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Each week of the NFL season, The Baltimore Sun will rank all 32 NFL teams. The rankings will take into account not just weekly performance, injuries and roster depth, but how well each team measures up as Super Bowl contenders.
Here are the rankings heading into Week 18:
1. Ravens (13-3, No. 1)
Last week: Win vs. Dolphins, 56-19
Up next: vs. Steelers
The Ravens put an exclamation point on a brilliant regular season, dismantling one of the league’s best teams to secure the top seed in the AFC. Lamar Jackson likely wrapped up his second NFL Most Valuable Player Award with five touchdown passes and a perfect 158.3 passer rating, showing he’s more than ready to finally make a deep postseason run. Without starters Kyle Hamilton and Brandon Stephens, the defense held strong, even after cornerback Marlon Humphrey went down early with a calf injury. Justice Hill, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar and Patrick Ricard combined for four touchdowns. This might not be the most talented roster in the league, but it’s tough, fundamentally sound and boasts perhaps the league’s best player at quarterback. It’s Super Bowl or bust.
2. San Francisco 49ers (12-4, No. 2)
Last week: Win vs. Commanders, 27-10
Up next: vs. Rams
The schedule makers were kind to the 49ers, who followed a tough Christmas night game against the Ravens with a trip to Landover. A calf injury to star running back Christian McCaffrey that will keep him out in Week 18 is the most notable takeaway from Sunday’s win, as Brock Purdy bounced back from the worst start of his NFL career and the defense feasted against rookie quarterback Sam Howell to wrap up the NFC’s top seed.
3. Buffalo Bills (10-6, No. 6)
Last week: Win vs. Patriots, 27-21
Up next: at Dolphins
Thanks to two interceptions from midseason acquisition Rasul Douglas, including one he returned for a touchdown, and two touchdown runs from Josh Allen, the Bills were able to survive an ugly game in New England to strengthen their playoff position. Buffalo can win the AFC East with a victory over Miami on Sunday night and clinch a home playoff game, though there’s still a chance it falls short of the postseason with a loss. That would be a heartbreaking result for a team on such a hot streak.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (10-6, No. 7)
Last week: Win vs. Bengals, 25-17
Up next: at Chargers
A frustrating season was not enough to derail the Chiefs’ grip on the AFC West, as they won their eighth straight division title. Kansas City needed six field goals from Harrison Butker to do it, but a win over a conference rival fighting for its playoff life never comes easy. It’s hard to buy into the Chiefs as title contenders given all the dropped passes (an NFL-leading 40 this season), but it would be foolish to write off Patrick Mahomes when he’s supported by strong defense and special teams.
5. Dallas Cowboys (11-5, No. 9)
Last week: Win vs. Lions, 20-19
Up next: at Commanders
The Cowboys narrowly avoided a third straight loss thanks to some help from the officials, who overturned a 2-point pass that would have given the Lions the lead with 23 seconds left. And who knows, maybe Brandon Aubrey (now a perfect 35-for-35) would have kicked a game-winning field goal anyway. Dallas was in control for most of the game thanks to Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, who set the Cowboys’ single-season receiving yards record with a monster 13-catch, 227-yard performance.
Browns quarterback Joe Flacco celebrates after a first down against the Jets on Thursday. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) 6. Cleveland Browns (11-5, No. 8)
Last week: Win vs. Jets, 37-20
Up next: at Bengals
Could Joe Flacco and the Browns be the biggest threat to the Ravens in the AFC? It certainly feels like it with the way the 38-year-old quarterback is playing right now. Cleveland’s elite defense kept the team afloat despite some of the league’s worst quarterback play, but now Flacco is giving the offense some life, throwing three more touchdown passes in Thursday night’s win. Injuries to wide receivers Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore loom large heading into the postseason.
7. Detroit Lions (11-5, No. 4)
Last week: Loss vs. Cowboys, 20-19
Up next: vs. Vikings
The officiating controversy Saturday night cost the Lions a chance to win the NFC’s top seed, but that shouldn’t overshadow a gritty performance on the road in Dallas, which still hasn’t lost at home this season. For Detroit to come so close to winning despite two interceptions from Jared Goff and a mediocre showing on defense speaks volumes about its resolve. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta and a healthy Jameson Williams will be tough to defend in the postseason.
8. Miami Dolphins (11-5, No. 3)
Last week: Loss vs. Ravens, 56-19
Up next: vs. Bills
Just about everything that could go wrong Sunday did. Miami was completely outmatched by the Ravens after scoring on its opening drive and later lost cornerback Xavien Howard (foot) and pass rusher Bradley Chubb (torn ACL) to injuries. The Dolphins suddenly face the possibility of playing on the road during wild-card weekend after entering Sunday with a chance to win the No. 1 seed, showing how quickly fortunes can change in this league.
9. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, No. 5)
Last week: Loss vs. Cardinals, 35-31
Up next: at Giants
What happened to the Eagles? After blowing a 21-6 halftime lead against the lowly Cardinals, the defending NFC champions have lost four of their past five games. Coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts both pointed to the postseason as an opportunity to turn things around, but Philly could be headed for a quick exit if it continues to struggle on both sides of the ball.
10. Los Angeles Rams (9-7, No. 10)
Last week: Win vs. Giants, 26-25
Up next: at 49ers
The Rams were fortunate to escape with a victory and a playoff berth Sunday after turning the ball over three times and giving up a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but coach Sean McVay said sometimes you need those types of games. Matthew Stafford looked sharp despite throwing two interceptions and Kyren Williams continued his breakout season with three touchdowns, creating plenty of optimism for an offense that seems to be peaking at the right time.
Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph celebrates after Sunday’s win over the Seahawks. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) 11. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, No. 13)
Last week: Win vs. Seahawks, 30-23
Up next: at Ravens
Hindsight is 20/20, but you have to wonder where the Steelers would be if they had turned to third-string quarterback Mason Rudolph sooner. He has provided a spark and developed an instant connection with receiver George Pickens, helping the offense turn the corner at a crucial time. The Steelers enter Saturday’s game in Baltimore with a 28% chance to make the playoffs, according to The New York Times’ simulator, a remarkable achievement considering how dire things looked just a few weeks ago.
12. Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7, No. 14)
Last week: Win vs. Panthers, 26-0
Up next: at Titans
A get-right game against the league’s worst team couldn’t have come at a better time, as Jacksonville ended a four-game losing streak and gained some confidence heading into a pivotal Week 18. If the Jags beat the Titans, they win the AFC South and will host a wild-card game for the second straight season. Giving injured quarterback Trevor Lawrence a week to rest should help him reset after a rash of turnovers.
13. Houston Texans (9-7, No. 15)
Last week: Win vs. Titans, 26-3
Up next: at Colts
The Texans’ draft sure looks good now, as C.J. Stroud threw for 213 yards and a touchdown in his return from a concussion and Will Anderson Jr. recorded two sacks to set the franchise rookie single-season record with seven. Houston enters the final week of the regular season with a chance to win the division and make the playoffs, a fantastic outcome for a young team with a first-year coach.
14. Indianapolis Colts (9-7, No. 17)
Last week: Win vs. Raiders, 23-20
Up next: vs. Texans
Jonathan Taylor delivered at a crucial time, rushing for a season-high 96 yards and a touchdown Sunday to help the Colts hang on. Indianapolis can win its first division title since 2014 with a win against Houston and a Jacksonville loss to Tennessee, which would be a stunning outcome considering it lost rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson early in the season and has been without Taylor for most of the season.
15. Green Bay Packers (8-8, No. 19)
Last week: Win vs. Vikings, 33-10
Up next: vs. Bears
It has been rocky at times, but Jordan Love is starting to look like the quarterback the Packers envisioned as Aaron Rodgers’ successor. He went 24-for-33 for 256 yards and three touchdowns and even ran for a score Sunday night to set up a defacto playoff game against the Bears after starting the season 2-5.
16. Seattle Seahawks (8-8, No. 12)
Last week: Loss vs. Steelers, 30-23
Up next: at Cardinals
The Seahawks’ defense let them down again, allowing 202 rushing yards and 468 total yards against an offense that has been tough to watch for most of the season. It’s the sixth straight game Seattle has allowed at least 135 rushing yards. The Seahawks enter Week 18 with a 21% chance to make the playoffs, according to The New York Times’ simulator, disappointing odds for a team that looked at times like a potential NFC title contender.
17. New Orleans Saints (8-8, No. 21)
Last week: Win vs. Buccaneers, 23-13
Up next: vs. Falcons
It might be too little, too late, but the Saints showed plenty of fight Sunday to deny Tampa Bay a chance to wrap up the division title. Derek Carr has played well in three straight games after a disappointing midseason stretch, though running back Alvin Kamara’s ankle injury looms large entering a must-win regular-season finale.
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8, No. 11)
Last week: Loss vs. Saints, 23-13
Up next: at Panthers
Running back Rachaad White said the Bucs played with “no juice, no energy” Sunday, which is hard to believe considering a third straight division title was there for the taking. Tampa Bay can still clinch first place with a win over the lowly Panthers, but it can’t afford to come out flat with so much on the line.
19. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8, No. 16)
Last week: Loss vs. Chiefs, 25-17
Up next: vs. Browns
The Bengals deserve credit for hanging in the playoff race as long as they did after Joe Burrow’s season-ending wrist injury in November, but there are a lot of lingering questions heading into the offseason. How Cincinnati retools on defense under coordinator Lou Anarumo — if he doesn’t get a head coaching job — is one of the biggest after allowing the most plays of 20 yards or more in the league.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields runs for a touchdown against the Falcons on Sunday. (AP Photo/David Banks) 20. Chicago Bears (7-9, No. 24)
Last week: Win vs. Falcons, 37-17
Up next: at Packers
The Bears and general manager Ryan Poles once again control the draft after clinching the top pick Sunday thanks to the Panthers’ 14th loss. While picking a quarterback often felt like a no-brainer, Justin Fields has played well enough to keep his job, giving Chicago the option to trade down for the second year in a row and continue to build the roster around him.
21. Denver Broncos (8-8, No. 23)
Last week: Win vs. Chargers, 16-9
Up next: at Raiders
With the Broncos and Russell Wilson likely headed for a split this offseason after he was benched Sunday for Jarrett Stidham, Denver becomes one of the league’s most fascinating teams. Just how far will coach Sean Payton go to retool this roster, and who will be playing quarterback in 2024? Stidham did not impress against a bad Chargers defense, though he gets another chance to prove himself against the Raiders.
22. Las Vegas Raiders (7-9, No. 18)
Last week: Loss vs. Colts, 23-20
Up next: vs. Broncos
Two late defensive penalties against the Colts ultimately cost the Raiders a chance to extend their season. It also might have cost interim coach Antonio Pierce a chance to secure the full-time job. A new quarterback and coach — maybe Jim Harbaugh? — seem likely to usher in a new era after Josh McDaniels and Jimmy Garoppolo failed to meet expectations.
23. Atlanta Falcons (7-9, No. 20)
Last week: Loss vs. Bears, 37-17
Up next: at Saints
Does Arthur Smith deserve a chance to coach this team again next season? As exciting and innovative as his offense has looked at times, it has often failed to execute in critical moments despite having some of the best young talent in the league. Perhaps a better quarterback will make everything click, but that’s putting a lot of faith in a team that has been wildly inconsistent under Smith’s leadership.
24. Minnesota Vikings (7-9, No. 22)
Last week: Loss vs. Packers, 33-10
Up next: at Lions
With rookie quarterback Jaren Hall struggling and the defense missing several key starters, the Vikings did not stand much of a chance Sunday night. Injured quarterback Kirk Cousins, who ripped off his shirt and led the home crowd in a pregame chant, remains Minnesota’s best hope to turn things around in 2024.
25. Arizona Cardinals (4-12, No. 31)
Last week: Win vs. Eagles, 35-31
Up next: vs. Seahawks
It sure feels like the Cardinals will stick with Kyler Murray as their starting quarterback next season after his standout performance in Sunday’s upset win. Just over a year removed from a torn ACL, he completed 25 of 31 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns as Arizona outscored Philadelphia 29-10 in the second half. With two first-round draft picks and plenty of cap space, the Cardinals could return a much better team in 2024.
26. New York Jets (6-10, No. 25)
Last week: Loss vs. Browns, 37-20
Up next: at Patriots
The best thing you can say about this Jets season is that it’s almost over. Even the defense, considered the strength of the team, has looked vulnerable down the stretch, allowing 28 or more points in five of the past seven games. There’s plenty of blame to go around, but that’s a disappointing way to end the year.
27. New York Giants (5-11, No. 27)
Last week: Loss vs. Rams, 26-25
Up next: vs. Eagles
Tyrod Taylor’s missed throw to a wide-open Saquon Barkley on what should have been the go-ahead 2-point conversion in the final minutes Sunday is a microcosm of the entire season. The Giants have had their chances, but poor execution has often sunk the team in big moments. Give credit to coach Brian Daboll for keeping his team competitive heading into an important offseason that could push New York closer to the top of the NFC East.
28. Tennessee Titans (5-11, No. 26)
Last week: Loss vs. Texans, 26-3
Up next: vs. Jaguars
It will be an interesting offseason in Tennessee, and that’s assuming coach Mike Vrabel doesn’t leave for another job. The Titans are projected to have the second-most salary cap space in the league after an expected exodus of free agents, including Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill, and will likely have a top-10 pick in the draft. How aggressive they are in building around quarterback Will Levis is the biggest question.
