltimore’s first season-opening victory since 2012.
Taylor used his quickness to avoid a ferocious pass rush, but he had little success passing downfield. He was 15-of-22 for only-111-yards and ran five times for 11 yards.
“Getting Tyrod on the ground is pretty difficult,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We would have had him a few more times, but he made plays with his feet.”
Baltimore took a 10-0 lead when Wallace got behind Stephon Gilmore, took a pass in stride and pulled away for the 66-yard touchdown. Signed as a free agent to enhance an offence that last year lacked a deep threat, Wallace hadn’t been part of a play that long since 2012 with Pittsburgh.
“We made one mistake: It’s my fault, it’s on me,” Ryan said. “We should have doubled the receiver that caught the touchdown. Instead we doubled somebody else.”
Buffalo used the elusiveness of Taylor in the pocket to close to 10-7 before halftime. After wriggling from the grasp of Albert McClellan and sidestepping Terrell Suggs, Taylor completed a 33-yard pass to Charles Clay, setting up a one-yard touchdown run by LeSean McCoy on fourth down.
The Bills missed a chance to pull even when Dan Carpenter was wide right on a 49-yard field goal try midway through the third quarter.