Ravens’ QB Russell Tabor shines under pressure
Cara Iden
© Roland JohannesMunich Ravens' quarterback Russell Tabor once again showed in yesterday’s game against Stuttgart Surge just how strong he is – especially under pressure.
His stats tell the story: 241 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 112 rushing yards – the highest on his team – and one rushing touchdown. He kept the offense moving and on the field for more than 38 minutes.
Tabor’s early commitment
Although he mostly threw passes in the first half and only ran the ball three times himself, Tabor already showed full commitment during that phase.
With just three and a half minutes into the game, he ran for 15 yards on a 4th & 3 and suffered abrasions on both elbows. After a timeout for an injured Ravens player, in which his bleeding wounds were quickly taped up, he returned to the field – and immediately threw a touchdown pass to his American teammate, wide receiver Malik Stanley.
Despite the narrow 14-13 lead, the halftime stats clearly spoke in favor for the Ravens: 102 rushing yards, 144 passing yards and a time of possession of 20:51 minutes. Also worth mentioning is the trick play that led to the second touchdown for the Munich Ravens: Russell Tabor handed the ball off to wide receiver Malik Stanley, who then threw a pass into the end zone to German tight end Philip Okonkwo.
Tabor secures victory
In the second half, Russell Tabor showed true leadership qualities. The first points after halftime came from the quarterback himself, as he ran 29 yards for a touchdown. On the opening drive of the fourth quarter – which ended with a touchdown by Julian Malki – Tabor ran the ball three more times.
Stuttgart then managed to take the lead back again. Tabor and his Ravens only had just under four minutes left to regain the lead. Despite having thrown three interceptions earlier in the game, he stayed focused and ran the ball twice more.
His final run was especially spectacular: after a bad snap, Tabor had to pick the ball up off the ground and headed toward the end zone. When a Stuttgart defender stood directly in his way, Russell Tabor took off and hurdled over him – in a move in the style of Saquon Barkley, the Philadelphia Eagles’ running back. Though he was tackled by two defenders during the landing and lost his helmet, the risky play secured a new first down for his team. After he had to leave the field briefly due to a timeout, he returned just moments later – and with only 12 seconds left on the clock, threw the decisive touchdown pass to put Munich back in the lead.
Stuttgart gave everything they had in the final moments, but couldn’t score again – and so the Munich Ravens secured a 36–33 victory. With this late win, Russell Tabor underlined his comeback ability, mental toughness, and the importance of his presence on the field.
A fighter’s mindset
In a post-game interview with Pro7, Tabor commented on his daring move as follows: "I was blessed to play behind a really good quarterback named Drake Maye for 2 years and set through a lot of meeting of our coach yelling at him for taking stupid hurtles. Even through all that, I decided try to fight against magnetic code and jump high in the air and obviously didn’t make it quite high enough – you know, just wanna do everything I can to put us in the spot to win." That statement highlights the young American’s unstoppable will to win – and with this impressive performance, he will be remembered by many fans. Tabor also expressed his deep thanks to his coaches in Munich, who "have been so instrumental in my development this season and I just feel really blessed to play for them," he said after the game.
So far this season, Tabor has thrown for a total of 1.408 yards in six games. He has also rushed for 338 yards and four touchdowns, which is why many consider him the most athletic quarterback. Despite the win and his strong development, Russell Tabor remained self-critical: "I think I’m blessed to be playing this game long enough that I know, a lot of times you’re digging deep to get a win. I made that a lot harder, honestly, than it needed today throwing that interception. I’m just so proud of all my teammates for digging it deep and coming out with the win."
Upcoming challenge: Madrid Bravos
Next week, the Munich Ravens face another tough opponent. As division leaders, they will play against their strongest competition – the powerful Madrid Bravos with quarterback Reid Sinnett and wide receiver Aron Cruickshank. For Russell Tabor, the game is especially meaningful. Before joining the Munich Ravens in the ELF at the end of last year, he spent a year playing for Osos Rivas Madrid in the Spanish league. In an interview, Tabor said: "It’s extra special for me to go back to Madrid and play against some of my old teammate, looking forward to it." All ELF fans are probably just as excited about this as Russell Tabor.