Opener against Bills ends long wait for many Ravens
For the Ravens, the first game of the 2018 season has been a long time coming in more ways than one.
They have been training since mid-July, which special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg pointed out Thursday is equivalent to “half of a college season.” They have been waiting for a chance at redemption since New Year’s Eve, when the Cincinnati Bengals knocked them out of playoff contention with a stunning 49-yard touchdown in the final minute of their season.
Ask rookie offensive lineman Orlando Brown Jr. and he’ll tell you he has been waiting for this moment his whole life.
“To be at M&T Bank Stadium to play for pretty much the team I grew up with my whole entire life, I’m excited to get out there and experience it,’’ said Brown, whose late father played six seasons in a Ravens uniform.
Football is an emotional game under any circumstance, but Orlando Jr. said earlier in the week that there will be a lot driving him to succeed when he takes the field against the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium in his professional football debut.
His love for his father. His love for a troubled city. His love for the Ravens.
“All of it,’’ he said. “Obviously, my dad is part of my motivation and this city and what it has been through is part of my motivation. I grew up here. I have a ton of respect for the franchise and the organization. I just want to do my best to be the best that I can be.”
New receiver Willie Snead IV played three NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints before signing a two-year deal with the Ravens. But he got so little action after Navy wide receiver Zach Abey, left, celebrates his touchdown with teammates in the second half of the Mids’ 22-21 victory over Memphis on Saturday. Navy rallied for two 4th-quarter TDs.