Happy Monday Ravens Flock. Unfortunately, it’s another where we lament how much we miss Victory Mondays around these parts, as the Ravens have now lost back-to-back games for the first time since last December. In typical Ravens fashion, they both made it excruciatingly close and added injury to insult.
The bad news is that Lamar Jackson was carted off in the second quarter. The good news is that it appears to be just a low-ankle sprain.
Good news of a very low/short boot.
Unlikely high ankle sprain.
Expect only short term absence. https://t.co/4b3ovH1oJb— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) December 12, 2021
However, Tyler Huntley performed admirably after taking over. Dare I say, he was better than the current version of Lamar is playing (that is, a version that’s jittery, indecisive, and very untrusting of his OL). Snoop made some very LJ-esque plays.
Tyler Huntley doing his best Lamar Jackson impression 🤧pic.twitter.com/aB1P7mwP0W
— PFF (@PFF) December 12, 2021
He very nearly led the team to an improbable comeback win, thanks in large part to his willigness to let his pass-catchers make plays for him. Watch him trust Rashod Bateman on this throw.
RASHOD BATEMAN!
Tune in on CBS pic.twitter.com/5fzFcb0BMS
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 12, 2021
He also trusted Bateman on a similar play on a 4th-and-6. It was butt-clenching time when the ball was in the air, but the rookie made it pay off.
The #Ravens didn’t miss on Rashod Bateman last April.
This was cold. pic.twitter.com/omunS2mwt3
— Bobby Trosset (@bobbywbal) December 12, 2021
Let’s hope Jackson was paying attention. Bateman had been woefully underutilized for the past several games, thanks in large part to Jackson’s indecisiveness and penchant to tuck and run as soon as Mark Andrews wasn’t open.
While we hadn’t seen much of Bateman for a while, what we had very recently encountered was a two-point conversion controversy. Why not make it two weeks in a row?
This is why you go for 2 when you score to go down 9. It's obvious. He's right. It's a non-decision. https://t.co/joRz05TPNl
— NFL Philosophy (@NFLosophy) December 13, 2021
The Ravens having the ball with a chance to win with a FG even after NOT getting the 2 is exactly why they made the right choice down 9.
— Paul Sabin (@SabinAnalytics) December 13, 2021
So, those are the arguments for going for two. Full disclosure, I agree with them. Just like last week, I was in favor of the decision to go for two at the time. That it didn’t work doesn’t change the correctness of the process.
Now, RSR head honcho Tony Lombardi disagrees. As did CBS analysts Bill Cowher, Phil Simms, and Boomer Esiason, who all took turns ravaging John Harbaugh in their post-game comments.
“We don’t put that into the analytics… I don’t think. I don’t know. I don’t care.”
The most honest anyone has ever been on that side of the discussion lol. You don’t want to understand it, that’s fine. https://t.co/bprE6a0sz0
— Brad Spielberger, Esq. (@PFF_Brad) December 13, 2021
The more important issue here, I feel, is that if the Ravens are going to consistently lean on these types of “analytics” that say to go for two, than they need to get better at converting. The rollout with Huntley left him precious few options, resulting in a forced pass for an interception.
Here’s an interesting tidbit from earlier this morning.
Another quick Ravens note: they’re going to work out their old friend, safety Tony Jefferson, possibly today. Jefferson was most recently with the San Francisco 49ers. Ravens have been thin on defensive backfield depth.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) December 13, 2021
Jefferson was never great during his time in Baltimore, but he knows the system and perhaps they feel he can help with some of the communication issues in the secondary.
Although the Ravens lost, the Browns were the only AFC North team to win this week. The Steelers lost on Thursday night – also barely failing in their own crazy comeback attempt – and the Bengals fell behind big then forced overtime while hosting San Francisco…only to lose in the end.
BRANDON AIYUK WALKS IT OFF IN OVERTIME
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/Yy6UFzicfX
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 13, 2021
It really is a shame. A Ravens squad that was even marginally healthier would be running away with this division. Ah well. They’re still in first, and they have two division games left, along with tilts against top NFC squads the Packers and Rams.
They’re gonna have to earn it.
