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True perhaps, but this will be a good draft for linemen, tackles, both offensive and defensive

Eagles give Baltimore 6th round pick for Alexander, and a 7th round pick, I wonder if Lamar okay'ld this deal, per Espn

He retired, cant plan for that and they brought in some big bodies that needed time to learn. Had Madds not got hurt, they had time to learn. Okay, Madds gets hurt after the draft, not much you can do then unless you want to way over pay for a trade. I do agree to a point, with you. He counted on the offensive line that was fine last year, to be as good if not better this year based, rightfully so, on experience from last year and another year in the NFL weight rooms getting stronger. Guess what? Something went wrong, they all, all, got worse. You get to claim Stanley, he was slower this year and got hurt. I'll give you him. But who could think ALL would suck? That is coaching, plain and simple. Harbs for not seeing it, the ol coach who is teaching them. Not much Eric can do about that, Harbs has all power over coaching and I doubt they want to change the old coach in the middle of the season.

The Ravens’ Jaire Alexander experiment is officially over. Baltimore traded the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick, the Ravens announced Saturday. The move comes just before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline and ends the 28-year-old Alexander’s brief tenure in Baltimore after he appeared in just two games and dressed for a third, playing 61 total defensive snaps. It also clears about $2 million in salary cap space for the Ravens and gives them at least eight picks for April’s draft — not including as many as three additional compensatory selections. The Eagles had been interested in Alexander for a few weeks, but Baltimore declined multiple times before finally reaching an agreement, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. It might not be the last move the Ravens make before Tuesday’s deadline. They have a need for a disruptive defensive tackle or edge rusher after losing Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) for the season and trading Odafe Oweh, and now have even more wherewithal to do so. Alexander, who spent his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, signed a one-year, $4 million deal worth up to $6 million with Baltimore in June after quarterback Lamar Jackson publicly campaigned for general manager Eric DeCosta to “go get” the free agent. Jackson and Alexander were teammates at Louisville and entered the NFL together in 2018. But Alexander dealt with a knee injury during training camp that sidelined him early in the season and struggled to earn playing time in Baltimore, which got off to a 1-5 start before winning two straight games to get back in contention in the AFC North. The deal is hardly surprising after Alexander was a healthy scratch the past two games and was active for Baltimore’s Week 6 game against the Los Angeles Rams but did not play a snap. Once cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie returned from injuries, Alexander fell further down the depth chart. The Ravens’ trade for safety Alohi Gilman and their use of three safeties between Kyle Hamilton, first-round pick Malaki Starks and Gilman, along with Alexander not playing special teams compared with other reserve corners, also meant that the veteran defensive back was less likely to see the field. Amid an upbeat visitors locker room after Thursday night’s 28-6 win over the Miami Dolphins, the usually-energetic Alexander sat quietly at his stall at Hard Rock Stadium. Related Articles Watch ‘Overtime’ of Ep. 10 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Watch Episode 10 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Ravens fined $100K by NFL for handling of Lamar Jackson’s practice report Ravens are alive again. The trade deadline demands action. | COMMENTARY 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 28-6 win over the Dolphins After visiting with several players around the room, coach John Harbaugh approached and embraced Alexander, offering words of encouragement and excitement. Alexander smiled, exchanged words, hugged the veteran coach and moments later, walked out to the team bus. He now joins a cornerback-needy Eagles team that leads the NFC East at 6-2 and is a strong contender to repeat as Super Bowl champions. Baltimore Sun reporter Brian Wacker and columnist Josh Tolentino contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

We won’t be drafting in the top 12 soon. Prob between 18 and 22.

So a dolt need to hold things together? Get jj back in there to tune his front running ass up.

He was gambling with the ol. Dumb move. One of his bulls on the dl retired and he did nothing. The d was ok bc the offense took leads and teams had to chase. Get a passrusher and stop dicking around.

Lack of depth and poor coaching explain most of why this season is different than last. We really miss our deceased O-lne coach and Orr can't handle the D alone, at least not yet. Right now the onus is on Harbaugh to keep up a high level of morale on the team as they swim through the next several weak opponents. And if Orr still isn't cutting it, let him go and give the job to Pags.

Caleb Lomu, offensive tackle Utah 6'6" 308, a true tactician, left tackle, redshirt sophomore. If he comes out, expected to go in the top 12. Could be our answer for Stanley's spot.

