The Ravens offense put on yet another completely uninspiring performance in Pittsburgh, with the exception of a 99-yard TD drive and a last-minute TD to potentially tie the game. This time though, they were unable to pull a rabbit out of their hats, and ultimately came up short against a hated division rival.
Not as much fun as our usual victory Mondays, but let’s get to it anyway…
There’s a lot of talk about Lamar Jackson missing Mark Andrews on the game-deciding two-point conversion. However, the still image floating around of the ball being just out of Andrews’ reach probably doesn’t tell the whole story.
Could it all be a matter of perspective?
Keep running and you make this catch easily https://t.co/Enx3klex2L
— Kevin 😈 (@MDRavens1) December 6, 2021
Maybe! Listen, football plays have a lot of moving parts. When one of those parts is an unblocked T.J. Watt jumping in your quarterback’s face, perhaps a slight adjustment on the throw is understandable. I don’t know how the Ravens practiced that play; maybe Andrews is supposed to slow his route. It looks like he was expecting the ball a bit sooner, but again…Watt.
I have a really hard time blaming anyone here. It just…didn’t quite connect. Sometimes that’s all there is to it.
Dots on the two-pointer. I think I’d feel pretty good about this one if I were the Ravens. pic.twitter.com/ipTrsn2Zqk
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) December 6, 2021
The much bigger issue is that the Ravens continue to put themselves in these positions week after week – the position where the game comes down to one or two plays. This keeps happening because the offense is extremely inconsistent and can’t built a lead to save their lives. One big problem that’s showed up over and over again lately is their inability to deal with the blitz. Here’s Dan Orlovsky expressing the frustration of #RavensFlock in a quick video.
I don’t get it @Ravens
GET IT FIXED pic.twitter.com/CWYxrD75MJ— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) December 5, 2021
Why not add injury to insult while we’re at it? I didn’t have a problem with the call to go for two even before it came out that this had happened on the Steelers’ final possession:
Marlon Humphrey will reportedly miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, per @RapSheet
Prayers up 🙏 pic.twitter.com/vxcsDT0YcP
— PFF (@PFF) December 6, 2021
But hey, just one injury? Nooooo, not the Ravens! Patrick Mekari, come on down!
John Harbaugh said T Patrick Mekari is dealing with a hand injury and could be out "a few weeks."
— Bo Smolka (@bsmolka) December 6, 2021
*hello darkness my old friend….*
Players the #Ravens have lost to season ending injuries:
Ronnie Stanley (starter)
Derek Wolfe (starter)
J.K. Dobbins (starter)
Gus Edwards (starter)
Marcus Peters (starter)
Justice Hill
L.J. Fort (starter)
DeShon Elliott (starter)
Marlon Humphrey (starter)Pain.
— ⚡️Garrett Ferguson⚡️ (@GarrettSprints) December 6, 2021
*I’ve come to talk with you again….*
That is 24.2% of their cap space dedicated solely to injured reserve.
— Kyle Phoenix Barber (@KylePBarber) December 6, 2021
Yeah yeah, everyone has injuries. Not like this.
The M*A*S*H unit that is the Ravens will now take on a rested Cleveland team that’s playing to save their season, before hosting the Green Bay Packers, going to Cincinnati, then hosting the LA Rams and Steelers to round out the season.
In short, things don’t get any easier. I hope the rest of your week is better than your Sunday was, Flockers.