29. New England Patriots (4-12, No. 28)
Last week: Loss vs. Bills, 27-21
Up next: vs. Jets
It’s still strange to see a team coached by Bill Belichick look so sloppy. With four more turnovers Sunday, including three interceptions by quarterback Bailey Zappe, the Patriots are poised to finish with a negative turnover differential (minus-10 entering Week 18) for the first time since the 2005 season. At least the outlook for 2024 is bright, especially if New England hits on a rookie quarterback.
30. Los Angeles Chargers (5-11, No. 29)
Last week: Loss vs. Broncos, 16-9
Up next: vs. Chiefs
The Chargers have big decisions looming this offseason in hiring a new coach and general manager, and that extends to the players on the field, too. After missing time with injuries again this season, defensive end Joey Bosa and wide receiver Keenan Allen could both be cut to clear cap space. It doesn’t seem like running back Austin Ekeler will be back either. Next season’s team could look remarkably different.
31. Washington Commanders (4-12, No. 30)
Last week: Loss vs. 49ers, 27-10
Up next: vs. Cowboys
With the Commanders climbing the draft board and Sam Howell looking shaky again in the second half Sunday after hastily being reinserted into the starting lineup, we’ll likely see a new quarterback in Washington next season. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s comments about wanting to build a culture similar to what he enjoyed at Ohio State and saw across the sideline with San Francisco resonate for a franchise that finally has an opportunity to completely overhaul its approach to building a winning team.
32. Carolina Panthers (2-14, No. 32)
Last week: Loss vs. Jaguars, 26-0
Up next: vs. Buccaneers
It’s hard enough to rebuild a team through the draft and even harder when top picks don’t work out. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu has allowed a league-leading 18 sacks this season after being drafted sixth overall in 2022, wide receiver Jonathan Mingo has not lived up to high expectations and quarterback Bryce Young looks incapable of rising above a weak supporting cast. One of the team’s few bright spots, defensive end Brian Burns, is heading for unrestricted free agency. Owner David Tepper is throwing drinks at rival fans. Oh, and Carolina’s No. 1 overall pick is heading to Chicago. There’s no guarantee 2024 is going to be any better.
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By nabbing the AFC’s No. 1 seed on Sunday, the Ravens have won themselves a bye week and earned Baltimore the home-field advantage for the postseason up to the Super Bowl.
That means M&T Bank Stadium will hold the team’s divisional round playoff game later this month, on either Jan. 20 or 21, after Baltimore takes a week off for the wild card round. Tickets to the game will go on sale to the public Friday at 10 a.m. at baltimoreravens.com/playofftickets.
The tickets will be on sale ahead of the Ravens’ regular season finale against the Steelers on Saturday. Although the afternoon game at M&T Bank Stadium won’t ultimately impact the Ravens’ postseason positioning, Baltimore’s rival team could increase their odds of making the playoffs with a win. Ravens coach John Harbaugh has not yet said if notable starters, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, will be playing the 4:30 p.m. finale.
Those who already purchased wild card tickets for the Ravens will get pre-sale access to tickets for the divisional matchup. The public sale date for tickets to the Jan. 28 AFC Championship has not yet been announced. The NFL determines kickoff times for each postseason matchup after the previous week’s games end.
The Ravens clinched the AFC North title and the conference’s top seed Sunday with a 56-19 win over the Dolphins in Baltimore. The success, combined with the Orioles entering the playoffs in October at the top of the MLB’s American League, is a first for Baltimore.
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The similarities to 2019 are extraordinary if not eerie.
Just like four years ago with one week remaining in the regular season, the Ravens are AFC North champs, have locked up the top seed in the AFC and will get a first-round bye and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is also almost certain to be the NFL’s Most Valuable Player again. And just like four years ago, they’ll play a Pittsburgh Steelers team that needs to win to keep their playoff hopes alive in what will be an otherwise meaningless contest to Baltimore in the final game of the regular season.
Now it remains to be seen if the Ravens rest many of their starters — most notably Jackson — the same way they did back then.
“I have not made a decision on any personnel yet,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “We gotta work through the injury part of it first, and it’ll take us 24 to 48 hours to get a real handle on that.”
Among the notable players dealing with injuries are safety Kyle Hamilton (knee), cornerback Brandon Stephens (ankle) and right guard Kevin Zeitler (knee/quad), none of whom were active Sunday.
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey also suffered a calf injury in the first quarter against Miami, while defensive back Daryl Worley later suffered a neck stinger. Neither returned to the game. Defensive tackle Michael Pierce (neck stinger) and inside linebacker Patrick Queen (shoulder) were also banged up during the blowout 56-19 win.
Those injuries alone could mostly dictate who doesn’t play against the Steelers on Saturday, given there’s only so much wiggle room with the roster on game day.