I don't know about wasted. We've had this discussion, what freaking happened? No one has answers. Top offense last year with the same players save 1, ONE, a swing guard near the end of his career and always nicked up. 40 pts against Buffalo in a loss, at Buffalo too boot, then they fell apart. The line could no longer block etc, no progession on skill, strength etc from the young linemen, 3 of them. I understand the defense, no edge rusher, the injury and then retirement of two key inside tackles, there was no way of knowing, seeing, preparing for either of those. No pressure on the pocket I don't care how good you are in the 2ndary, qbs will find open men. I will agree, Eric has missed on his picks, on free agent signings, hello Alexander still has yet to play, still a healthy scratch. Middle backer, weakside, cant seem to find one, talent is there, they just are not playing at a high level. 2 high picks on an edge rusher, both everyone not in the ear room knew were bad picks. Yeah, Eric boggled the drafts, if we had a better offensive line we would be the Bengals with a healthy Burrow, outscoring people to win, but slightly better on defense in the 2ndary, Wiggins, Starks just need experience which they are getting now, Hamilton is a stud. It's a start that can be quickly rebuilt around them, IF, they can get good edge play. Big fatty's are easy to find when you know that you need them.

Then the juice ain’t worth the squeeze. This team has to many holes. Eric wasted the yr.

My biggest issue with the defense is 1) poor angles 2) terrible tackling It hasn't just been this past game where they take bad angles to ball carrier, resulting in more yards. They constantly let the ball carrier "out the back door" as it were. Tackling, how many missed or broken tackles does this team give up each game? If there was a way to track it for the public, I would bet Baltimore is near tops. Both parts were never a part of the Baltimore defenses of old. These issues started last year and have gotten worse. That is coaching just as is the offensive line issues, poor foot work, reaching for blocks, not getting their feet under them. All lead to linemen being run over, ha ing no power. As a team, this team appears weak, again not just this game, but every game; coaching. Something happened and needs to change ASAP, since last year. We know what happened to the offensive line, a coach died a new one took over. Frankly, he stinks, evidence is the terrible line play.

Oh I get ya, but lm not sure there are any out there on teams willing to trade with Baltimore

Watch the “Overtime” segment of the 10th episode of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law. The longtime sports columnist answers reader questions from Baltimore Sun subscribers after the Ravens moved to 3-5 with a blowout win over the Dolphins. Missed the 10th episode of the pod? Watch here. Have a question for Preston about the Ravens? Message us at sports@baltsun.com. You can watch the BMore Football Podcast weekly, posting every Tuesday during the NFL season on YouTube and The Baltimore Sun, and listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and iHeart. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Saying they sucked with Lamar only applies at the very beginning of the game; he did, after all, complete 18 of 24 for 204 yds and 4 touchdowns and no INT's. What you say about the offensive line is more accurate. It needs a lot of work and Ricard didn't look ready, I agree. The defensive line is the big problem. They need a lot of help all across it. Another problem is that they'll have 20-some free agents after this year.

Episode 10 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law is here. Preston and Coleman discuss the Ravens’ comfortable 28-6 win over the Dolphins, which included a four-touchdown performance from quarterback Lamar Jackson in his first game back from injury. You can watch it weekly, posting every Tuesday during the NFL season on YouTube and The Baltimore Sun, and listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and iHeart. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

They sucked with Lamar. The ol is no better. Ricard is not right yet. I’m more talking someone like Hendrickson. He is a fa after the season. Im not giving up a big haul for a guy we might not be able to keep.

I dunno...the Ravens looked like they had recovered their confidence in the second half and looked a lot better. Lamar was out for 30 some days and really only had a couple of practices so he was rusty at the start but got much better as the night progressed. Henry benefits when the pass game is clicking and he showed he still has 'it'. The D survived another game by making adjustments in the 2nd half but Orr still can look lost at times and that's reflected in the defense's play. All in all, it was a nice win after a really low period. Hopefully, something to build on.

