The NFL season kicked off last night as the Ravens visited the defending Super Bowl champs, the KC Chiefs and predictably, the Ravens shot themselves in the foot enough times to lose the game…AGAIN!
There were some good things you can build on and some bad things that are already alarming. Here are the risers and fallers in our first regular season Ravens Stock Report, brought to you by LifeMed Institute. Get ready for the confidence to have an active and healthy sex life with the spark of spontaneity, thanks to our friends at LifeMed.
STOCK UP
Lamar’s weight loss: Jackson talked about how he wanted to lose weight because he felt he had gotten too heavy and players were catching him too much. Last night, he lit up the Chiefs with his legs and looked like 2019 Lamar.
Isaiah Likely: I said in the offseason that I felt trading Mark Andrews was the play to make. Save long term money, get picks and insert Likely into the starting role (with Kolar being the backup). Many laughed at that concept but Likely is more dynamic than Andrews and I think he brings an element to the offense that Andrews, as good as he is, doesn’t.
Odafe Oweh: Oweh was disruptive all night long. He got into the backfield often and played the run very well.
Andrew Voorhees: Vorhees held up well last night. The issues on the line seemed to be more on the right side. For his first NFL game, I think Vorhees showed us his potential. He will get better as well.
Trenton Simpson: I thought Simpson would get exposed at least once and that didn’t happen. He played very solid football. He has more tools in his shed than Queen does and is much further along at this point in his career than the first round pick was.
[Related Article: And the winner of this week’s Big Crab Cake Award is…]
STOCK DOWN
NFL officiating: The Ravens did not lose this game because of the officials but the officials made it harder. Whether its members of the media, ex-players or just fans of other team, the overwhelming consensus was that the Chiefs tackles, especially Juwan Taylor, were getting away with illegal formations all night. Taylor also had several false start penalties that were not called. And this is before we talk about the illegal timeout the officials allowed. Sports in general are becoming so frustrating to watch because of officiating and the NFL is right at the top of that frustration list.
“The HC is the only one who can call a timeout……unless you’re the Chiefs.” #BALvsKC
pic.twitter.com/JRJI6LucJE— Kellen “KellDawg” Sherman (@KShermanSports) September 6, 2024
John Harbaugh: The Ravens did a lot of good things last night and statistically, they were the better team BUT they lost, yet again, because of bad decisions, bad plays, lack of adjustments (see not chipping Rice at the line and letting him run free on LBers) and unforced errors. This is a CONSTANT problem under Harbaugh. I said all offseason that I didn’t feel they would win in the playoffs because of this. I said entering the game last night that they would lose because of it. When it’s the same problem over and over again, the coach has to take the blame and Harbaugh gets too much of a pass.
Lamar in the biggest moments: Lamar played great last night, for the most part. He was the reason the Ravens were in the game. He played his butt off but he can’t miss those 2 TD throws at the end of the game to Likely and Flowers. The Flowers pass is actually a “better miss” than the Likely one. Likely was completely wide open and he threw it in the only spot that he couldn’t.
Daniel Faalale: The Ravens have a history of putting good Olines out there. They have a history of developing linemen. They have a history of figuring it out but they can’t make Faalale faster. He’s slow and the speed of the game appears to be too much for him. I am not sure what Ben Cleveland has done to piss off the coaching staff but it’s hard to believe he isn’t an upgrade.
Ben Cleveland can’t possibly be worse than Daniel Olay-lay, right? #Ravens #Chiefs
— Tony Lombardi (@RSRLombardi) September 6, 2024
Todd Monken: You had all offseason to game plan for this game and the offensive game plan was terrible. Lamar didn’t have a ton of time but yet there were no quick, short passes like those the Chiefs shredded the Ravens with. The way they used Henry was head scratching. The offense was essentially, let Lamar run around and throw to Likely or Flowers. So many passes were at or near the LOS but they weren’t done in a rhythm. It was more out of need after running around. The Ravens need to figure out how they are going to use Henry because they can’t afford to have Lamar running around like that every game.
