The Baltimore Ravens survived bad weather and a slew of injuries in Sunday’s win over the Tennessee Titans. Here are the players most responsible for the victory:
QB Lamar Jackson
Jackson probably belongs on this list every week, but he was especially potent against the Titans. He completed 15 of his 20 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns in just one half, and he made it look easy. Sunday was Jackson’s third game this season with 0.39 EPA/dropback or better after one such performance last year, per Next Gen Stats.
His touchdown to Zay Flowers in particular was a thing of beauty:
The Titans got within one possession late in the fourth quarter, but the 24-7 lead Jackson established in the first half proved to be insurmountable. His absence next Sunday in Atlanta could have a similar effect on the Ravens’ chances of victory.
OLB Mike Green/DT Nnamdi Madubuike
Trey Hendrickson has been the Ravens’ best pass rusher to start the season by far, and his absence loomed large over Sunday’s game. But Green and Madubuike stepped up to the tune of 11 combined pressures and five run stops, according to both Next Gen Stats and Pro Football Focus. The former caused Trenton Simpson’s interception, while the latter stuffed Tony Pollard for a huge stop on fourth-and-goal.
WR Zay Flowers
Flowers set up both of Derrick Henry’s rushing touchdowns and walked in a score on his own after flashing his hands on the clip above – like Jackson, all in the first half. And yet somehow, Sunday’s 11.8 yards per target and 3.81 yards per route run were his least efficient numbers of the season. Flowers was not as dynamic in the second half when Tyler Huntley was under center, so fine-tuning that connection in practice this week could be crucial against the Falcons next week.
LB Trenton Simpson/S Kyle Hamilton
Turnovers get game balls, especially when they snuff out the opponent’s first drive or result in a six-point swing just before halftime. That is exactly what Simpson and Hamilton did on Sunday. The former caught a tipped pass off Pollard’s hands and the latter stripped Carnell Tate after an explosive play and dove on the ball to set up Tyler Loop’s 64-yard field goal. Simpson and Hamilton were also the Ravens’ leading tacklers and each broke up a pass, making a huge impact from a variety of alignments near the line of scrimmage.
C Vega Ioane
Ioane got a game ball for stepping in at center last week, and he gets another for putting forth a strong performance in his first college or pro start at the position vs. Tennessee. His run-blocking translated smoothly, and he did not allow a pressure or commit a penalty for the first time this season, per PFF. Ioane still has to nail down the finer points of the center position – more consistent snapping, helping Jackson read the defense – but he might be a viable option there for the rest of the season.