The Ravens have been fined $100,000 by the NFL for violating the league’s injury report policy with quarterback Lamar Jackson, the league announced Friday. Baltimore, however, will not face the loss of draft picks with the violation determined to be the result of negligence and not an attempt to gain a competitive advantage, according to a league source with direct knowledge of the matter. If the investigation had determined it was intentional or competitive the discipline would have been more significant, including a potential loss of draft picks. In a statement, the team said that it will not appeal the ruling. “It is critical that the Baltimore Ravens always operate with integrity and in full accordance with NFL guidelines,” the statement reads. “We clearly made an error regarding player injury reporting and cooperated transparently with the league’s investigation. “We accept the decision by the NFL that we violated the policy and have taken steps to ensure that we will be compliant moving forward.” The news comes a week after the Ravens changed Jackson’s practice participation status from “limited” to “full” after he took scout team reps two days ahead of last Sunday’s game against the Bears and continued to work his way back from a hamstring injury that had sidelined him since Week 4. A day later, Baltimore retroactively changed his status back to limited and then ruled him out. The Ravens went on to beat Chicago, 30-16, with Tyler Huntley starting at quarterback. After the game, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said that the practice report snafu was an “honest mistake” and that “nobody was trying to hide anything.” Jackson returned Thursday night for the first time since injuring his hamstring in a Sept. 28 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, throwing four touchdown passes in a 28-6 win over the host Miami Dolphins. He said that his hamstring “felt great” and that he didn’t have any problems despite running for just 14 yards on five carries. “It’s been a hard road and not just the [last] 30 days, but even before that,” Harbaugh said of Jackson’s return after Thursday’s game at Hard Rock Stadium. “I’m proud of him. I’m proud of the way he came out and played.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Related Articles Ravens are alive again. The trade deadline demands action. | COMMENTARY 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 28-6 win over the Dolphins Ravens Week 8 high school football Coaches of the Week With Lamar Jackson back, Ravens tight ends finally play starring role The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Grades for 28-6 win over Dolphins View the full article

Yeppers, someone not on the back end of their career

It has to be a contract that has yrs on it.

Meh, either way they need an edge rusher for next year at the least. Green looks lost out there, not much power. He got a nice excuse me half sack.

