Torrey Smith’s Dream Start for the Ravens

The Ravens drafted Torrey Smith out of Maryland in April in the hope that he could be a credible downfield target for Joe Flacco and open some room underneath for Anquan Boldin. When Smith struggled in the preseason, Baltimore moved quickly to acquire someone who could do that job better, picking up Lee Evans in a trade with Buffalo. (Bills defensive back Drayton Florence ripped the Evans trade on Twitter, moaning, "Are we trying to win now or later????" Now the Bills are 3-0.) But when Evans (ankle) was ruled out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rams, Smith was suddenly back in. He got his first start - and promptly took full advantage. On Baltimore's second play from scrimmage, Smith ran under a pass from Flacco, made his first catch as a pro and raced 74 yards with it for a touchdown. His second catch was a 41-yard score. His third? An 18-yard touchdown. Then the second quarter started. Smith finished with five receptions for 152 yards, and the Ravens rolled, 37-7. Maybe Smith knew something the rest of us didn't. After the game, Smith said: "I've been playing football forever and I've been making plays forever. Having a game like this, it proves to other people that haven't seen me play, it lets them know I can play." It will be up to his teammates to get his head out of the clouds. "He had a hell of a day," Terrell Suggs told The Washington Post. "He's got to build on that and produce every week."