The Baltimore Ravens had their three-game win streak snapped by the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The Ravens were shut out after the first quarter in a low-scoring affair and lost 13-10. Here are report card grades for the team’s offense and defense in the Week 6 defeat.
Quarterback: C-
After leading the Ravens to a comeback victory in Week 6 with two touchdown drives, Tyler Huntley regressed against the Browns. He attempted 31 passes and only threw for 165 yards, as the Browns clamped down on short-yardage
throws. Huntley had multiple pass attempts that were nearly intercepted. He finished with one touchdown pass, which was a fourth-down throw in the red zone.
Running Back: D+
Derrick Henry found tough sledding on the ground, running 17 times for a season-low 58 yards (3.4 yards per carry). 17 of his yards came on one single carry. Henry did not score and had a costly lost fumble late in the fourth quarter, which the Browns recovered and quickly scored the game-tying touchdown a few minutes later. Justice Hill was not given any rushing attempts and only gained nine yards on three receptions out of the backfield.
Wide Receiver: C+
Like last week, the Ravens didn’t do much damage in the downfield passing game. Zay Flowers led the team with 66 receiving yards but caught only six of his 11 targets. He did have a long 31-yard snag. Rookie Ja’Kobi Lane returned from injury and immediately made an impact. Lane caught four passes for 40 yards, showing some solid middle-of-the-field presence. Rashod Bateman exited the game early with a shoulder injury, and Devontez Walker did not catch any passes on two targets.
Tight End: C+
The Ravens were undermanned again at tight end with Matthew Hibner sidelined due to a hand injury. Fellow rookie Josh Cuevas stepped up and delivered his best performance of the season, catching four passes for 44 yards and a touchdown. Cuevas’ 29-yard reception was his longest of the year as well. Mark Andrews had just one catch and four yards on three targets, dropping another pass for the second straight week.
Offensive Line: D+
The Ravens did not regularly win at the line of scrimmage against the Browns’ defensive front. In the run game, the offensive line didn’t get consistent push and create rushing lanes for Henry. In pass protection, they surrendered nine quarterback hits and three sacks. The interior play from each of the offensive guard spots continues to leave much to be desired.
Defensive Line: B+
On the flip side of the line of trenches, the Ravens’ defensive front was effective in this matchup. Nnamdi Madubuike had a great pass-rushing performance and finished with two quarterback hits along with a half-sack. Veteran Calais Campbell also had two quarterback hits, one sack and a tackle for loss. The Ravens didn’t allow a run longer than nine yards and held the Browns as a whole to 93 rushing yards (3.2 yards per carry).
Edge Rusher: B+
The Ravens received good showings from their edge rusher group. Trey Hendrickson returned and was immediately effective, totaling eight charted pressures with a sack, quarterback hit and tackle for loss. Tavius Robinson also got after the quarterback with a half-sack and quarterback hit of his own. Mike Green had two tackles, and Zion Young likewise had a hit on Watson.
Linebacker: B-
Trenton Simpson tied for the team-lead in tackles with eight. He continues to make plays. Roquan Smith was active as a pass-rusher with one sack and two quarterback hits, which was tied for the most of any defender. The linebackers were party to some run stops at the line of scrimmage.
Cornerback: B
The Ravens didn’t allow a ton of damage from Cleveland’s wide receivers for most of the game. They particularly did a good job against rookie phenom Denzel Boston, who had just one catch on five targets. Keyon Martin replaced Chandler Rivers as the primary nickel corner and had a sack, tackle for loss, pass breakup and quarterback hit. Martin was flagged for a crucial defensive pass interference in the fourth quarter, but it was good coverage and a very questionable call. Marlon Humphrey had two passes defended and Nate Wiggins had one as well.
Safety: B-
Kyle Hamilton had another starring performance with three tackles for loss and seven tackles total. Hamilton was all over the field and regularly around the ball. Malaki Starks had five tackles with a pass defended. No. 3 safety Jaylinn Hawkins had a team-high eight tackles. On a long third-down completion to Jerry Jeudy late in the fourth quarter, which moved the Browns in position to kick a game-winning field goal, Hawkins appeared to be out of position in zone coverage.
Special Teams: C
Tyler Loop is evidently not out of the woods yet, as he continues to be inconsistent. Loop missed a 49-yard field goal attempt early in the fourth quarter that would have given the Ravens a 13-3 lead. In a game where the Ravens ended up losing by three points, a missed field goal is all the more harmful. Ryan Eckley was busy with seven punts and had a long boom of 62 yards. Three of his punts landed inside the 20 yard line.