I don’t think we should buy.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — As Eric DeCosta stepped through the double doors leading to the visitors’ locker room at Hard Rock Stadium late Thursday evening, rap lyrics bounced off the walls and a rare wide smile stretched across his face. The Ravens’ general manager flashed a grin toward his wife, Lacie, as the two embraced, clasped hands and slipped out into the South Florida night, the echoes of Baltimore’s 28-6 dismantling of the Dolphins still pulsing behind them. It was a satisfying walk for the team’s top football executive who hasn’t had many easy strides this year. The performance he witnessed proved that despite a forgettable start to the season, the Ravens can still fight and compete — and they’re close enough that DeCosta can’t afford to stand still with the NFL trade deadline looming Tuesday afternoon. Just look at the product on display in Thursday’s blowout victory. Baltimore’s defense is awakening, Lamar Jackson is back, and the Ravens’ season suddenly has life. DeCosta must treat this surge as an invitation for more smart additions with the belief that this Jackson-led roster can still contend deep into January. DeCosta has whiffed on more than a few personnel swings. Two of his bigger offseason additions — backup quarterback Cooper Rush and cornerback Jaire Alexander — were healthy scratches Thursday, a combined $12 million of salary watching in street clothes. But the same executive who misfired on those signings also struck gold earlier this month. Aside from Jackson’s return, no move has transformed Baltimore’s season more than the Oct. 7 trade that sent edge rusher Odafe Oweh to the Chargers in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman. In just three short weeks, Gilman’s presence has helped reshape the identity of Baltimore’s defense. Gilman’s first-half forced fumble and recovery led to the Ravens’ first touchdown drive and boosted a visitors sideline that has often struggled to sustain energy. Gilman’s takeaway marked one of a season-high three takeaways for the Ravens, who shut out the Dolphins in the second half. Gilman’s true impact, though, lies within his presence across the secondary, which has freed Mr. Do-It-All safety Kyle Hamilton to once again become one of the league’s most dangerous defensive chess pieces. Through the season’s first four games, Hamilton aligned in the box on just 17.4% of defensive snaps, according to Next Gen Stats. Since Gilman’s arrival, Hamilton’s frequency in the box has soared to around 60%. Against the Dolphins, Hamilton was a wrecking ball often lining up near the trenches, disrupting throwing lanes, blowing up screens and clogging holes in the run game. “Kyle Hamilton is able to move around and be who he is,” rookie safety Malaki Starks said. “He doesn’t have to stay in [the secondary], which I think is special and very important. For him to go out there and play his game, and when we plan around him, it’s awesome.” Flexibility with Hamilton has changed just about everything for Zach Orr’s defense, which successfully kept Miami out of the end zone in the Week 9 prime-time contest. Related Articles 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 28-6 win over the Dolphins Ravens Week 8 high school football Coaches of the Week With Lamar Jackson back, Ravens tight ends finally play starring role The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Grades for 28-6 win over Dolphins Ravens’ Lamar Jackson returns to light up Dolphins again in 28-6 victory “I’m just slowly building the chemistry with the guys here,” Gilman said. “They’ve welcomed me with open arms, I’m grateful to be part of it. This is just the beginning. We have a lot of work to do.” Are you listening, DeCosta? Baltimore’s defense finally looks alive, but it’s still incomplete. The run defense and pass rush, in particular, both lack consistency. The Ravens’ two sacks of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa were more byproduct of his hesitation and indecision than Baltimore’s push. As veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy told the Prime Video broadcast, the pass rush hasn’t been the same since defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike went down with a season-ending neck injury in mid-September. Beefing up the trenches should be DeCosta’s top priority over the next five days. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson breaks free from Dolphins outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips. The Miami pass rusher could help the Ravens' defense this season. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Someone in the mold of the Jets’ Quinnen Williams could help make up for Madubuike’s absence. Two other intriguing options were visible on the opposite sideline Thursday night in Miami’s Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, both of whom recorded impressive pancakes against Baltimore’s offensive line and fullback Patrick Ricard. For DeCosta to acquire such pieces, he must be willing to shed some of Baltimore’s precious draft capital. When glancing at the defensive line’s current makeup, relying on 36-year-old John Jenkins (4,291 career snaps) and 34-year-old Brent Urban (2,565) to anchor the line feels like patch work, and it could be a risky formula once meaningful football arrives in December and January. Bring on the reinforcements. The Gilman trade should remind DeCosta and company what a timely, targeted move is capable of creating. Gilman’s arrival reshaped Hamilton’s role and more importantly has drastically changed how opponents both gameplan and attack Orr’s evolving defensive scheme. Just six days ago, the Ravens were 1-5. But for the first time all season, the Ravens boast momentum. Looking ahead, Baltimore faces one of the league’s easiest remaining schedules with five of its last eight games coming against division opponents. Back inside the jubilant visitors locker room, players and coaches embraced one another in celebratory fashion as NBA YoungBoy lyrics blared from a loud speaker. DeCosta lingered just long enough to soak in the sound before heading toward the corridor where his wife waited. He broke his typical serious face and smiled like one who believed the tide was finally turning. “I hate that idea of just a closed window,” DeCosta said in late August. “Being a GM on a closed window team gives me anxiety, and I don’t want to be that GM.” Baltimore’s window appears to be opening again. Given the extremely positive results from his most recent acquisition, it’d be wise for DeCosta to serve up another act. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article

