Quarterback: D+
By Lamar Jackson’s high standards, this was a subpar performance and his worst start in quite some time. He completed 14-of-25 passes for 193 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions
— marking his first career game with a 0:2 touchdown to interception ratio. This was also his first game with two or more interceptions since November 12 of 2023, which oddly enough also was against the Browns. Jackson’s first turnover was off a dropped pass and the second was deflected at the line of scrimmage and hung in the air, so neither were the result of errant throws. Furthermore, he was also under duress for much of the contest from Myles Garrett and the Browns’ defensive front. Even so, though, Jackson was uncharacteristically inaccurate on several passes. He also continues to appear somewhat limited mobility-wise as his running ability was almost a complete non-factor; he finished with four carries for 10 yards on the ground.
Running Back: C+
Derrick Henry narrowly exceeded the 100-yard mark (103 yards) on 18 carries, but more than half of his rushing production came on one long 59-yard run in the fourth quarter. To his credit, that run was monumental for the Ravens’ offense, which was in a prolonged rut and badly needed an explosive chunk play. Otherwise, running lanes were hard to come by. He also scored a touchdown on a short one-yard run and added two catches for 19 receiving yards. Keaton Mitchell’s dropped pass directly into an interception in the first quarter was a costly lowlight, as it resulted in a pick-six interception. That play alone brings this grade down a tad bit. Mitchell otherwise was somewhat effective with 31 yards on six carries and another 23 receiving yards. Rasheen Ali added a 15-yard reception where he broke a tackle and picked up a long first down conversion.
Wide Receiver: C
Zay Flowers had 78 receiving yards, in-line with his consistent production this season, but caught only three passes and should have been targeted more than just five times. Jackson badly misfired on one pass attempt to Flowers that would have upped his stats a little. Deandre Hopkins was the only other wide receiver to record a catch, and he reeled in only one of four targets for 11 yards. His lone reception was timely, though, and helped extend a drive in the fourth quarter. Tylan Wallace was targeted once on an end zone shot in the fourth quarter and the refs appeared to miss an obvious defensive pass interference penalty with Denzel Ward in coverage. With no Rashod Bateman (ankle), Devontez Walker was oddly not a part of the offensive game plan at all.
Tight End: C+
The receiving production from the tight ends was modest across the board again. Mark Andrews had three catches for 32 yards as he became the all-time receiving yardage leader in franchise history. Isaiah Likely caught two passes for 15 yards and Charlie Kolar had no catches on one target. Andrews accounted for the play of the game offensively, though, where he ran for a 35-yard touchdown via a direct snap. On that play, which was a 4th-&-1 late in the game, Andrews lined up in the “tush push” formation but instead spun and broke outside for a long score — which put the Ravens up 23 to 16 with only a few minutes remaining in the game.
Offensive Line: D+
The Ravens’ offensive line had another rough day and struggled against Cleveland’s defensive front for the second time this season. Myles Garrett wreaked havoc with four sacks and five quarterback hits by himself, most of which came in the first half. While only one other Browns’ defender had a sack and quarterback hit, they were still generating pressure and blowing up plays regularly.
Defensive Line: B-
It appeared the Ravens were going to be in for a long day against the run early, when the Browns had three 10+ yard runs on their second drive in the first quarter. However, the defensive front tightened up and improved from there on out. They held Quinshon Judkins to 59 rushing yards on 17 carries. The defensive line didn’t produce a ton in terms of pass-rushing production, but Brent Urban did have a big tackle for loss late in the game. They held strong in the trenches and appeared to generate good push through the middle.
Edge Rusher: B-
Kyle Van Noy got back into the sack column with a nice move against right tackle Jack Conklin, on top of also adding two total quarterback hits and a tackle for loss. Dre’Mont Jones had another pair of quarterback hits in his second game with the team. Mike Green was quiet on the stat sheet but played strong around the ball. The Ravens got a lot of pass-rushing production from the secondary with extra blitzers, but this group still set the edge well and helped get pressure on the quarterback.
Linebacker: B+
Roquan Smith’s pass breakup on fourth down with 1:02 remaining in the fourth quarter sealed the deal on the Ravens’ victory. Fellow starter Teddye Buchanan also had a pass breakup and quarterback hit as well. Trenton Simpson, meanwhile, tied for the team-lead with two quarterback hits himself, one of which resulted in an intentional grounding penalty on third down. The linebackers helped limit big plays against the run after the Browns’ second drive and keep their tight ends in check as pass-catchers.
Cornerback: A
With no Marlon Humphrey (finger) in the lineup, Chidobe Awuzie stepped into a near every-down role and had an impactful game. Awuzie recorded three pass breakups including prying the ball away from a wide receiver in single coverage late in the game, on a fourth down throw to the end zone. Nate Wiggins also had a pass breakup and four solo tackles, along with a crucial interception in the second half that he returned for 14 yards. Wiggins was in the right place when Shedeur Sanders made a misfired throw. Keyon Martin also saw expanded snaps in Humphrey’s absence as a nickel corner and had a big game. Martin produced a pass breakup, sack, tackle for loss, and quarterback hit. No Browns’ wide receiver had more than three catches and Jerry Jeudy was held to only 21 receiving yards.
Safety: A-
Kyle Hamilton was a force to be reckon with in this game, disrupting plays as a blitzer and downhill tackler at the line of scrimmage. He finished with a team-high nine tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one quarterback hit, and two pass breakups. Immediately after Sanders came into the game, Hamilton sacked him and could have had an interception, too, but narrowly dropped a ball in his hands. Malaki Starks’ interception streak came to an end, but he had a quarterback hit himself and made a pair of tackles in space. Alohi Gilman had six tackles which ranked second behind Hamilton. The latter’s performance alone is enough to bump up the grade for this group, although they all played solid together as a unit once again.
Special Teams: D+
The Ravens’ special teams was a disaster in the first half and giftwrapped the Browns points. The two costly plays were LaJohntay Wester’s muffed punt just outside of the end zone and Jake Hummel’s offsides on fourth down, which turned a Browns’ punt into a new set of downs. Both of those mistakes led to Cleveland field goals. Jordan Stout had a short 26-yard punt later in the third quarter, too. On the bright side, Tyler Loop all three of his field goals and both extra point attempts, accounting for 11 points. The miscues early in the game drag this grade down.
