Former Oregon quarterback Anthony Brown Jr. shines in preseason finale for Baltimore Ravens
When the NFL preseason began, few expected Anthony Brown Jr. to make a case for a 53-man roster spot.
But Brown, an undrafted rookie who started for the Oregon Ducks last season, has done exactly that this summer. On Saturday, Brown added another entry to what has been a stellar preseason and led the Ravens to a 17-15 win over the Washington Commanders.
Brown finished 215 yards on 15-of-19 passing and threw for one touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown and finished the day with a 136.3 QB rating. After last week’s round of cuts, Brown outlasted Brett Hundley for the third quarterback spot on Baltimore’s roster. He saw the majority of the snaps on Saturday, with Ravens’ backup Tyler Huntley finishing the day 2-for-4 passing for 25 yards.
While speaking with reporters afterward, Brown credited the Ravens’ culture and his teammates for enabling him to progress quickly during the preseason.
“I’ve improved a lot, but it had nothing to do with me besides just staying the course,” Brown said. “Coach (James Urban), coach Kerry Dixon, Lamar, and Snoop have helped me a lot along the way as far as picking up the speed of the game and stuff like that.
“We practice so hard and when we get into the game it’s a lot slower. So that was a huge part of my development.”
Brown’s standout preseason had turned the heads of many Ducks fans after he experienced ups and downs during his lone season as Oregon’s starter. He finished the 2021 season with 18 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and 2,989 yards on 250-for-390 passing (64%). He also ran 658 yards and nine touchdowns.
But Brown and Oregon’s coaching staff drew heavy criticism throughout the 2021 season for a perceived unwillingness to consistently throw the ball downfield.
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During Oregon’s win over Cal in Eugene last season, Brown was booed by Oregon’s student section early in the game. At one point the crowd chanted, ‘We want Thompson!’ in a reference to backup quarterback Ty Thompson.
“Honestly, focus on what you can control,” Brown said after the win. “(Fans) aren’t with us in here every day. I get that they’re fans and they have a right to whatever they want to say, their opinions, stuff like that. But they’re not with us every day. They’re not working with us every day.
“Ultimately, we can’t worry about that. We have to worry about controlling what we can control and keep correcting.”
Brown’s teammates steadfastly defended him all season and constantly praised his leadership and understanding of the offense.
“Not everybody understands what’s going on — the system, the concepts being run, what they’re looking for,” Oregon safety Verone McKinley III said when asked about Brown being booed. “So, for people to boo, it’s kind of disappointing.”
NFL teams will have to make their final NFL roster cuts by 1 p.m. Tuesday. Jeff Zrebic, who covers the Ravens for The Athletic, released a 53-man roster projection on Sunday and predicted that Brown Jr. will ultimately be a cut casualty because Baltimore “does not have the luxury of keeping a third quarterback.”
