The Ravens escaped Cleveland with a 23-21 win against a divisional rival — always a great road win but the journey to that “W” wasn’t always pretty.
THE GOOD
Joe Flacco shook off an inconsistent performance and delivered in the clutch when he hit Steve Smith, Sr. in stride with what was essentially a game-winning laser beyond Joe Haden and before the closing Donte Whitner could arrive. Good players, make big plays when the game is on the line. Flacco and Smith, Sr. did exactly that.
The Ravens had opportunities in the passing game (several were missed) due in large part to their ability to run the football. The Ravens ran it 33 times for 160 yards thanks to the patience, burst and vision of both Lorenzo Taliaferro and Justin Forsett and consistent control of the line of scrimmage by the offensive line, particularly Kelechi Osemele, Marshal Yanda and Rick Wagner…Kyle Juszczyk had his best game of the season with some key blocks and as a pass catcher (3 catches, 54 yards, 1 TD)…Nice play call and execution on a key 3rd and 1 pitch to Forsett for a 21-yard gain down to the 1. The Ravens would later convert two plays later on a Taliaferro 1-yard plunge.
Haloti Ngata had his best game of the season, particularly effective in crunch time when the Ravens defense produced three key 3-and-outs in the fourth quarter…Courtney Upshaw was solid off the edge and his effort may have been appreciated more if Daryl Smith had played better. He struggled to fight through the wash and close in on ball carriers off the edge…Terrell Suggs made a couple of big plays stopping the Browns twice for losses of 2 and 10 yards on reverses… Jimmy Smith was solid and probably the secondary’s only sure tackler on the day. His hustle to take down Gabriel after the 70-yard pitch and catch was probably a game saver…Sam Koch netted 44 yards on 3 punts, Justin Tucker hit the game winner and Asa Jackson, game saver No. 2 with the blocked field goal.
THE BAD
Joe Flacco still struggles to check out of plays doomed before the snap. The Taliaferro failed run on 4th down in the fourth quarter is another example. He was a bit like O’s hurler Ubaldo Jimenez early in the game and struggled with the strike zone…Torrey Smith looks lost and after 3+ seasons with Joe Flacco you’d think these battery mates might be on the same page. They’re not! Smith failed to come up with a screen play that could have gone a long way and his version of a post corner was far different than Flacco’s. Sometimes a QB has to throw to a spot and know that his receiver will be there. That receiver apparently isn’t Torrey Smith…Jacoby Jones dropped another big play opportunity, the second this season. After showing sure-handedness during camp the regular season has been anything but…Red Zone offense continues to struggle and the Ravens are now ranked 29th in the league.
Tackling has been an issue for the Ravens, particularly in the secondary. Yards after catch were ridiculously high as a result…Lardarius Webb looks completely unsure of himself. There’s a reason his snaps were very limited…Daryl Smith isn’t the same player from 2013, at least not through the first three games. His job is probably safe because he wears the green dot for the defense…Some questionable coaching decisions: John Harbaugh’s choice to go for it on fourth down early in the fourth quarter was a bad decision. Down by 4 with 11 minutes to go, you take the auto 3-point play from Tucker. Burning their last timeout down by 1 at the 2:09 mark was ill-advised. A timeout is worth more than 9 seconds…Burning the game clock down to inside of 10 seconds before spiking it at the end of regulation was a bad idea. If the Ravens had had a false start inside of 10 seconds, there would have been an automatic 10 second run off and the game would have ended before Tucker had a chance to hit the game winner.
THE UGLY
Matt Elam was horrible. He missed tackles, was late to the ball and his cover skills (or lack thereof) in the center of the field looked like a game of piñata. Had the Ravens lost, Elam would be the scapegoat. Now the question is, is he a capable safety?…The QB sneaks are pretty wretched. Now that the Ravens have a big back (I liked that goal line formation with Gino Gradkowski in the backfield) how about we ditch this sneak trend?…Dennis Pitta’s injury is undoubtedly a dark cloud over this win. Not only is his season over but his career is in jeopardy. It’s hard not to think of Bo Jackson. Prayers go out to a great player and a greater man.
THE MEGAN FOX
If there has ever been a Ravens offensive player who embodies the meaning of “Play Like a Raven” and personifies Baltimore, it’s Steve Smith, Sr. His 5 catches for 101 yards aside (it should’ve been more), his ability to beat the NFL’s highest paid corner in the clutch with his 35-year-old legs, his competitiveness and willingness to take on defensive linemen twice his size in support of the run game screams one word – WINNER !
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