But the sting of what happened four years ago still lingers.
In that Week 17 finale, Robert Griffin III started in place of Jackson, completed 11 of 21 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, and running back Gus Edwards rushed for 130 yards on 21 carries in a downpour as Baltimore pounded the Steelers, 28-10.
Whatever enjoyment that was derived from dashing the dreams of a bitter division rival was short-lived, though. The Ravens laid an egg in a 28-12 divisional-round loss to the Tennessee Titans, as a rested but perhaps rusty Jackson threw two interceptions and fumbled once in the stunning home loss.
In losing, Baltimore became the first No. 1 seed to fall to a six-seed since 2010 and just the sixth team since 1933 to win at least 14 games in a season but fail to win a postseason game.
The stench of that memory is why Jackson hopes to avoid any complacency.
“We have to finish this season the right way,” he said Sunday. “We have one obstacle. We finished that obstacle. We have [the] Steelers next week, so that’s how I’m staying focused this season. [I’m] just taking it one game at a time like I’ve been preaching to you guys all season.”
The performance also raised questions about whether Harbaugh should not have rested many of his starters in the regular-season finale, giving them two weeks off between games. After dispatching the Dolphins on Sunday, that same question is again at the fore.
But the scenario is also different this time.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh, right, meets offensive coordinator Todd Monken after Sunday’s win over the Dolphins. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The Ravens are dealing with several injuries. They’re also operating on a short week after the NFL announced the game would be played Saturday at 4:30 p.m. after playing Sunday’s game against Miami on a short week.
What lesson did Harbaugh take from 2019 that will inform his decision this year?
“That was a disappointment,” Harbaugh said, recalling the experience. “Certain kind of seasons, different than this season, different team, different circumstances, different everything.
“I remember the experience and the choices we made, but the decisions we made for certain reasons and we thought they were the right decisions. What impacted what, how, in terms of us not playing our best football that day, it’s hard to say what the cause and effect was. … You’ve gotta look at everything through the lens of today, this team and the challenges that we’re facing.”
But after already losing running backs J.K. Dobbins and Keaton Mitchell to season-ending injuries and tight end Mark Andrews for at least the regular season, that should provide all the clarity Harbaugh’s lens needs.
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The Ravens left no doubt they’re the NFL’s best team or that Lamar Jackson is a strong favorite to win his second MVP, earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed and some much-needed rest with a 56-19 shellacking of the Miami Dolphins.
Here are five things we learned from the game.
The Ravens are the best team in the NFL and mature enough to know how little that means at this stage
There was euphoria, sure, epitomized by 61-year-old John Harbaugh boogying through the postgame locker room like it was Studio 54.
He and his team had earned a moment to take in their achievements: 13 wins, including 10 in the past 11 games, a string of double-digit thumpings against playoff-bound opponents, capped off by thrashings of the top team in the NFC and the second best in the AFC.
They had less than six full days to recover from an intense, brutal victory over the San Francisco 49ers, yet with injuries mounting by the quarter, they somehow surpassed it against the Dolphins, who had just as much to play for as they did.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen a more impressive performance in a game,” said Harbaugh, normally loath to reach for sweeping comparisons. “I’m not sure I’ve seen a more impressive performance in a season to date.”
The “to date” part was important and helped explain why the Ravens, especially quarterback Lamar Jackson, did not give in completely to ecstasy after vanquishing the Dolphins and securing the AFC’s No. 1 seed for the postseason, which won’t begin for them until the third weekend in January.
The Ravens have come far enough — and this quest really goes back to Jackson’s first great season in 2019 — to know how far they still must go before they rest.
“We’ve got to finish this season the right way,” Jackson said. For him, that means not thinking past the next play, much less the next opponent.
“We have a lot of work to do in front of us,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a mature football team, and they understand that.”
The Ravens’ every-week toughness and resourcefulness were on display again Sunday, when they faced an opponent talented enough to embarrass them and steal their first-round playoff bye.
Both teams arrived to their most important game of the year beat up. The Ravens played without their most versatile defender, Kyle Hamilton, their most reliable cornerback, Brandon Stephens, and the rock of their offensive line, Kevin Zeitler. The Dolphins didn’t have their Robin to Tyreek Hill’s Batman, Jaylen Waddle, their most rugged runner, Raheem Mostert, or their starting right guard, Robert Hunt.
The Ravens’ toll quickly worsened when cornerback Marlon Humphrey hobbled off on an injured calf in the first quarter. They were almost out of defensive backs to stop Tua Tagovailoa and Hill, only the league’s most productive passing connection.
