TAMPA, FLA. - Joe Flacco faked the handoff, rolled to his left and stared downfield. He waited and waited, and then waited some more.
Finally unleashing a high-arching pass, Flacco watched Steve Smith run onto the ball and then waltz into the end zone. Every touchdown - there were five of them in all, each one coming in the first 16:03 of the game - wasn't this easy for the Ravens ' quarterback, who had a career afternoon.
But there were times in their 48-17 trouncing of the hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium where the Ravens' offense looked like it was playing in a glorified scrimmage in which tackling and covering receivers was optional.
Flacco set a career high - and tied Tony Banks' franchise record - with five touchdown passes. The Ravens eclipsed or threatened a couple other team records, too, in improving to 4-2 on the season.
The Ravens' 28 first-quarter points were the most they've scored in any quarter on the road in team history. Their 38 points at halftime were the second most they've ever scored in a half. The 48 points they scored also tied for the second-most they scored in franchise history. The high was the 55 points they put up in 2012 against the Oakland Raiders.
Remember all that was said and written in the past couple of days about the struggles of the Ravens offense on the road? Each of the Ravens' first five possessions ended with Flacco jogging toward one of his receivers to congratulate them after catching a touchdown pass.
The two touchdown passes to Torrey Smith - one from 15 yards and the other from nine - came in a four-minute span early in the first quarter. A little over four minutes later, Kamar Aiken hauled in a 17-yard touchdown pass, the first of his career. Then, about five minutes after that and with one second remaining in the first half, rookie Michael Campanaro (River Hill) made a leaping and juggling catch of a 19-yard touchdown pass.
By the time Campanaro got up following his memorable first NFL catch, droves of Buccaneers fans did the same and started heading to the nearest exit. It was about to be 28-0 and the first quarter hadn't ended.
Those who left missed Flacco's fifth score, the 56-yard hook-up with Smith, who beat Alterraun Verner. That touchdown came just 1:04 after the Campanaro touchdown.
The five touchdown passes in 16:03 were the fastest in the NFL since the 1970 league merger. The Ravens essentially took their foot off the gas after halftime, although Flacco did lead one scoring drive that ended with Bernard Pierce plunging in for a 4-yard touchdown run on the final play from scrimmage in the third quarter.
Flacco finished 21-of-29 for 306 yards and the five touchdowns before giving way to Tyrod Taylor later in the fourth quarter. Taylor fumbled a snap with just over two minutes to play, the Ravens' only turnover.
Torrey Smith had a season-high four catches for 51 yards and the two touchdowns. Steve Smith had five catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Justin Forsett also rushed for 111 yards on just 14 carries.
On defense, the Ravens held Tampa Bay to 101 yards in the first half - the visitors had 347 - before allowing three second-half scoring drives when the game's outcome was no longer in doubt.
The Ravens sacked Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon five times. Jimmy Smith also had a first-quarter interception, the first by a Ravens defensive back this season.
jeff.zrebiec@baltsun.com http://ift.tt/1sYcGYh
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Posted by Unknown on Sunday, October 12, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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