The Baltimore Ravens improved to 3-1 with a six-point win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 4. After leading by 17 points at halftime, the Ravens were outscored 11-0 in the second half without their starting quarterback but hung on to emerge victorious for a second straight week.
Here are report card grades for each position group from yesterday’s game.
Quarterback: A-
Lamar Jackson was in the midst of another heater in the first half of this game, completing 15-of-20 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
His completions and attempts were the exact same as last week, which he matched in just two quarters, and his passer rating was 144.2. In relief of Jackson after his ankle injury, Tyler Huntley completed eight passes for 63 yards. Huntley had one long first down pass to Rashod Bateman but otherwise his throws were screen-heavy and mostly around the line of scrimmage. Jackson’s performance before leaving the game was good enough to carry the grade for this group.
Running Back: C+
The Ravens found running room hard to come by against the Titans’ defensive front. Derrick Henry was featured heavily against his former team with 23 carries but mustered only 73 rushing yards (3.2 yards per carry). His longest run went for 14 yards, and it was Henry’s second straight game averaging 3.4 yards per carry or less. The Ravens were able to convert some short yardage rushes with better efficiency in this game than last week. Justice Hill had two catches for 22 yards out of the backfield as a dump-off screen option.
Wide Receiver: B+
Zay Flowers had another dynamic performance with 118 receiving yards and a touchdown, reeling in a season-high eight catches. Flowers had a long reception of 52 yards on a sideline grab from Jackson. His performance carries the grade for this group, as has been the case so far this year. Rashod Bateman caught two passes for 46 yards but no other wideout made a significant impact. Devontez Walker and Elijah Sarratt each had one first-down catch but also a miscue. Walker dropped a would-be long catch that was nearly intercepted as a result, and Sarratt committed a costly holding penalty that negated a Jackson scramble for a first down just before halftime.
Tight End: B-
Mark Andrews had the second most catches of any Raven pass-catcher with five. While he gained only 27 yards, he made some nice short grabs over the middle of the field and also had a touchdown grab. Andrews appears to be in better athletic form than he was last year. Matthew Hibner recorded a season-high 34 receiving yards on two catches with a long gain of 25 yards. Veteran Durham Smythe exited the game early with an achilles injury that appeared to be serious and did not return.
Offensive Line: C+
The Ravens’ mixed-and-matched offensive line had their best pass protection performance of the season. While the Titans did record a couple sacks and five quarterback hits, the impact of star defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons was limited. Vega Ioane held up well in his first start at center and the guard tandem played admirably as well given the circumstances. They were not able to replicate a successful run blocking showing to match an improved pass blocking game. The Ravens were stuffed for minimal gain on rushing attempts repeatedly and weren’t able to open up significant holes for Henry. False starts and other penalties continue to be an issue from the offensive line as well.
Defensive Line: B
Nnamdi Madubuike had four tackles, two quarterback hits and a handful of pressures in his second game back, making strong plays at the line of scrimmage. Madubuike had one of the defensive plays of the game with a fourth-down run stuff at the team’s own goal line. Travis Jones surprisingly was blanked in the box score and Calais Campbell had just one tackle. The Ravens were stout against the run after the first couple drives of the game. They allowed just 85 rushing yards and 3.3 yards per carry.
Edge Rusher: B
He may not have finished plays with sacks, but Mike Green had an impactful performance. Green led the team with three quarterback hits and was charted for the most pressures as well. He flushed Cam Ward out of the pocket on multiple occasions and came up just short of bringing him down. Tavius Robinson and Zion Young had quiet showings, but undrafted rookie Ethan Burke picked up the slack. Burke recorded a sack, quarterback hit and tackle for loss.
Linebacker: B+
A breakout season for Trenton Simpson continued in this game, as he recorded a team-high nine tackles and his first career interception. Simpson picked off an errant shovel pass on the opening drive of the game and returned it 24 yards. Roquan Smith had six total tackles but only one of which was solo. The Ravens’ linebackers were strong against the run, stuffing most attempts by Tony Pollard for minimal gain.
Cornerback: C+
Marlon Humphrey exited the game early, on the second drive in the first quarter, with a calf injury and did not return. That left Chidobe Awuzie to slide into his starting role. Awuzie and nickel corner Chandler Rivers each had a pass breakup. The Ravens had some challenges defending rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate, who had a a career-best performance with nine catches for 145 yards. No other Titans’ wideout made a significant impact but Wan’Dale Robinson caught a late touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Safety: B-
Kyle Hamilton had another impactful all-around game with six solo tackles, one tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Hamilton forced a fumble against Tate to prevent a long reception and give the Ravens the chance to add three more points before halftime. Malaki Starks and Jaylinn Hawkins were more sturdy with open-field tackling, although Starks did have one notable whiff late in the fourth quarter. The Titans were not successful generating explosive plays for most of the game.
Special Teams: C+
Tyler Loop’s confidence carried over from Brazil last week, nailing a career-best 64-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter. It was the longest field goal ever made at M&T Bank Stadium. Unfortunately, Loop later badly missed a 40-yard attempt in the fourth quarter that would have given the Ravens’ a 27-10 lead. Ryan Eckley had a busy day with six punts, four of which landed inside the 20 yard line with a longest punt of 56 yards.