But nothing seems to daunt this team, which pulls from a deeper bag of answers than any other in the NFL. Jackson responded to Tagovailoa’s opening touchdown drive with one of his own, missing just three times all afternoon and throwing five touchdown passes without a hint of a turnover. Harbaugh turned riverboat gambler in the waning moments of the first half, so confident in his offense that he went for it on fourth-and-7. Tight end Isaiah Likely paid off the risk with a one-handed touchdown catch, because the Ravens are on that kind of roll right now.
If we doubted the fairy dust in the air at M&T Bank Stadium, Justice Hill confirmed it with a 78-yard kickoff return to start the second half.
Perhaps fans fretted when the Ravens led 35-13, nearly the same advantage they squandered against the Dolphins last season, to start the fourth quarter. This is not the same team, however. The Ravens extended their margin rather than fritter it away.
The Ravens hinted they could become this good a team by hammering the Lions in Week 7 and the Seahawks in Week 9. They have left no doubt over the last week, destroying the 49ers and Dolphins by a combined 89-38.
Not even the regular season fever dream of 2019 concluded with such a flourish. Does that mean the Ravens are equipped to write a happier ending in the playoffs? Just know that it’s all they’re thinking about.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson walks to the locker room after beating the Dolphins on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The Ravens needed their offense to carry this one. Lamar Jackson answered with the finest performance of an MVP season.
The Ravens began their first drive under a black cloud. A wide-open Rashod Bateman could not get a firm handle on Jackson’s slightly overthrown deep ball. Then, offensive pass interference wiped out a 23-yard pass to Hill.
These miscues turned out to be anything but ill omens. If anything, they set the stage for Jackson to reveal just how far he has come as a big-game performer. He had made himself MVP favorite by outdueling the previous betting choice, Brock Purdy, on Christmas night. That game established the Ravens as the league’s best team. This one meant more to their playoff fate. Faced with the task of outpacing the league’s top-scoring offense with a No. 1 seed on the line, Jackson played better than he had against the 49ers.
“He played a perfect football game in terms of the passing game,” Harbaugh said.
“I was like a little kid at the movie theater,” linebacker Roquan Smith said of watching Jackson this day. “Only I didn’t have any popcorn.”
This was a shot across the bow of anyone who ever said Jackson could not throw beautiful, and beautifully timed, balls from the pocket, to anyone who said he would shrink from a grand stage. He still has to do it in the playoffs to silence those who scoff at his raw passing statistics or say he’d be no MVP without an elite defense. But those who’ve watched Jackson through every game and every practice the last six seasons know this is a man in control of his world.
“That’s the type of game I like,” he said when asked about offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s plan. “He was dialing it up, being aggressive, but he was letting me be the decision-maker.”
Letting me be the decision-maker. It’s what Jackson always wanted. He talked about becoming a Tom Brady — less jaw-dropping athlete than master of all he surveyed — as early as his rookie year. This is what he and his mother meant when they insisted to high school and college coaches that he was a quarterback.
The Ravens hit their previous efficiency peak of 9.1 yards per play in a 38-6 demolition of the Detroit Lions. But that was October. Given the stakes, their 9.1 per play against the Dolphins said a whole lot more about where Jackson stands as he prepares for a defining postseason. He’s going to win that second MVP, but he and his teammates know it’s side candy. Jackson often turns conversations back to February. Only one game is played that month, and it’s the one he promised to win when the Ravens drafted him.
It’s remarkable to think that just nine months ago, Jackson said he wanted to leave Baltimore, to renew his quest with a different team. Imagine the hole at the heart of this franchise if that had happened. Instead, we’re watching a pantheon Baltimore athlete strive for the summit.
“The things he does, no other player in the NFL can do, and he’s underrated at many aspects still,” left tackle Ronnie Stanley said. “He’s taken complete control over the offense.”
The Ravens’ defensive line gets ready for a snap in the first quarter Sunday against the Dolphins. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Adaptability sets this Ravens defense apart
There was no way the Ravens could stifle this fleet of an offense for 60 minutes. The question was, could they answer each Miami haymaker with one of their own, as they had six days earlier against the 49ers? Tagovailoa is the quickest draw in the league, releasing the ball in 2.37 seconds on average, so the Ravens were not going to reach him as regularly as they did Purdy. They did not have Hamilton and Stephens, who had direct hands in three of their five interceptions against the 49ers.
But the ease with which Miami initially cut through the league’s top scoring defense startled the eye.
The Dolphins put the Ravens on their heels from the game’s first snap, starting with a quick flick to devilishly quick rookie De’Von Achane, who sliced through a half-dozen would-be tacklers for 23 yards. Hill popped open wherever he pleased. The entire right edge of the Ravens’ defense crumbled on a 45-yard Achane gallop to set up a field goal on Miami’s second drive.
