BEST
James Ihedigbo
When Matt Elam struggled to crack the starting line-up during training camp, many chalked it up to the whole “make the rookie earn it” kind of deal. Now 3 weeks into the season, its safe to say it was because of Ihedigbo’s surprisingly great play.
Against the Texans, Ihedigbo put on a show. If he was in the box, he stopped the run. If he was in the slot playing man-coverage, he shut his man down. If he was in deep coverage, he made it impossible for Matt Schaub from even attempting a deep pass. It would be exceedingly valuable for the Ravens to have two versatile safeties who can hold up in coverage, and it seems like they have that with Ihedigbo and Elam. Going forward, expect the Ravens to put even more responsibility on the shoulders of the former undrafted free agent.
Daryl Smith
Lofty expectations carried Smith into this season, and it appears like he is the real deal in Dean Pees’ hybrid defense. In Jacksonville, Smith made a name for himself in coverage, jumping short routes for big interceptions. And after watching Smith take one back to the end zone, it is very clear that this skill translated over from down south.
While the Ravens’ run defense wasn’t as nearly as stout as it was in Week 2, Smith had a nice day getting off blocks and shooting gaps to make stops. Even when the defensive line wasn’t performing up to par, Smith consistently found a lane to the ball carrier and made the play. As most predicted, Smith is going to be a major part of this defense all year.
Courtney Upshaw
Courtney Upshaw is not a bust. He may not ever rack up the big sack totals, but he is absolutely dominant in all other phases of the strong-side linebacker position. Aligning over the tight end, Upshaw has a massive size and strength advantage, but also has the technique and athleticism to drop back in coverage.
Upshaw’s coverage skills were very apparent against the Texans as he shut down short routes and made great form tackles. When Pees’ asked Upshaw to drop in a “curl-to-flat zone”, Upshaw carried Schaub’s first progression up the field and then made a perfect tackle when the ball got dumped off in the flat. Elvis Dumervil may be the bigger name, but Upshaw has just as much value to the team.
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WORST
Marcus Spears
Aside from a couple great plays, Spears was bullied by the Texans’ offensive line for the majority of the game. Spears, a very under the radar free agent signing, was forced into action with Canty out, but he certainly did not play up to Canty’s standards.
While Spears can actually still defend the run against most teams, he doesn’t have the lateral agility to defend against the Texans’ vaunted zone-stretch runs. Hopefully, this will not be a problem next week, when the Ravens take on an athletic Bills offensive line.
Bryant McKinnie
After two solid games from the veteran, McKinnie had a very poor outing against the Texans. While McKinnie is usually consistent in pass protection to make up for his inability to run block, this was not the case Sunday.
Sure, McKinnie lined up against a really good defense, but there is no excuse for the two face-masking penalties he committed along with the sloppy run blocking. Last week, I put a lot of the blame on Kelechi Osemele for the atrocious run blocking, but McKinnie has been equally as bad to this point. While this appalling play from McKinnie may not continue, it was definitely worth noting after Sunday’s game.
Jimmy Smith
A week removed from one of the best games in his young career, Smith had trouble covering the talented Houston receivers. Despite the Texans’ inability to take advantage of Smith’s struggles, he failed to locate the ball in the air when Schaub targeted him.
Fortunately for the Ravens, Smith was somewhat lucky Sunday. On a crucial 3rd and 15, Smith attempted to press Keshawn Martin, but Martin slipped right by Smith giving Schaub an open receiver. Luckily, Martin did not locate the ball quick enough to make a successful play. If Smith reverts to this type of play the rest of the season, the Ravens secondary could be in trouble.
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