Despite gameday arriving early this week, it wasn’t Ravens or Buccaneers news that was the biggest on Wednesday. Instead, it was the 6-0 Philadelphia Eagles (as if they haven’t been top of mind for the media enough), who made a surprising move for pass rusher Robert Quinn.
The Philadelphia Eagles have knocked it out of the park of capitalizing on a rookie contract.
Good on them, but tough to see as a #Ravens fan!#RavensFlock https://t.co/B3vGAOzTlJ
— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) October 26, 2022
The former Chicago Bear will provide leadership and additional options to the Eagles’ defense, and it’s yet another example of their front office going “all in.”
RSR’s Cole Jackson expresses valid frustration at Baltimore’s inability to make a similar move. Honestly, Quinn likely should have been a target for GM Eric DeCosta, as the team could do with more pass rush.
As I see it, the Ravens have missed their Lamar Jackson window in a big way, opting for incredible depth over stars that will change the game. Sitting at 4-3 with some tough games lost after the team failed to make big plays late, it’s easy to question whether that’s the right roster-building strategy.
With some of those losses have come criticisms of QB Lamar Jackson, who’s seen his play dip in recent weeks. In reality though, it’s not because Jackson’s been poor, but instead that he’s made bad decisions and played without consistency.
Take a look at some of Jackson’s stats compared to his NFL peers:
Lamar’s been on a heater🔥
🏈: @Ravens vs. @Buccaneers | #TNFonPrime
⏰: Thurs. 7 PM ET, only on @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/5vTHOosK6s— NFL On Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) October 26, 2022
I am in the camp that thinks Jackson has been playing well, though his mistakes have been inexcusable. Not each loss fully falls on the quarterback, and in my eyes, the only one that does was two weeks ago in New York.
In a similar way, it seems many fans jump at any chance to downplay Patrick Queen’s impact. According to former Ravens Coach Brian Billick, however, Queen is excelling in certain areas, and did so again versus the Browns:
"We saw @Patrickqueen_ all over the field. He set the tone for this game."@CoachBillick's Breakdown | @surface pic.twitter.com/rErz0a2TQB
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 26, 2022
Queen is a bit of a tougher evaluation for me. While he isn’t the commanding defender I expected after Eric DeCosta selected him in the first round of the 2020 draft, he does still contribute regularly and make big plays. At the same time, Queen sometimes struggles to make the most mundane plays, particularly open field tackles.
I think Queen’s been better over the last few games, but I’ll need to see more consistent performance from him to feel fully confident.
As we look ahead to tonight’s ballgame, it’s rare I’m able to deliver a Wednesday injury report within 24-hours of the matchup:
Injury report and game status vs. the Bucs. pic.twitter.com/qpak3MhnBi
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 26, 2022
Along with Calais Campbell being out on the defensive side, some key offensive players are up in the air for Thursday Night Football:
For Ravens offense at Tampa …
TE Mark Andrews (knee) is questionable after not practicing all week.
WR Rashod Bateman (foot) and OT Ronnie Stanley (ankle) are questionable after full practices Wednesday.
So, Bateman and Stanley trending in right direction. Andrews is not.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) October 26, 2022
Already without Campbell, the Ravens will face a real challenge if Mark Andrews – Jackson’s favorite target – is out, as well. In their places, young contributors like Justin Madubuike and Isaiah Likely will have to step up even more, while I also expect TE Josh Oliver to see the field a lot.
Turning the page to the opponent, the Buccaneers will also be without some major contributors:
The #Bucs ruled out WR Russell Gage, CB Carlton Davis, S Antoine Winfield, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting, TE Cameron Brate and G Luke Goedeke for tomorrow night's game vs. the #Ravens. WR Julio Jones is a game-time decision.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 26, 2022
It seems the Bucs have been dealing with injuries in the secondary for two seasons now. It’d be nice for Baltimore to have Andrews to exploit that, but I think Jackson will do enough without him.
Final Score: Ravens 27, Buccaneers 17
