Baltimore Ravens Find Steal in QB Tyrod Taylor

I was really hoping to write a different article tonight. One where I Sittsburgh Steelers Jerseys would rub in the greatness of Tyrod Taylor and how he picked apart the Eagles' defense.It looks like I won't get to write the article. Not today, anyway.First, a quick recap: The only touchdown on the field came early in the game when Michael Vick threw a touchdown to Brent Celek. After that one series, Vick called it a night and neither team scored another touchdown.Joe Flacco had a decent pair of series and Billy Cundiff impressed with a 53-yard field goal (he did miss wide left on a 55-yarder, though). Overall, the first teams did what was expected.The big question, though, was whether or not sixth-round draft pick Taylor would be a viable backup to Flacco. Taylor came out and, initially, he disappointed. He was sacked upon taking the field. He completed a short pass, but then threw an interception. That first series was representative of most of Taylor's first game in the NFL. He threw errant passes, was sacked six times and threw two interceptions (and he could have easily thrown two more).But, he looked mobile and evasive and was able to avoid pressure while constantly looking upfield for the open man. His incompletions could often be chalked up to dropped passes. At least half the sacks were due to the offensive line's inability to handle Eagles blitzes (though he probably should have looked for the hot option more quickly).Do you trust Tyrod Taylor to back up Joe Flacco this season?Do you trust Tyrod Taylor to back up Joe Flacco this season?Yes. Once Heath Miller Jersey he settled in, Taylor performed well.60.0%No. He made too many bad decisions last night.10.8%Maybe. Let's see how he improves throughout preseason.29.2%Total votes: 260Also encouraging was his high completion percentage and decent yards per attempt average. Even though he wasinaccurateearly, it was obvious Taylor became more confident and precise as the game went on. All in all, his performance was encouraging. He played at about the level coaches and fans thought he'd play in his first game and he had a much better performance than we might expect of a sixth-rounder.So, what does his performance mean for the team?First, Taylor has NOT yet played himself into--or out of--the job as the team's backup. This was just one, isolated performance in one preseason game. He is still locked into a battle over the No. 2 spot with the older Hunter Cantwell. Assuming Taylor wins that battle over Cantwell, John Harbaugh and his coaching staff may not trust a rookie to back up the most important position in football, especially considering the Ravens are Super Bowl contenders.Once teams start cutting players to achieve a 53-man roster, it is almost certain some quality veteran quarterbacks will become available. It is almost certain Harbaugh and the Ravens will at least flirt with the possibility of signing a veteran.The news is not all discouraging for Taylor. For starters, he has three weeks of preseason games and practices to prove that he's the guy for the job. No veteran quarterbacks that the Ravens can get will have experience with the second team like Taylor will. Hell, Cantwell most likely won't get many reps with the second team, either.Moreover, Hines Ward Jersey all indications show that the coaching staff has faith in him. Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron is enamored with Taylor in the same way most coaches who have coached or coached against* Taylor have been. Cantwell, on the other hand, earned disdain from Harbaugh,who thinks he is a bit of aslacker.At this point, "T-Mobile" would not beat a quality veteran for the second-string job. However, the market is currently scarce for solid veteran quarterbacks.