Riley Patterson was home a few days ago, keeping his leg sharp on a high school field and waiting for a call. On Monday night, he'll be kicking for the Ravens in a primetime game Baltimore badly needs to win.
Patterson worked out for the Ravens around 3 p.m. Wednesday, signed shortly after and took part in his first practice in Owings Mills on Thursday. Special teams coordinator Anthony Levine made it official at the podium: Patterson is the kicker against the Los Angeles Chargers, with fellow signee Harrison Mevis on hand as insurance.
"Getting ready for Monday night, today was a good step in the right direction. [It was a] great practice today," Patterson said Thursday. "Getting comfortable with Nick [Moore] and Ryan [Eckley], and everybody here's been great. I am excited for this opportunity."
It's the latest turn in a kicking situation that has been unsettled since the preseason, and the Ravens are betting that a veteran who has done this many times before can step in cleanly with five days' notice.
Levine: 'Riley Is Going to Be Kicking for Us'
The Ravens didn't sign just one kicker after losing Jake Moody to Atlanta this week. They signed two, adding Mevis alongside Patterson. But Levine left no room for a competition heading into Monday.
"We're going into the game with Riley [Patterson] as our kicker," Levine said. "Riley is going to be kicking for us. [Harrison] Mevis is here. Both of those guys had great workouts."
Levine pointed to a big kick each man made last season. Patterson hit a 54-yarder for the Dolphins against Pittsburgh in December, and Mevis made a clutch field goal for the Rams against Chicago in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Kickoffs were part of Wednesday's tryout, and Levine said both kickers handled them well. "The kick is just as important as the coverage, and both of those guys know that," he said.
From Tryout to Starter in 24 Hours
For Patterson, the whole process moved fast, though not faster than he's used to.
"I had a tryout around 3 p.m. yesterday, and then I was signed up," he said. "I was just getting ready to practice today, and then from here on out, just making sure I'm ready to go for Monday. It builds a lot of confidence, [and I am] ready to roll."
Baltimore is Patterson's 10th NFL team, and he described the routine of staying ready between jobs as a skill in itself. After his release from Miami, he went home and trained as though the season never stopped.
"There's an in-between time for many kickers whenever they're on the street. This is my 10th team now. So, I've been on. I've been off, and I've had little breaks in between," Patterson said. "So, you go back home, you make sure you stay ready, feeling like you're still in the season, even though you're over there on the couch. So, getting to the high school field, getting my reps, and training if I need to go train with the coach, and then making sure my body feels right for this opportunity."
He added that this isn't new territory. "It's not been my first time. So, I'll be ready to go Monday night."
Building Chemistry With Moore and Eckley
The biggest question with any midseason kicker is the operation, and Levine isn't worried about it. He credited senior special teams coach Randy Brown and a snap-and-hold combination he trusts.
"I think we have the best [long] snapper [Nick Moore] in the league. We have a pretty good holder," Levine said. "Once you have that, now you just have to work on the mechanics."
Patterson pointed to the same strengths when asked what drew him to Baltimore, along with the franchise's kicking history.
"This is a great organization. The Ravens are very historic. A lot of great players have come and played through here [and] a lot of great kickers," he said. "It's a great place to play [with an] awesome fan base [and a] great [long] snapper [and a] great holder as well. So, it's a really cool opportunity, and [I am] very grateful."
Patterson had never worked out for Brown before this week, but the two had crossed paths during pregame warmups over the years. "I have a lot of respect for [senior special teams coach Randy Brown]. Obviously, he's been here for so long and knows so much about the kicking position, punting and snapping, as well," Patterson said. "So, it's been cool just to talk ball with him a little bit, and he obviously knows what he's doing."
Levine on Losing Moody: 'He Made a Decision'
Moody kicked for Baltimore against Jacksonville as a one-game elevation from the practice squad, which left him free to sign with any team willing to put him on its active roster. Atlanta did. Here's how the Ravens lost him.
Levine echoed head coach Jesse Minter's message from a day earlier. "Things happen, and we have to move forward. So, with that, all we want to do is coach the guys that are here," he said. "Jake [Moody] had a great opportunity to go out there and kick for us. He did. He made a decision, and now we've made ours by picking the guys that had a great workout yesterday."
Asked whether Moody's exit caught him off guard, Levine shrugged it off. "One thing about being in this league for a long time, and I learned being around here, [is that] nothing catches you off guard," he said.
Notes From Anthony Weaver's Press Conference
Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle also met the media Thursday. His comments on Jacoby Brissett, the Joe Fagnano game plans and the pre-snap penalty fix are in our feature on Brissett's introduction in Baltimore.
Weaver's answer for the defense: "Work." Asked how the defense closes the gap between Minter's philosophy and what's showing up on Sundays, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver kept it simple. "Work. You can sit up here and talk all day. Winning doesn't care about what you're saying; it cares about what you're doing," he said. "When you do that enough, at some point it clicks for them, and you realize you don't have to chase plays. You can trust the guy next to you."
Lineup changes are possible, and Weaver doesn't care who starts. On the changes Minter floated Monday: "I don't care who starts. I don't care how many plays you play. I just care about who's finishing plays and who's finishing the game," Weaver said.
Takeaways and sacks are an "all-11 thing." The Chargers are among the league's more turnover-prone teams, and Weaver said the defense was "attacking the football on all three levels" in Wednesday's practice. Asked about Justin Herbert being sacked more than any quarterback in the league, he said rush and coverage share the load. "I don't think it's a front thing. It's always an all-11 thing," Weaver said. "They're not just giving them to us." He isn't overlooking Herbert's down year, either, recalling that he was "a victim of it a year ago in Miami."
Weaver cleared the air with fans. After the second-half collapse against Cincinnati a few weeks ago, Weaver said the stadium felt like a funeral at one point in what was a one-point game, drawing pushback from some fans. On Thursday he said those remarks were specific to that game, which was 14-13 entering the fourth quarter. "I love the fans. First off, I hope you guys know I love the fans," he said, crediting the crowd for staying loud during the Jacksonville loss. "Bring that same energy on Monday night, all right? We need it."
For more from this week, read Wednesday's Ravens update on Cam Jurgens, Ryan Neuzil and the kicker search.
Kickoff Information
Matchup: Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore Ravens
When: Monday, Nov. 16, 8:15 p.m. ET
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
TV: ESPN