The Baltimore Ravens were defeated handedly by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night, 33-10. It marked the team’s fourth straight loss and third consecutive defeat by 20+ points, representing a rock-bottom moment for the Ravens. Here are report card grades for Ravens’ position groups from another merciless loss in Week 9.
Quarterback: F
Joe Fagnano had a few factors working against him in this game: he was playing through an ankle injury, had only a few days of preparation, and was facing a talented
Jaguars’ defense. Nevertheless, he struggled mightily in his first career NFL start. Fagnano completed 10-of-18 passes for just 60 yards and was intercepted twice. To what extent Fagnano was limited by his ankle is unknown, but the Ravens clearly did not trust him to attempt passes more than a few yards downfield. While Fagnano was great in the preseason, a high-stakes regular season contest is clearly a different ball game for an undrafted rookie quarterback.
Running Back: C+
Derrick Henry had another inefficient rushing game, totaling 57 yards on 17 carries with a longest run of only eight yards. Henry ran hard and took on a number of wildcat snaps, but once again there was little running room to be found behind the offensive line. Justice Hill managed to break free for a long 65-yard rushing touchdown late in the game, giving the Ravens at least one notable offensive highlight. Hill finished with 92 scrimmage yards.
Wide Receiver: C-
It’s hard to knock the Ravens’ wide receivers too much given the dire state of the team’s passing attack. With Fagnano attempting few if any downfield throws, there was no chance of the wideouts doing significant damage in this game. Zay Flowers caught three passes and gained only six yards and rushed three times for 17 yards. His body language appeared deflated in the second half. Rashod Bateman and LaJohntay Wester each had once catch as well for minimal impact.
Tight End: D
Mark Andrews was the team’s leading receiver on the night with just two grabs for 19 yards. His costly miscues outweighed any impact as a pass-catcher or blocker, though. Andrews was flagged for another false start, which is a weekly occurrence now, and fumbled a snap on a fourth-and-one conversion attempt. Matthew Hibner was targeted twice and made one catch for five yards. He dropped a would-be long first down conversion, although the ball was tipped and appeared to alter the trajectory of the pass — but it still hit him in the hands. Josh Cuevas was not targeted but was flagged for a penalty.
Offensive Line: D+
Aside from Hill’s one long 65-yard run in the second half, the Ravens were once again unable to open up many rushing lanes up front. Fagnano was only sacked once and hit four times, but he didn’t drop back in the pocket very often anyways. It was a positive to have Vega Ioane back in the lineup at right guard, which allowed the Ravens to finally play a full game with their ideal five-man group together. Unfortunately, the results were not notable. Ronnie Stanley was flagged for another pre-snap penalty, his fifth flag in the last two weeks.
Defensive Line: C
The Ravens did a great job defending the run up front. Jacksonville’s top two rushers, Byshaul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr., combined for 22 carries and gained 48 yards. They each scored a touchdown, but their scores came on short yardage runs in the red zone. Unfortunately, the Ravens got very little pressure through the interior on Trevor Lawrence. On the bright side, Nnamdi Madubuike had two deflected passes (although he was flagged for a costly offside penalty on fourth down) and Broderick Washington had a pass breakup. Madubuike had the team’s only quarterback hit. Travis Jones played strong as well and recorded a tackle for loss.
Edge Rusher: D+
The edge rushers were a positive factor against the run as well, setting the edge and preventing explosive outside rushes. However, they were almost a complete no show in the pass rushing department. Not a single edge defender recorded a sack, quarterback hit or tackle for loss. Trey Hendrickson is clearly bothered by his finger injury, but it would still be nice to see him start making impact plays more consistently. Mike Green had a nice run stop at the line of scrimmage, but the Ravens need him to get after the quarterback. Without Tavius Robinson, this group has left much to be desired over the last few weeks.
Linebacker: B-
Roquan Smith had a team-leading eight tackles and made a strong stop at the goal line on the Jaguars’ opening drive. In pass coverage, Smith appears out of place over the middle of the field too often. Trenton Simpson had six tackles, and Teddye Buchanan recovered a fumble in the second half along with a good play against the run too.
Cornerback: D+
The hits keep on coming for Marlon Humphrey, who was beaten for a long 52-yard reception within the first few plays of the game. On that play, the Ravens had the Jaguars dead to rights, but Humphrey got lost and allowed a backup tight end to get behind him. He had two pass breakups later in the game. With Nate Wiggins sidelined, Chidobe Awuzie got the start and had one tackle. Awuzie was beaten at least once by Jakobi Meyers and appeared to whiff on a tackle in space. As a whole, the Ravens’ corners continue to be far too inconsistent and prone to coverage lapses.
Safety: C–
Kyle Hamilton exited the game in the second half with a hip injury and did not return. Prior to that, he was one of the team’s lone bright spots, blowing up a run that nearly resulted in a safety and recording a pass breakup that should have been picked off. Malaki Starks was beaten badly by Parker Washington in the slot for a long 50-yard touchdown reception. Starks should not have been in one-on-one coverage against Washington, but it was a reminder of his limitations as a coverage player. He did redeem himself with a forced fumble on Travis Hunter later in the game.
Special Teams: C+
Jake Moody made a good first impression as the Ravens’ new kicker, nailing a 53-yard attempt in the first quarter. Ryan Eckley had five punts with three inside the 20-yard line and a longest of 55 yards. In the punt return game, Wester returned only one try and gained 10 yards. Given their offensive limitations right now, the Ravens badly need some splash special teams plays to win and they aren’t getting them.