Four passing touchdowns and three forced turnovers is a darn good recipe for winning a road game on a short week. The Ravens beat the Dolphins, 28-6, on Thursday night to improve to 3-5. Here are five things we learned: The energy is shifting A week ago, the Ravens were 1-5. Uncertainty clouded the health of their quarterback. Players were tense in their proclamations that the locker room’s confidence had not budged. That’s because their play hadn’t yet shown it. The team hired a motivational speaker, willing to try anything to move the needle with a fresh voice. Some pundits wrote the Ravens off. Others, at the very least, remained skeptical. But football “is a crazy game. It’s a crazy business to be a part of,” safety Alohi Gilman said. Things can turn quickly. The Ravens are now 3-5, a game out of first place in the AFC North. They’ve allowed one touchdown in two wins. Baltimore is as healthy as it has been all year. Even if the Bears aren’t among the NFL’s elite and the Dolphins are likely firing their head coach any minute, the Ravens are playing a more characteristic brand of football than the one that dug them into this hole. “Vibes are high with the team,” running back Derrick Henry said inside the visiting locker room at Hard Rock Stadium. “In all three phases, guys just focused and locked in. I think it showed today in another win for us.” Lamar Jackson put it bluntly, “it’s do or die.” For these Ravens, who have proven all they need to in the regular season and are solely judged on postseason results, that’s not messaging they’re used to. “We never behind,” Jackson said. “But right now, we’re behind, and we all have to step up.” “All” is the operative word. Baltimore’s win Thursday night got all three tight ends involved, which opened up the run game. Two rookies and the new guy had hands on forcing turnovers. The offense managed to score in the red zone, a point of contention this season, and the defense walled up where it mattered most. They even converted on a pair of tush pushes. Take the two-win opponent with a grain of salt. But the energy is shifting. The Ravens entered the season on their high horse about two years of AFC North titles and almost-big-wins in the playoffs. Five losses humbled them. While far from perfect, they seem better equipped to climb the mountain. Baltimore knows where it stands. “It just means we’re two games under .500. That’s all it means,” coach John Harbaugh said. “But we’re two games under .500. We were four games under .500, so that’s where we’re at.” Lamar Jackson hadn’t played in a month and it showed … at least to start Jackson may have fibbed. Asked whether he may require a few plays to find a rhythm in his first game back after four weeks on the shelf, the two-time Most Valuable Player was quick to say no, “That’s what practice is for.” Two walk-through practices and one normal day of reps on a short week didn’t seem to do the trick. Related Articles Ravens are alive again. The trade deadline demands action. | COMMENTARY Ravens Week 8 high school football Coaches of the Week With Lamar Jackson back, Ravens tight ends finally play starring role The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Grades for 28-6 win over Dolphins Ravens’ Lamar Jackson returns to light up Dolphins again in 28-6 victory Jackson’s “we’ll just fly” prediction didn’t manifest until after halftime. Then they strapped into a fighter jet and hit 600 knots. Jackson threw for over 200 yards with four touchdowns and a 143.2 passer rating without a turnover. Versus Miami’s blitz, he completed 9 of 11 for 90 yards with three touchdowns. That’s vintage Jackson. The Ravens had only three first downs in the first quarter. None in the second. Before the break, they went three-and-out on four of six drives. Jackson ran the ball once and went nowhere. They needed all four tries at the goal line to punch in a touchdown. Former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said on the Amazon Prime broadcast’s halftime show he thought Jackson looked uncomfortable, as if he was testing out the newly healthy hamstring. He came back in the postgame show to call him “dominant.” Jackson admitted to feeling some rust in the early going. A low throw incomplete to Rashod Bateman on third down had him ticked off the rest of the night. But he settled in on Mischief Night, at one point completing nine consecutive passes, looking less like Jack Skellington in the pocket and more like Freddy Krueger. There was a third-down scramble to start the second half, the “key play of the whole game,” as Harbaugh said, where the superstar quarterback found his groove. His teammates certainly noticed. “We’re definitely a better team when he is out there,” wide receiver Rashod Bateman said. “So it’s good to have him in the back out there.” Added Gilman: “Obviously, he has talent on the field, but the mentality, the confidence he brings around and he elevates everybody.” And tight end Charlie Kolar: “I think God messed up and put too much goodness in one person.” Ravens don’t need to be perfect to get through this modest midseason schedule Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel’s face flushed bright red. Smoke came fuming from his ears. Any lip readers on hand? Surely a few expletives were involved after such a sloppy sequence. Tahj Washington had his first career catch ripped from his grasp by Gilman. Gilman jumped on the loose ball and the Ravens scored four plays later. The Dolphins got the ball back, took 10 plays to get within 12 yards of the end zone, then, on fourth-and-short, Larry Borom’s false start pushed them out of go-for-it territory. And Riley Patterson pushed the 35-yard field goal attempt. McDaniel was rightfully furious. Sloppy football will do that (home fans booing is never a good sign). Expect more of that mediocrity on Baltimore’s schedule, which from this week through January is the sixth easiest in the NFL. The Ravens weren't perfect