Great Team Win!

The Ravens advance to (6-3) on the season with a 27-13 win over the Saints in New Orleans. It was an important game for the team – a total team win particularly without the services of Mark Andrews and Gus Edwards. It sets up the second half of the season very well, a half during which the Ravens have just one team with a .500 or better record on their schedule – the Cincinnati Bengals. The balance of the schedule is the easiest (on paper, for now) in the NFL.

First Half Takes/Notes

• Lamar settled down after the first series and threw some nice passes on the second drive going 5-5 for 67 yards. His mechanics look a bit awry at times, missing some big throws to Isaiah Likely and Demarcus Robinson, the latter for a TD. He missed Robinson badly on another easy throw that could have gone for a score at best, at worst it’s a first down deep in the red zone.

• I watched Lamar warming up before the game and many throws were touch passes but he really didn’t step into them; most off his back foot. That continued into the game. Muscle memory may have set in. Drive through those throws, accuracy improves.

• Really nicely designed rollout play on the TD toss to Likely. Greg Roman used this play in Denver last season, it went for a score to Mark Andrews but it was called back for a ticky-tacky holding penalty.

I thought the TD pass to Likely looked familiar… https://t.co/Xci3kzYInG pic.twitter.com/uBTS5v94hd

— Tony Lombardi (@RSRLombardi) November 8, 2022

• Roquan Smith made three big tackles. Two at the line of scrimmage for negligible gains and then the open field tackle of Alvin Kamara on a pass to the defensive left flat for a short gain.

• Ravens defense on-whole was swarming to the ball. They’re playing fast. No need to ratchet down the intensity.

• Tyrann Mathieu was fast to the ball early, he made the Saints first two tackles. I wondered if Greg Roman might use that aggression against him in the second half. He only had 1 more solo tackle after the first two plays.

• Jordan Stout is a model of inconsistency. Two punts averaging 50 yards but 30 of those yards were courtesy of a very fortuitous roll.

• Ravens were 6 of 8 on third down while the Saints were just 1 of 6. Saints were the 6th best 3rd down defense in the league coming in to the game.

• Odafe Oweh made a nice TFL on a misdirection play that could have gone for a big gain.

[Related Article: Ravens Report Card v. Saints]

Second Half Notes/Takes

• Lamar’s accuracy issues continue “complemented” by a couple of wounded ducks.

• John Harbaugh wastes another timeout with a challenge that had a snowball’s chance in a New Orleans swamp.

• Marlon Humphrey fakes a blitz from the slot and then loses Chris Olave. Saints convert a third and 6. Redeems himself later during the same drive on a third down in the red zone with a sack. On the play Oweh occupied the blockers on the defensive right to allow Humphrey to get home. Mission accomplished. Sack, forces field goal in the red zone.

• Justin Houston records his 3rd consecutive multi-sack game. In five games Houston has 8 ½ sacks, second to Matt Judon and tied with Nick Bosa. He added and interception off an Andy Dalton tipped pass by Brent Urban. He was the defensive player of the game.

Justin Houston recorded 5 pressures, 2.5 sacks and an INT in the Ravens' 27-13 victory over the Saints.

Houston has generated 5+ pressures in all three games since returning from injury in Week 7, the longest active streak in the NFL.#BALvsNO | Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/VNYoE8PpG6

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 8, 2022

• Lamar indecisive on the designed rollout to start the second drive of the second half. Hesitates to take off and run. It’s as if he’s trying so hard to be an accomplished passer for that next contract that he too often ignores the very thing that makes him so unique, so electric, so Lamar.

• Ravens carry another double-digit lead into the fourth quarter. Every game this season they’ve held a double-digit lead at some point during the game. This time they finish it.

• Really nice run by Kenyan Drake showcasing good, shifty feet for 18 yards to start the Ravens first drive of Q4. Drake really ran hard and was successful despite everyone in the building keying on him in the fourth quarter. He finished with 93 yards on 24 carries to go with 2 scores. He earned every inch of that output on Monday night.

• 3rd-and-2 from the Saints 37 with 11:04 to go in the fourth, Ravens run an RPO, Lamar keeps it and takes it to the Saints 19. Huge play.

• Delay of game, a regular problem for the Ravens and the play clock. On the succeeding play, after some jawing going on between Lamar and Ronnie Stanley, they just get the play off. Incredibly sloppy.

The #Ravens habitually flirt with an expired play clock. It has been a problem all season. This is game 9. You would think that they'd have this cleaned up by now. Instead, it remains a problem. G-Ro, you got some 'splainin' to do!

— Tony Lombardi (@RSRLombardi) November 8, 2022

• Calais Campbell had a very big game and like his teammate Houston, he looks like he’s bathed in the fountain of youth. JPP left the game with a foot injury.

• Kyle Hamilton is really coming on. He’s tackling with confidence and is around the ball much more frequently. He had his first INT taken away by a ticky-tacky DPI.

For a player who is supposed to be such a cerebral player, Chuck Clark just made one of the dumbest decisions I've ever seen from a #Ravens defender. Play to the whistle FFS!

— Tony Lombardi (@RSRLombardi) November 8, 2022

• John Harbaugh’s explanation while defending Chuck Clark is as lame as the challenge on Dalton’s non-fumble. Every coach I’ve ever been around teaches players to play to the whistle. And even if there was a whistle, a push out of bounds after the guy continues to run will not be flagged and even if it is, take the penalty and another chance to defend instead of a waltz into the end zone. One of the weirdest touchdowns you’ll ever see.

John Harbaugh when asked about his exchange with Marcus Peters late in the game: pic.twitter.com/eBydkHCZWv

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) November 8, 2022

• Mike Macdonald put together a great game plan with a variety of fire zone blitzes that were at times well disguised, including stunts that took blockers out of the play to enable teammates to loop around or rush unabated to the quarterback. The Ravens defense could be dangerous down the stretch.

• Ravens finish with 188 yards rushing on 40 carries; win time of possession 37:47 to 22:13; win the turnover battle 1-0; 23 first downs to the Saints 13; 9 for 15 on 3rd-down conversions. That’s a recipe for success, especially on the road.

• Kamara had just 12 touches for a total of 62 yards from scrimmage. That’s limiting a team’s best asset.

• Ten different receivers caught passes from Lamar.

• Shout out to Ravens fans who traveled well to the Big Easy. Great job. We heard you!

Heyyyyy @Ravens – we out here!! #RavensFlock rolls deeeep pic.twitter.com/ewg7lnKQHy

— Sarah Reardon (@i_will_overcome) November 7, 2022