Ravens first-round pick Haloti Ngata suffered a knee strain during Saturday?s scrimmage against the Redskins at FedEx Field and had to be helped off the field after a play by a member of the team?s medical staff. But head coach Brian Billick did not appear worried afterward.
“I think he?s a stage-one MCL, which I have no clue what that means,” Billick said. “I think he?s OK. According to the doctor, he probably could have gone back in.”
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Perhaps the biggest news to emerge from the scrimmage was that offseason signee Mike Anderson suffered a mild concussion and was on the field for several minutes before trainers helped him to his feet. The veteran running back had a rough scrimmage overall, having been hit squarely in the chest by Redskins safety Sean Taylor just a few plays prior to the injury. Anderson said he wasn?t even sure which play the injury occurred on but believed it to be during an interception by the Redskins defense.
Anderson said he expected to return to the field when the team resumes training camp today.
Boller continues to impress: With his startingposition taken away in the offseason following the trade for Steve McNair, quarterback Kyle Boller has tried to go about his business as usual. With the pressure off, Boller looked impressive with the second team. His passes were crisp and found their mark on a regular basis.
“He?s with a group that you?ve got to be inventive, and he did some good things,” Billick said.
“Moving the ball is moving the ball,” Boller said. “It doesn?t matter if your first, second or third [team]. That?s what our whole goal is, as an offense, is moving the ball.”
?Game-type? environment prepares Ravens: A crowd of more than 47,000 hostile, screaming fans packed the lower bowl of FedEx Field for Saturday?s scrimmage. Billick and some Ravens players said they were surprised by the game-day atmosphere.
“It was loud. For half a stadium, they were loud, which was good,” Billick said. “It made us work through it, which was excellent.”
Running back Musa Smith said it was good preparation.
“It was more like game-type atmosphere,” Smith said. “I wasn?t expecting that. The crowd was really into it.”
