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Ravens rookie Lardarius Webb wasn’t perfect in his first NFL start, but he was effective in a 20-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Webb, on the field in place of Fabian Washington, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament last weekend against the Indianapolis Colts, was tested often by quarterback Dennis Dixon and the Steelers’ offense.
Time and time again, the third-round draft pick made a play, as he finished with three tackles, one for a loss, and three pass deflections.
“That was fun,” Webb said. “I was prepared and ready for it. There are things I can work on, but there always are. I’m just going to get back to it next week.”
The Ravens held their cards close to the vest as to whether it would have been Webb, Chris Carr or Frank Walker to play with the first team on Sunday, but Webb was the front-runner after he filled in for Washington during the Colts game. Even though all three saw action on defense, it was Webb who got the most time.
“I wanted to go out there and prove I belonged,” Webb said. “I’m always learning from the guys ahead of me, and this was a good step forward.”
In addition to playing cornerback, Webb also returned four kickoffs for 85 yards, giving him a respectable 21.3-yard average.
