After some hemming and hawing, Ravens safety Ed Reed decided to play football this season.
The Ravens were very pleased with his decision on Monday night. Reed’s 34-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter pretty much closed the door on any chance the Bengals had to get back into the game and sent the Ravens on their way to a 44-13 win. The interception was a vintage Reed big play and left Reed with the most interception return yards in the history of the game.
The play was a big honking reminder of why the Ravens wanted Reed back in the lineup this season. It also provided a reminder of one reason why Reed’s return was in doubt. Reed left the field and returned to the locker room with a hamstring injury after the touchdown and he would not return to a game. With the score so lopsided, that didn’t tell us much about his condition but Reed cleared that up after the game.
“It strained my hamstring trying to dive,” Reed said, via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. “You know I’m 34 in two hours. Father Time does catch up with you. It’s good, it’s good. It’s minor.”
Monday night wound up being a pretty good birthday present all around. That’s good news for the Ravens, whose defense clearly still gets a spark from Reed’s ability to make things happen from the safety spot.