Ravens' no-huddle offense clicking

BALTIMORE -- Joe Flacco zipped a spiral slightly behind Anquan Boldin as the wide receiver cut inside on a slant pattern and darted for position ahead of cornerback Courtney Brown.

And Boldin still managed to haul in the throw for a touchdown on fourth down for the star wide receiver's first scoring connection with Flacco since joining the Baltimore Ravens via an offseason trade.

It was that kind of night for Flacco and the Ravens' revamped offense, displaying upgraded chemistry and timing as they manufactured a crisp 24-3 victory Saturday night over the New York Giants.

"We're just starting to get comfortable with one another," Boldin said. "For us, we considered the half a real game and we tried to pick it up a little bit and get in sync because this is truly the first dress rehearsal that we'll get before the regular season."

After stumbling through the first two preseason games, the Ravens' starting offense operated like a unit in a hurry for the regular season to begin.

Running the no-huddle offense, Flacco was extremely sharp as he completed 21 of 34 passes for 229 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for an 89.0 passer rating.

"We just wanted to get a fast tempo going," Flacco said. "We were able to go pretty quick with what our tempo is, and I think it tired the defense out. Their defensive line was getting tired, and our offensive line definitely saw that. .. We had a good tempo going. We got in a groove and we were able to march the ball down the field."

Flacco spread the football around, utilizing all of his targets as he hit tight end Todd Heap six times for 69 yards and a touchdown.

The performance undoubtedly eased concerns about the offense, which hadn't clicked halfway through the preseason.

"Our tempo with the no-huddle was good, and our ball protection was better," offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said. "We stressed both this week. The no-huddle is a big part of what we are and what we do. We'll continue with it throughout the season."

On the touchdown, Boldin and Flacco demonstrated the rapport they're building.

"I ran a nine route, and the guy was pressing," said Boldin, who caught four passes for 52 yards. "Joe and I looked at one another, and we both felt that if I could beat him right away, Joe would be able to get the ball to me. The safety went the other way. We had the press coverage, and Joe hit me perfectly."

By halftime, the Ravens had generated 17 first downs to the Giants' five.

The Ravens piled up 243 net yards in the first half to the Giants' 110 yards.

Flacco ran for two first downs and also hit Boldin for a 22-yard strike on the Ravens' first scoring drive capped by a 25-yard Billy Cundiff field goal.

"We were sharp in the no-huddle, and we ran it on a good tempo without penalties," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "There are a lot of moving parts when you run it, and we were crisp with it, including with our motion and sets."

During the Ravens' second touchdown drive, Flacco completed all but one of his seven passes.

Wide receiver Mark Clayton suffered a mild concussion when he was struck by Giants safety Antrel Rolle on an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit with the 15-yard personal foul granting the Ravens a first down at Giants' 13-yard line.

Clayton got up quickly, but didn't return after being examined by team doctors.

On the ensuing play, Heap pulled down a Flacco lob over the middle for the touchdown to stake the Ravens to a 17-0 lead. Rolle was hanging on Heap's back during the coverage, but the illegal contact infraction was declined.

"It was just a play where Joe had faith in me to go get the ball," Heap said. "I'm definitely glad to see it work. It's a play where you have to body the guy up and make a play."

The Ravens scored on three of their five possessions by halftime.

They were in position for a 41-yard field goal with Shayne Graham on the field when wide receiver Derrick Mason was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for arguing with officials.

The Ravens decided to punt rather than go for it.

"It was a good showing, but I think the reality is that we left some points out there," Flacco said. "We probably could've put some more points up. As we progress, we'll get all of those and put the team away more convincingly."

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