Baltimore Ravens fans have been very critical of their team after a 32-14 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals at Thanksgiving. This is understandable. For this version of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, let’s make it positive. The Ravens remain in the top spot of the AFC North after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss on Sunday. The Ravens will have a 10-day break after their game on Thursday. This is a chance to correct any remaining issues. They still have five games left. The Ravens have the final say.
Lamar Jackson’s health: I will get to his play later. For now, let’s talk about what I think is the most important reason for the season’s turnaround. Jackson moved the best since his injury or maybe even since Week 1 on Thursday. He ran the ball multiple times without hesitation and with decisiveness, which has been missing in recent weeks. He audibled a play at one point on third down, and switched it to a “read call”, calling his own number for the first down. These are all positive signs. We can only hope, now that Jackson has had a rest after the Thursday game, that he will get better and more comfortable.
Derrick Henry Another impressive performance with 6.0 yards a carry. Henry shows that the Ravens are able to rely on him when they need it. He is also becoming a reliable option in Jackson’s passing game. Henry received only 10 carries, and all three running backs combined had less than 20 carries. The Ravens are abandoning the run for no apparent reason in their most important games.
Keaton Mitchell :After a two-year wait, Mitchell has finally reached the end zone. His speed is evident. He can delete tackling angles like few can. Mitchell and Henry need to be given more work, now that Justice Hill is on IR. This will help this struggling offense. Mitchell’s speed allows him to convert negative plays into gains or neutral plays, even when the play breaks down.
Rasheen Al: Hill’s injury will also give Rasheen Al a larger role. He seems to have taken Hill’s place as a pass down back. Most of his snaps are on passing plays. Pro Football Focus gave him an 81.1 grade for pass blocking. Ali’s limited carries still allowed him to out-snap Henry and Mitchell. This is something that cannot happen in the future.
The tight end: Isaiah Likely was a great addition to the team this year, despite his fumble. He had five catches on six targets for 95 yards. Likely was unable to participate in training camp or the start of the season due to a foot injury. He also had surgery. When he returned, he started off slowly. Likely is finally regaining his form as he prepares for a crucial stretch of football. It’s important that the connection between Likely and Jackson on broken plays in the scramble drill appears to have remained.
Mark Andrews had an equally impressive game with four catches and 47 yards. He now holds the triple crown for franchise’s leading receiver in terms of receptions, yards and touchdowns. Charlie Kolar gained 17 yards from a single pass. The Ravens will need to rely on the run-game with Jackson struggling. Being able put all three players on the field and be able throw out from that larger package is crucial.
First half defense: The Ravens’ defense was questioned by many after Zach Orr’s defense suffered a lot of damage in both games played last year. There was little confidence going into the game, even with Burrow returning from injury and Tee Higgins not playing. In the first half the Ravens defense was outstanding, limiting the Bengals’ offense to just 12 points. All of these were field goals. This was despite the Bengals making three trips into the red zone and committing two turnovers inside their own 20 yard line. A Ravens fumble led to the Bengals being two yards away from the endzone. The Ravens defense made the biggest stop early on. In four plays, the defense did not allow a single yard and forced a turnover in bounds. The Bengals converted three out of twelve third downs in the first half, with Burrow completing five of 10 passes. In the second half, however, it was a completely different story.
Second half defense: Nate Wiggins has been ruled out of the game after the first half. The Bengals scored touchdowns on their next two drives before the Ravens forced punts and made field goals. During the majority of the second half the defense was unable to leave the field. Burrow was able to convert five third downs for 71 yard and two touchdowns. The Bengals converted seven out of ten on third downs. Orr was able to make adjustments and give the Ravens’ offense a shot. The Ravens defense allowed only two field goals in the final quarter. Ravens’ offense squandered opportunities by fumbling, interception and turning the ball over on downs. If Wiggins can return to the field and the defense stays healthy, then they will be able to play complementing football in January.
Pass Rush: The Ravens’ recently revived pass-rush was expected to have a feast against a lower-tier offensive lineup and Joe Burrow’s return after a long absence. According to PFF, the Ravens had only 12 pressures against Burrow’s scrambles and 46 pass attempts. The Ravens pass rush needed to be more potent. Burrow didn’t appear limited so this part of the equation was less powerful. The newly formed edge duo, Mike Green and Dre’Mont Jones, that many hope can be the future had only four pressures combined. Ravens will need more pressure in the future.
Devontez Walker :Walker missed two huge targets on Thursday. Both shots would have been huge deep shots, with a total distance of nearly 100 yards and a potential touchdown. Walker enjoyed a busy summer, and he seemed to have earned a role for his performance when given targets. In Week 13, he was selected over Tylan Wallace, but he couldn’t make the most of it. We’ll be interested to see if Walker gets another shot next week. Walker should be kept involved in downfield by the Ravens, but in Harbaugh’s eyes, Walker may have wasted his opportunity.
Referees: I don’t usually complain about refs. All teams get bad calls. You can’t do much about it. It’s important to note that the call of offensive pass interference on Zay Flowers touchdown catch was as bad as it could be. In an era when football receivers are able to get away with nearly anything, this was one of softest calls in the season. Ja’Marr chase was elbowing corners uncalled all night. Flowers’ deep touchdown for the Ravens was a huge play, and having it stolen changed the game fundamentally. There’s no doubt that the Ravens blew many opportunities afterward. Momentum is fickle, and it’s not something you can ignore.
Lamar Jackson I’ve already established that Jackson is improving in health and could therefore find his form to get the Ravens moving again. We can’t ignore the fact that this was one of our worst performances. Jackson missed some basic throws even without turnovers. He was 17-for-32 in the air. This is just over 50%. He had two fumbles and an interception. He is not performing at the level of his MVP, but they need him. That’s it. It’s that simple. This is new territory. Lamar Jackson has never before had to bounce back after such a bad stretch.
Fumbles: On Thursday, the Ravens fumbled the ball four times. This is not the way to win games. Jackson fumbled twice, once on a strip-sack, and then on a pass he was trying to pull back, but the ball slipped from his hands. Isaiah Likely fumbled on what would have been a game changing 44-yard touchdown, which would have given Ravens an 8-point lead at the end of the first half. The Ravens instead gave the ball to the Bengals who went on to take a 9-7 advantage. The Ravens did not have a lead for the rest of the game. Flowers also had a fumble in the final minutes of the game, after the game was already beyond a comeback. But it is still unforgivable.
Recently, the Ravens were on a 5-game winning streak. The Ravens won by not committing mistakes and not turning over the ball. To continue their run in the playoffs, they’ll have to return to this until Jackson returns to his form.