in their 28-6 win over the Dolphins, but they were more than good enough to beat a struggling opponent. Thursday's level of play should suffice over the next three games, too. (Lynne Sladky/AP) They can afford to play imperfect football in the short term, with shoddy offensive and defensive line play. They don’t need to be one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, as they were in 2024. And they don’t need to be among the toughest defenses, which they were in the final third of last season. Baltimore just needs to be good enough against overmatched teams, like the Vikings (3-4), Browns (2-6) and Jets (1-7), in order to get above .500. That’s three games versus divisional bottom feeders. There’s enough runway to clean up the little stuff to be playing their best football in January, which could put this season back on schedule. “This is just two [straight wins],” linebacker Roquan Smith said, “and we’re on our way to many more.” Thursday night’s win might not have been so comfortable if not for plays like this: Miami had a fourth-and-2 from inside the red zone. De’Von Achane was matched up one-on-one with Kyle Hamilton, who has a seven-inch height advantage. Achane tried a fade route to the right corner. Tagovailoa sailed the pass. Right on cue, McDaniel’s head slumped. Not all coaches are so emotive but Baltimore’s crawl back to relevance seems it could be aided by teams selling off their roster, out of playoff contention. Defense is capable of doing the thing they spent all summer preaching During training camp, defensive coordinator Zach Orr delivered a daily sermon about takeaways. His players were disciples, preaching the gospel of interceptions and forced fumbles. One player called it “the theme” of this season – which is laughable in retrospect. Another said if they didn’t force a turnover in practice, “it wasn’t a good practice.” That’s all nice and good when it’s preseason fodder. Less so when their takeaway total ranked near the bottom of the NFL. It took eight games in nine weeks to finally put their money where their mouth is. Baltimore forced a trio of takeaways Thursday night. “That was really big,” Harbaugh said. Gilman wrestled a ball loose that set up a touchdown. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey shut down a long drive inside the 15-yard line by recovering a fumble forced by rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan. And rookie safety Malaki Starks hammered the final nail on a fourth-quarter interception that sent Dolphins fans toward the exits. Ravens safety Malaki Starks hauls in an interception. Starks and his teammates forced three turnovers in a 28-6 win over the Dolphins. (Lynne Sladky/AP) Harbaugh said they call them “ball assaults.” They’ve been trying, just haven’t finished the job. Sometimes Humphrey looks like he’s throwing haymakers at the football. As a group, those are finally starting to show, now with four forced fumbles on the year. “I know how the defense has been talking about takeaways and all that, so it was good to see them,” wide receiver Rashod Bateman said. “Pregame, they came in and said that they want to have a lot of takeaways, and I definitely think they made that happen tonight.” Baltimore’s defense doesn’t deserve rose petals thrown at their feet for this performance. Tagovailoa averages more than one interception per game. He was bound to have a misfire. Smith almost made him pay for a second. The Ravens were sharp at times, particularly in the red zone. They were bailed out at others. If anything, those “ball assaults” are the note to write home about. Those are the kind of plays that they spent all season promising they’d make. Buchanan, who had a hand in the first forced fumble and caused the second, called them “contagious.” Now three games in a row with a takeaway, perhaps this is a corner finally turned. A win saved the Ravens from selling at the trade deadline First of all, the notion of Baltimore selling off chunks of its roster at the Nov. 4 trade deadline always sounded a little far-fetched. Then again, so did a 1-5 start. But back-to-back wins after the bye week and as healthy a roster as they’ve had all season, including the star quarterback, should give general manager Eric DeCosta more confidence financially investing in a potential playoff push. The Ravens made one deal already in addressing an injury-riddled secondary. DeCosta sent Odafe Oweh to the opposite coast in exchange for Gilman, a deal that wound up leaving Baltimore’s pass rush low on warm bodies up front but that bandaged the defense’s second and third levels. Through five games, opponents averaged 35.4 points. Since adding Gilman and getting closer to full health, opposing teams have combined for 39 points over their past three games. DeCosta also added defensive end Carl Lawson, who figures to help up front, in free agency. Lawson joined the team days before Baltimore beat Chicago. He wasn’t activated on a short week before going to Miami. Lawson likely makes his Ravens debut next weekend in Minnesota. The trade deadline is four days away. Baltimore still has holes to plug up. Watching from the visiting sideline at Hard Rock Stadium, DeCosta may have noticed Miami linebacker Jaelan Phillips sack Jackson and pancake Pat Ricard and think maybe he’d look good in purple. Or defensive end Bradley Chubb, who also put Ricard on his butt Thursday night. Losses to Chicago and Miami would have raised serious questions about where on this roster DeCosta should unload to start thinking about 2026. Having beat both kept their season from completely crumbling before the halfway mark. How much faith does he have that this is real? We’ll know more by 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. With consecutive wins and Lamar Jackson healthy after missing three games, the Ravens could be buyers at the NFL's trade deadline. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP) View the full article