The Ravens had allowed 4.5 yards per play through 15 games. The Dolphins averaged 9.7 in the first quarter.
The initial story, however, is not the final story with a defense coordinated by Mike Macdonald. Over and over this season, we’ve seen the Ravens adjust after a disastrous drive or a dodgy half, even against the NFL’s very best offenses.
“Are you going to fold?” Smith said. “Or are you going to stand up to it?”
The Ravens stood up. After sprinting out of the gate, the Dolphins finished the game at 5.7 yards per play, almost a full yard below their season average. The Ravens picked off Tagovailoa twice, sacked him three times and held him to his lowest passer rating of the season. Hill caught a modest six passes for 76 yards, 41 below his season average. This wasn’t the defensive masterpiece we saw against the 49ers, but the Ravens, down three seemingly indispensable starters, kept coming.
Smith did not point to any grand tactical adjustment when explaining the in-game turnaround, though surely some of Macdonald’s tweaks will become apparent when we review the all-22 film.
“We just had to settle down,” the Pro Bowl linebacker said. “Do what we do.”
Their perseverance had to feel especially sweet against an opponent that erased a 35-14 deficit against them on the same field 15 months earlier. That loss was exhibit A when we talked about the Ravens’ difficulties finishing off opponents. It’s a criticism that no longer holds after we’ve watched the Ravens win nine games by at least two scores this season.
Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Dolphins during the second quarter Sunday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Depth was every bit as important as star power to this triumph
Many of us placed Ben Cleveland on the wrong side of the bubble when we projected the Ravens’ 53-man roster in August. Even after he made the team, he could not have been more out of sight or out of mind for most of his third NFL season. He seemed headed for the same fate Sunday until Kevin Zeitler winced his way through a pregame workout, unable to plant comfortably on his right leg. Just like that, Cleveland was up, the man tabbed to stand in for the Ravens’ most dependable blocker.
Faced with this crucial opportunity in his NFL existence, Cleveland stood in as part of an offensive line that swaddled Jackson as safely as a baby’s blanket.
“I’m very proud of Ben, the way he stepped in there and handled business,” Stanley said. “Big game, and it can’t be overstated how hard it is to do what he did. He came in and played at a high level. He gave us what we needed.”
Cleveland’s name was one of those Harbaugh highlighted when he celebrated his team’s depth during his postgame remarks.
This was a day when the Ravens needed every defensive back left standing, when often anonymous professionals such as Ronald Darby, Rock Ya-Sin and Arthur Maulet had to fill the voids left by Humphrey, Stephens and Hamilton. Somehow, this threadbare secondary held the most prolific passing offense in the NFL to nine points on 10 drives after the first quarter.
“There should’ve been no dropoff,” Maulet said, expressing the mentality that animates this group. “We held each other accountable.”
Meanwhile, Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews, who still hopes to return from an ankle injury in the postseason, watched his young protégés, Likely and Charlie Kolar, catch three touchdown passes between them. Another investment in depth — Likely and Kolar were two of the Ravens’ six fourth-round draft picks in 2022 — that paid off.
Few other teams, maybe no other, could have started so many second- and third-stringers and blown out an opponent as dangerous as the Dolphins. This was a validating triumph for the Ravens’ front office almost as much as for the players and coaches.
Jackson said as much: “I believe Eric DeCosta does a great job of going and getting those guys who already have that Raven in them.”
The most important thing the Ravens earned is three weeks’ rest
Home-field advantage is a sweet treat for the Ravens and their fans, but the far more valuable prize was a first-round bye that will afford an extra two weeks — they will have little incentive next Sunday against the Steelers — of rest and recuperation to a roster that needs it badly.
If the Ravens needed to beat Pittsburgh next weekend or win a wild-card game the weekend after, Hamilton’s knee, Stephens’ foot, Humphrey’s calf and Zeitler’s right leg would be urgent, vital concerns. Instead, they will have time to get right, as will the many battered Ravens — including Stanley, right tackle Morgan Moses, Smith and linebacker Patrick Queen — who made it to the end of Sunday’s game.
“It’s going to be valuable, no doubt about it,” Harbaugh said.
He’s thought about how to handle the next three weeks, more specifically how to avoid the letdown the Ravens experienced in 2019, when they lost to the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round after closing the regular season with 12 straight wins. That analysis switched from abstract to pressing as soon as Harbaugh’s team finished off the Dolphins, but he said he has not decided, for example, if Jackson will play at all against the Steelers.
