It was a messy night for the defending champs in Baltimore, where the Ravens committed four turnovers in their 34-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Panthers vs. Ravens 2013: WR Marlon Brown a bright spot in Baltimore’s loss
The rookie receiver made a strong bid for a roster spot during the Ravens’ sloppy, four-turnover loss to the Panthers.
The Ravens defense was strong, giving up just 173 total yards during the game, including only 98 through the air. Key turnovers and special teams mishaps undid the defense’s strong performance, however, as the Panthers cashed in on three of their four takeaways and took a punt return back to the house.
Baltimore Beat Down: Full recap of Ravens-Panthers
It's a digression for a team that won its first two preseason games, including a 44-16 beat down of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1.
Of course, the final score means little in an exhibition game -- these contests are much more about evaluating talent and making decisions on roster spots. In that regard, the Ravens got a great look at the abilities of wide receiver Marlon Brown, whom Jason Butt of Baltimore Beatdown saw as one of the few bright spots in the team's "misadventure" on Friday night.
[Joe] Flacco began targeting Brown when he entered and looked for him the entire way on his 24-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Brown caught the pass out of the slot, a position you don’t typically see 6-5 receivers working out of. But Brown beat his man off the line of scrimmage, ran a post and caught a perfectly thrown ball from Flacco near the goal line before taking it in for the score.
Brown, an undrafted rookie free agent, finished the game with four catches for 59 yards and the touchdown. With Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones and Brandon Stokley locked in for Baltimore at the receiver position, Brown is competing with Deonte Thompson and Tandon Doss for a spot on the roster.
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