SB hopes: Not only does KC look better but now they have the tiebreaker over the Ravens. Making matters worse, the Ravens did nothing last night to make one think they can beat KC in January. It’s the same game over and over again. They are still an 11-12 win team and will battle it out with Cincinnati for the division title, but it’s going to be a season that ends in heartbreak again because they can’t get it together between the ears.
Bateman/Lamar chemistry: We heard all offseason about the lack of chemistry between Lamar and Rashod Bateman and how that needed to get fixed. Well, last night looked more of the same. They did hook up for a great throw and catch on the final drive but there was very little before that. Lamar is locked in on a few guys and Bateman just isn’t on his radar. Even the failed TD to Flowers was a ball, according to Lamar, that he was throwing to Bateman but Bateman didn’t keep going. Perhaps that’s his fault or perhaps that’s the issue between both of them. They have been playing together long enough to where this shouldn’t be an issue.
"Lamar, was that pass to Zay tipped?'
“No, actually. I saw Chris Jones was on Justice Hill [who] was blocking Chris Jones, so I was trying to help Justice out. I tried to get out of the pocket, and I saw Bateman flying across, so I’m thinking [he] was going to stop, and as I’m… pic.twitter.com/13qgLUeWgF
— Tony Lombardi (@RSRLombardi) September 6, 2024
Justin Tucker’s long FG: What is going on with Tucker? He was 1-5 from 50+ last year and now 0-1. This has to get fixed. It’s not like these kicks are coming up short. He is just hitting them poorly.
And that’s your Ravens Stock Report courtesy of LifeMed Institute!
9 Responses
Simpson was bad last night. No clue what you were watching.
He is definitely no further along than Queen. His PFF grade reflects it: 46.
One sack on a blitz does not cover up how poor he was overall.
Oweh was outstanding v the run but pass rush was mediocre. 2 pressures and 1 QB hit is ok but not what they need from him.
Lastly Ravens were not the better team. Had Mahomes completed a relatively simple screen pass to Perine on 3rd down, Ravens would’ve trailed by 17 points in the 3rd quarter. Mahomes did not have a great night, Lamar outplayed him.
Lamar doing so was the only reason Ravens were in that game.
Vorhees? Really, he was the worst graded starter on the oline which overall struggled.
He didn’t say the Ravens were better. He said statistically better. Yes Ravens could’ve been blown out, but when one team is being called for a bunch of new penalties, and the other team is committing the same violations but not being called, it distorts how the game should be flowing. KC was better. But not that much better as the flow of the game would indicate.
Monken is terrible. You don’t force players into your system. You adapt your system to your players. If Monken insists on being in shotgun 80% of the time when we just signed Derrick Henry, and if Harbs allows this, they both should go.
People put so much stock in PFF grades. I get it, they do some nice work that isn’t “grade” related so their rep is solid. Plus with Collinsworth on NBC and the way they hug those grades/rankings, can lure you in. That said, I’ve been told by more than one source at The Castle that they use PFF as a reference tool but they think the grades are laughable.
I often wonder how these grades are arrived at, what the basis is. I’ve seen guys with an interception, a sack and 8 tackles, and solid every other snap, with a PFF of 50. Seems terribly arbitrary. Unless I know a LOT more, I’m not even using it as a reference tool.
Those PFF grades often don’t pass the eyeball test. And from what the Ravens have shared with me, it’s not possible for PFF to accurately grade players because they can’t possibly know the assignment of each player on every play.
It will soon be time to begin looking for Justin Tucker’s heir apparent and his journey to retiring and beginning that five year wait to Canton.
Cool it there skippy. He’s the GOAT for a reason. Let him make his adjustments.
John has to go lol, idk how many times we need to keep seeing the small things that he just refuses to change that make all the difference, John’s coaching is played out now , time for fresh eyes …I mean what has he done in the past 12 years , how many playoff wins etc
I was reluctant, but I am starting to come around that Harbs might be played out and time more new, and younger blood.