The Ravens reminded the world that they, too, had a stingy defense, and they combined with an opportunistic offense to earn a really good road win over the Cleveland Browns to move to 3-1 on the season, and 2-0 on the road in their own division.
Let’s look at some grades.
Offense
Overall: B
They were only able to put up 296 yards of total offense and had another concerning fumble, but they did go a perfect 4-4 in the red zone and rushed for 131 yards against a very stout defense.
Quarterback: A-
Lamar Jackson went 15-19 for 186 yards and two touchdowns, good for a 142.5 passer rating. He also rushed for 27 yards and two touchdowns. It was a very strong game, and he also managed to create some trademark Lamar stuff with some big throws on the run. The only ding is the fumble. That needs to get cleaned up.
Running Backs: B-
It was tough sledding out there. The Browns have a very tough front and a fast group of defenders behind them. But Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and Melvin Gordon each broke off some chunk gains when given creases, and that’s a job well done. Gordon also had a nice catch-and-run for 23, and Pat Ricard had a huge catch for a first down.
Receivers: B-
Mark Andrews had his first huge-impact game of the year, grabbing two physical touchdown catches, and picking up a huge 36-yarder to set up the Ravens for a touchdown drive. Zay Flowers only had four targets, but he made an impact with a 43-yard gain amongst his three catches. Nelson Agholor nearly brought in a spectacular touchdown catch.
Offensive Line: B-
They gave up three sacks and seven quarterback hits, and only showed flashes of controlling the line in the run game. But they were against an outstanding front, were battered and bruised, and still did a better-than-average job out there. This was a gritty performance that played a significant part out there.
Defense
Overall: A
Yes, they were facing a rookie quarterback in his first start. Also, yes: I don’t care. The Ravens gave up 166 yards of offense at 2.6 yards per play — 1.8 yards per pass. They also had four sacks, three interceptions and eight quarterback hits. They were dominant, even with their injuries.
Defensive Line: B
They largely owned the line against a very solid offensive line. Broderick Washington and Justin Madubuike picked up sacks, and rookie Tavius Robinson had his best game at first watch. Travis Jones flashes a couple times a game.
Linebackers: A
This has been the best unit on this team all season, and they didn’t disappoint again today. Roquan Smith had his typical double-digit tackle game, to go along with a pair of pass break-ups and a hit on the quarterback. Patrick Queen had huge hit after huge hit, to go along with a sack and three tackles for loss. Malik Harrison was active, and had a big hit on the quarterback, too.
Defensive Backs: A+
I know. First game, rookie quarterback. I get it. But 1.8 yards per pass? And Brandon Stephens probably had the play of the game with his first-quarter interception and return of 52 yards. He did have the pass-interference penalty, but it was guys running into each other. Kyle Hamilton stands out every game, and had a late pick in garbage time. Arthur Maulet was in the action a ton, and Geno Stone got an easy pick — but still a pick! Rock Ya-Sin and Ronald Darby are both solid in coverage.
Special Teams: B
Jordan Stout is one of the Ravens’ most improved players this season, and had another solid game today. Justin Tucker wasn’t challenged much, but still looked cool on kickoffs. That counts, right? Devin Duvernay had two solid returns, but fair caught another where he had a lot of room in front of him. They still don’t quite look like their typical stellar self yet this year, though.
Coaching: B
They knew what they had to do in this one — enough to keep the rookie quarterback off balance and cash in opportunities when they present themselves against a stingy defense. It didn’t feel like they had to get too deep into the bag of tricks today, but they did what good teams do and didn’t blow it.
5 Responses
random comments….clowney continues to be a factor…the guy is around the ball and consistently pressures the opposing qb…..
the ravens front office is going to have to work really hard to keep queen and “0” together
queen is emerging….
is it me or has justice hill looked incredibly different since he had that knee repaired a year or two back?…..he left the game relatively early(i hope he was on a pitch count and nothing more)…but the plays that went to him were exciting as hell…this guy cuts on a dime….i hope he isn`t re-injured because i`m thinking with him,zay and potentially keaton mitchell available we are going tio be extremely explosive on offense…i can`t remmeber any ravens team having this kind of volume speed-wise at multiple positions….those three whippets are scarey as hell(then throw in lamar running) ….we could start resembling the dolphins…..and gus isthe perfect compliment to mitchell and hill….and not to forget gordon who played extremely well….we won`t miss dobbins(sans more injuries)…
mark sndrews is so darned good….i think he deserves more attention downfield(and from local media)….the guy is an absolute beast…and i noticed that when lamar was getting worked over on the cleveland sideline andrews was the first guy flying into the fray to protect his qb…..the guy is a bad man…..he and lamar are joined at the hip…when lamar is finding andrews he thrives…
but a word of caution…our radio crew on wbal are about as knee-jerk as knee-jerk gets….they go overboard based on the day`s events…we played back to back games vs back-up qbs…and cleveland`s best player(chubb) was down…remember,this is the same team that blew three successive possessions late last week where a 1st down or two probably wins the game…the same indy team that lost at home today to a mediocre rams team….
slow down,boys
For those making the excuse of “well they were without [insert best player here – in this case Nick Chubb]”, may I remind you we are missing our #1 RB, #1 LT, #1 and #2 WR, our #1 S, #1 CB, etc. So spare me the crocodile tears. Injuries are part of every team. Some build depth to address it (Ravens) and some don’t (Browns).
btw…not referring to the play-by-play guys( we were all spoiled/blessed by the immortal chuck thompson)…i like woodson…..i was referring to the post-game radio crew…..not a fan….
I will take a win anytime regardless if it is against a backup QB. I like the adjustments Monkton made after the 1st quarter. Need to clean up the penalties. Roquan continues to remind me of Ray Lewis. It was nice to see all units playing well. As the offense gets more comfortable with this new system the D will carry this team.
The offensive line was drafted and coached as run blockers, that is their strength, I am glad that we still rely on that and use pass plays to complement it.
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