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Setting the scene: The Ravens were in full pads Thursday to begin practice at 10 a.m. on the nicest day of camp thus far. After a relaxed Wednesday, coach John Harbaugh ratcheted up the intensity and called out players on both sides of the ball early in practice, which ended a little early at about 11:35 a.m.
Pass rush firing: With Elvis Dumervil back to full health, the Ravens pass rush was monstrous Thursday. An offensive line missing starting guard Kelechi Osemele and, at times, right tackle Rick Wagner, couldn't handle the outside speed in 11-on-11 drills. Terrell Suggs, Courtney Upshaw, and Dumervil all got pressure. Harbaugh was very happy with their performance.
Pointer picking off passes again: For the second straight day, reserve cornerback Quinton Pointer had a nice interception. This time, he dove under a tipped ball that quarterback Joe Flacco put behind wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. and made an athletic interception. Asa Jackson also had a solid day on that front, intercepting a pass in the one-on-one coverage drills and full-team. Cassius Vaughn also picked off Matt Schaub midway through practice.
Goal-line grappling: Short-yardage situational drills dominated the early portion of practice with the Ravens' experienced defensive linemen showing well. Third-year defensive tackle Brandon Williams manhandled center Jeremy Zuttah on the opening play of the drill, pushing him backward and bringing down running back Lorenzo Taliaferro with one arm. Reserve DeAngelo Tyson also had a pair of stuffs in the backfield when the second team came in.
Ball out, Bose: Even with all the interceptions, the practice player of the day was rookie inside linebacker Andrew Bose. Bose made several plays in the goal line package, and in a two-play sequence on third-and-short, stuffed running back Fitzgerald Toussaint for a loss, then got close to a sack on quarterback Bryn Renner. The Ravens love finding gems at inside linebacker, as last year's surprise roster inclusion, Zachary Orr, can attest. Bose might be next in line.
Schaub's struggles continue: A day after John Harbaugh passionately defended the play of Matt Schaub, the veteran backup quarterback endured another difficult morning. Schaub threw interceptions to Jackson and Vaughn and also struggled on a couple of quarterback-center exchanges. By practice's end, Schaub wore a look of frustration.
Baltimore Ravens Insider
The Butler did it: In a practice absolutely dominated by the defense, Joe Flacco provided one bright spot for the offense with a gorgeous deep touchdown pass to wide receiver Jeremy Butler. Pointer had pretty tight coverage on the play, but he was powerless to stop the completion.
Good hitting: Undrafted rookie free agent safety Nick Perry continues to make plays, the latest one coming today when he filled a gap and stood up ball carrier Toussaint, ultimately putting him on his back. That may have been the day's biggest hit, although tight end Konrad Reuland and Vaughn might have had the biggest collision after Reuland caught the ball in the flat.
Nice hands, kid: As special teams drills played out on the field, cornerback Jimmy Smith used his time off to play catch with a group of young fans in the sideline bleachers. It began with just one spectator, but every young fan that wanted to pass with Smith got the opportunity before session ended.
Injury report: Guard Kelechi Osemele missed practice after getting his foot stepped on Wednesday, while reserve guards John Urschel and Robert Myers both left practice with concussion concerns Thursday. Rookie tight end Maxx Williams left practice after being poked in the eye. Cornerback Kyle Arrington had the day off, while cornerbacks Nick Greenwood and Tray Walker are both out with hamstring issues. Outside linebackers Steven Means (ankle) and Zach Thompson also sat out Thursday. Wide receivers Breshad Perriman (knee) and Marlon Brown (back) remain out.
Overheard: "No Ravens D-line that I can remember ever gets run over on the goalline. Are you [kidding] me?" – Harbaugh to the second-string defense on the goal line. He singled out Urban, and even let the practice officials have it for not knowing the situations.