TAMPA, Fla. -- Joe Flacco was sharp in his preseason debut, Bernard Pierce scored on a 20-yard run and a revamped Baltimore defense forced four turnovers in the Ravens' 44-16 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.
Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw two TD passes for the defending Super Bowl champions, including a 21-yarder to LaQuan Williams, who also scored when he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone.
Josh Freeman and the rest of Tampa Bay's starters played sparingly, so most of Baltimore's scoring came against backups and newcomers to a defense that ranked last in the NFL against the pass last season.
Flacco signed a $120.1 million contract this offseason after leading the Ravens to their second NFL title. He worked two series, completing 7 of 9 passes for 57 yards and one interception.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press