Another season of Baltimore Ravens football has kicked off, which means it’s time to get back to finding the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in every matchup! Sunday’s win over the Colts featured plenty to be excited about, but a handful of rough moments, too. Let’s dive in!
The Good
Lamar Jackson: It had been 252 days since the world got to see Lamar Jackson play football, and he didn’t disappoint in his return. He had over 300 yards through the air with a 124.2 passer rating. He also added another 40 yards on the ground
and answered any questions about his legs with a magical sack escape and scramble to pick up a first down on 3rd and 16 that led to a touchdown. Basically, the MVP is back.
The three-headed monster: The Ravens officially have a mythical creature in Baltimore. Pair Lamar Jackson’s performance with Derrick Henry’s 144 yards at 6.0 yards a pop and three touchdowns with Zay Flowers’ 150 yards and a score on five catches, and you have one of the best trios in the NFL. And Flowers’ numbers came in just the first half alone.
Run game: As mentioned above, Henry was able to come in and control this game for Baltimore once they built up a lead. That was massive with Flowers out for the second half, which slowed the passing game. As the Ravens operate from under center more this year, it should open Henry to work in what he was best at in Tennessee, stretch/zone concepts that get him moving on a track. The run game is definitely where the offensive line shined too. According to Next Gen Stats, Henry wasn’t tackled behind the line of scrimmage once during the Colts game.
Defense: Since Jesse Minter was hired, the talk around town was how much the Ravens defense would improve after the Zach Orr years. The unit proceeded to get walked down the field on their first drive of the season, and the fear started creeping back in, just slightly. But as expected, Minter adjusted, the players recovered, and Baltimore’s defense dominated the rest of the game. Daniel Jones had fewer than 200 passing yards despite trailing for most of the game. Jonathan Taylor had a solid game, but the Ravens didn’t let him break away for any massive plays. Marlon Humphrey also pried the ball out of his hands after one catch, one of Baltimore’s two turnovers along with a Roquan Smith interception. The pass rush was also very solid, as they finished with two sacks and nine quarterback hits.
Special teams: My preseason worries about Tyler Loop were loud, so I’ll make this section just as loud. The second-year kicker had a fantastic day to open the season. He hit all five of his extra points and went 2/2 on his field goal attempts, including a blast from 57 yards for a new career-long that would have been good from 60-plus. Rookie punter Ryan Eckley averaged only 46.7 on his three punts, but all three were beauties that landed inside the 20. He didn’t make any major mistakes, which is a major compliment for the rookie. The Ravens also had good punt and kickoff returns.
The Bad
Pass protection: While the offensive line was dominant in the run game, they were less consistent in pass protection. There were moments that Lamar Jackson had all day to throw in a clean pocket. There were also moments where Jackson was immediately pressured into a Houdini escape act. Pro Football Focus charted the Ravens with allowing 10 pressures on 33 pass plays, and none of the starters on the line got above a 70.0 pass blocking grade. I am willing to give them some grace with a number of the starters not playing in the preseason, plus Vega Ioane and Jovaughn Gwyn getting their first NFL start against a talent like DeForest Buckner. But they need to improve, and fast.
Pass game without Flowers: The Ravens started hot, hunting explosives early and often like they told us they would all offseason. But the pass game got dicey once Flowers went down. He accounted for 150 of Jackson’s 229 first-half passing yards; in the second half, Jackson did not eclipse 100. While some of that can be attributed to the Ravens going run-heavy with the lead, Flowers’ absence was clearly felt. They didn’t have much going through the air until Chris Moore caught a 53-yard deep catch-and-run late in the fourth to seal the game for Baltimore. With Flowers day-to-day and Ja’Kobi Lane down for weeks, guys like Rashod Bateman, Tez Walker, and Elijah Sarratt are going to become the focus of this wide receiver room. They will need to step up.
The Ugly
Penalties: This made this game closer than it ever should have been. The Ravens went into double-digit territory, totaling 10 penalties for 86 yards. Beyond the sheer amount of penalties the Ravens had, they had multiple penalties that eliminated big plays. Ja’Kobi Lane had his first career touchdown taken away by a hold. Rashod Bateman converted a first down on third and medium on a long catch that was taken away by a hold. Chris Moore had a 49-yard return that turned field position at midfield into starting inside the 20. There’s a chance the Ravens win by 30+ with ease if they don’t commit even half the penalties.
