The rookies finally got their second win in the NFL, and it was a big one. After a potential momentum-turner coming out of the bye, they are right back into it — experiencing their first true short week
with Miami just ahead on Thursday. First, let’s look into how this past Sunday went.
Malaki Starks
I was hoping a bye week of self-scouting would help improve Starks’ impact on the team. PFF did not think so, as he received a 50.7 overall grade and a 52.7 coverage grade. If you’ve read the other rookie reports, I generally don’t argue with the PFF grade but try to offer context and hope for the future. This week, I’m very comfortable saying I don’t agree with the grade. Once again, Starks was tasked with a lot of deep coverages, trusted to keep a lid on things and not let passes get over his head. There was a lot of cover two calls with Alohi Gilman, with Starks also playing some deep centerfield cover one assignments and the occasional man coverage snap. From what I saw, he had one or two plays in zone coverage that made me cringe and think he was lost, another two or three that were somewhere in the middle, and the rest were somewhere from adequate coverage to perfect plays. He lost a couple reps in man coverage but has some of his best man coverage reps to-date as well. It was also the first week this season he didn’t play 100% of snaps, playing 58 of the 63.
I’m here to tell you to take a deep breath on the first-round pick and don’t give up yet. Athletically, he looks fantastic. His feet and hips are smooth, and his backpedal is near flawless and quick. More often than not, he looks to be in the right place and makes more than one touchdown-saving tackle a game, covering somebody else’s mistakes. If what every draft analyst and coach, Raven-affiliated and not affiliated, said is true, and he really is this highly advanced IQ player, then the game will slow down for him and he’ll make plays. Right now, in my eyes, he’s doing the job he needs to do to support this defense that’s figuring it out on the fly this season.
Mike Green
We have finally arrived. Mike Green had his first sack on Sunday and it was a beauty. Green earned a clean win on a cross chop move with a skip, had a clean path to the quarterback and finally was able to convert — on a critical third down to force a punt, too. I wouldn’t call it a breakout game for the young rookie, but it feels like a game that helps build towards that moment. We saw Green work a lot of stuff: the cross chop, some power game bull rushes, and ghost moves. He worked stunts, crossing tackles faces with explosiveness to crash in on guards, allowing Travis Jones to loop around. He continues to work well in the run game, also.
There’s a lot of pressure on Green now, who’s working as a starter unexpectedly. He played 83% of snaps yesterday, the most of any front-seven player outside of Roquan Smith. The Ravens are going to need to find a relief player for him soon before he burns himself out and hits the patented rookie wall, but in the meantime, it’s good to see the growth from the rookie.
Emory Jones Jr
Jones was activated to the 53-man roster for the first time in his career. While he was a scratch this week, it may not be long before we finally see the third-round rookie get his first activation and perhaps his first career snaps and start.
Teddye Buchanan
With Smith’s return to the lineup, Buchanan dropped from 100% of snaps played to 70%. It also looked to be one of his better games played. He applied pressure in the pass rush and was generally sound in coverage as well. The run game continues to be a slightly weaker point, as it has all season. With Smith back, though, the hope is that Buchanan will continue to develop and improve next to him now that he can go back to a more manageable role. More than anything, it’s impressive and admirable how well Buchanan has held off other linebackers, such as Trenton Simpson and Jay Higgins, from taking snaps.
Tyler Loop
While players like Tyler Huntley and Nate Wiggins had the flash today, there’s an argument to be made that Loop was the MVP for this game. Loop had another perfect day as the place kicker, his fifth this year, going 3/3 on extra points and going a massive 3/3 on his field goals — the only scoring the Ravens had for a quarter and a half after the first touchdown. Loop hit from a long of 42 and from halfway through the second quarter all through the third, took the score from 7-6 to 16-6 on the three attempts. He also once again wasn’t penalized during kickoffs, an issue that’s seemingly gone after the first three weeks. Loop hit a squib kickoff that allowed the special teams unit to pin the Bears back near the 20-yard line as well.
LaJohntay Wester
It was a very quiet day for Wester, who took no snaps on offense and fielded no punts as well.
Aeneas Peebles
Peebles was once again a healthy scratch for the second game in a row. It seems the Ravens are focused more on a healthy rotation of run defenders, something they don’t trust Peebles to do, to force third-and-longs. A good chunk of the specially made pressure plans seemed to only include one Jones. Hopefully, as the Ravens continue to alter and fix their defense, they find a role once more for Peebles. Peebles could be used as a looper on stunts, something Nnamdi Madubuike used to excel at with his athleticism and quickness.
UDFAs:
Keyon Martin played zero snaps on defense this week, and his role on defense seems dried up at this point. Marlon Humphrey left with an injury at one point and Martin didn’t take any snaps as his relief when he was down. Jay Higgins IV also continues to not see the field defensively, but he forced a fumble during a kickoff. Plays on special teams is how UDFAs typically get on the field and that’s how Zach Orr eventually earned his shot before becoming an All-Pro. Higgins could still see a role eventually, potentially as an early down platoon for Buchanan in the run game.
