Tyler Loop showed off his strength in his Baltimore Ravens debut, and not just of his kicking leg.
The former Arizona Wildcats kicker split a pair of field goal attempts in the Ravens’ preseason opener, displaying the big leg that made him one of the top collegiate kickers. Loop also made a tackle on a kick return.
Overall it was an uneven night for Loop, who was taken in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. The Ravens drafted Loop with the intention of him becoming the team’s new field goal kicker after Baltimore parted ways with longtime kicker Justin Tucker this offseason.
Loop’s first field goal opportunity came in the third quarter of the Ravens’ preseason game vs. the Indianapolis Colts. Loop missed a 46-yard attempt wide left. He redeemed himself in the fourth quarter by nailing a 52-yarder.
Loop’s performance Thursday likely won’t have any impact on his job stability, at least for now. The Ravens already cut ties with the only other kicker in training camp, making Loop the team’s ostensible starter.
While Loop’s shaky outing left Ravens fans feeling uneasy, he did garner some support by making a tackle on a kick off return in the second quarter. Ravens kicking coach Randy Brown went over to Loop on the sideline afterwards to remand him for not pushing the kick returner out of bounds.
Loop’s last two preseason opportunities will be on the road, as the Ravens play the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders the next two weeks.