Ravens coach John Harbaugh said left tackle Jared Gaither took a big step toward establishing himself as a starter during the victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Gaither played into the fourth quarter after replacing Adam Terry, who suffered a concussion early in the first half. The 6-foot-9, 330-pounder was expected to play only in an emergency situation because his strained right shoulder kept him out of practice all week.
But against the Eagles, the former Maryland standout allowed Trent Cole to sack Joe Flacco just once, as his ability to contain one of the league’s best pass rushers was integral to the Ravens’ success.
“I think it’s a really courageous effort,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a young guy that has figured out how to play through pain and play well through pain. It’s just tremendous for where he’s going as a football player. He’s going to be a great football player.”
Harbaugh said it’s still too early to determine whether Terry and defensive tackle Trevor Pryce, who also suffered a concussion against the Eagles, will play against the Bengals on Sunday.
More on Reed
Safety Ed Reed made one of the NFL’s best plays of the season when he returned an interception an NFL-record 108 yards for a touchdown. But Harbaugh said he was just as impressed with Reed’s play on special teams, including his role on a third-quarter blocked punt, which led to a safety by linebacker Jameel McClain.
“Here’s a star in this league playing special teams,” Harbaugh said. “He’s pressuring the slot and that pressure pulls the personal protector out of the middle of their protection and Jameel comes clean and gets the safety. So, that’s the type of stuff that our guys are doing, the little things that you don’t necessarily see.”
Rough homecoming
The Eagles had very little for which to cheer on Sunday, but one highlight occurred in the second quarter when defensive end Victor Abiamiri earned his first career sack when he took down Flacco.
Abiamiri, a former Gilman School standout, finished with his first three tackles of the season after making three all of last year. The former Notre Dame star was taken by the Eagles in the second round of the draft in 2007.
But Abiamiri won’t return to Baltimore for Thanksgiving — the Eagles (5-5-1) host Kurt Warner and the NFC West Division-leading Cardinals (7-4).
“We are definitely disappointed in the outcome of the game,” Abiamiri said. “We really can’t dwell on it. We have a short week coming up with Arizona. We have to start off with a good practice and look forward to Arizona on Thursday night.”