As much as the Ravens want to avoid the mistakes of 2019, it would be surprising if Harbaugh asks anything of his franchise player in the season finale. Why keep four quarterbacks on the roster if you’re not going to use them in a situation like this?
In recent seasons, Harbaugh has trended more and more toward resting his irreplaceable players when he can. He should not abandon this tendency for fear of four-year-old postseason ghosts.
The Ravens have reason to trust in their maturity, to believe they’re more equipped to make good use of this well-earned break than they were at the end of Jackson’s first full season.
“I think the rest is a blessing, but we also need to make sure we’re using that time to make sure our fundamentals and everything we do mentally is at a high level,” Stanley said. “I think [2019] was a big learning experience for this team. Just to get to this point, that learning experience helped us to overcome so many things. We know where we still have to go, and that memory is always going to stay with us.”
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The Ravens have clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed and the first-round bye that comes with it. But one thing they haven’t done this season is beat their archnemesis, the Steelers.
Baltimore (13-3) hosts Pittsburgh (9-7) in the regular-season finale, and the NFL announced Sunday night that the game will be played at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and broadcast on ABC and ESPN. The league had not announced kickoff times for any of the scheduled games in Week 18 as it waited to see which matchups would have playoff implications and be played in prime time.
Saturday’s game won’t have any implications for the Ravens, who won’t play a postseason game until the third weekend in January after dismantling the Dolphins, 56-19, to earn the coveted week off in the wild-card round. The Steelers, however, have plenty to play for as they can still clinch a playoff berth with a win in Baltimore — and some help.
The Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks, 30-23, on Sunday for their second straight win after a three-game losing streak to keep their playoff hopes alive. The New York Times’ playoff simulator gives them a 28% chance at making the postseason, but it jumps to 72% if they beat the Ravens in Week 18.
Pittsburgh can’t do it alone, however. Its most likely way into the postseason is to beat the Ravens and have the Buffalo Bills (10-6) lose to the Miami Dolphins (11-5), a game that will decide the AFC East, or have the Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7) lose to the Tennessee Titans (5-11). Here are all their playoff-clinching scenarios:
- Steelers beat Ravens; Colts tie Texans
- Steelers beat Ravens; Bills lose to Dolphins
- Steelers beat Ravens; Jaguars lose to or tie Titans
- Steelers tie Ravens; Colts and Texans do not tie; Jaguars lose to Titans
- Steelers lose to Ravens; Colts and Texans do not tie; Raiders lose to Broncos; Jaguars lose to Titans
The Steelers opened as 3 1/2-point favorites as the Ravens are likely to rest several starters in preparation for the playoffs, though coach John Harbaugh said after Sunday’s win that he hasn’t decided if quarterback Lamar Jackson, or any other top players, will suit up in Week 18. But considering the Ravens fell to the Steelers on Oct. 8 in their worst performance of the season, Harbaugh and the Ravens might have incentive to keep their rival out of the playoffs.
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The Ravens’ win Sunday naturally brought upon comparisons to the 2019 team.
Both squads dominated throughout the season, earning the AFC’s top seed behind an MVP-caliber quarterback.
These Ravens and those Ravens have their similarities. The same can’t be said for their next-door neighbor.
In 2019, the Orioles lost 108 games amid a four-year stretch when they were one of the major leagues’ worst teams. Five years later, they won 101 games and ended the regular season as the best team in the American League.
Since the Ravens moved to town in 1996, both Baltimore teams have rarely been good at the same time. 2023 is unique in that regard.
When Lamar Jackson and company clinched the AFC North title Sunday with a rout of the Miami Dolphins, it marked the first time the Orioles and Ravens have won division crowns in the same season.
That fact is mostly the Orioles’ fault, as the local nine have slogged through 17 losing seasons this century. It’s also a credit to the difficulty of the divisions in which both teams play, as the AL East and AFC North are regularly among the best in their respective sports.
The Orioles’ AL East title in 2023 was just the franchise’s third since the Ravens’ first season. In 1997, as the Davey Johnson-led Orioles edged out the New York Yankees to claim the AL East crown with 98 wins, the Ted Marchibroda-led Ravens won six games. It took 17 years for the Orioles to win another division title, as manager Buck Showalter led the club to 96 wins as the AL’s top regular season team in 2014. The Ravens, meanwhile, made the playoffs — two years after Joe Flacco led them to a Super Bowl title — with 10 wins but finished third in the division behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.
The Ravens’ AFC North crown this season was their third since Jackson became the team’s quarterback in 2018, fifth since John Harbaugh took over as coach in 2008 and seventh since the franchise moved to Baltimore.
Under coach Brian Billick, the Ravens won the AFC North in 2003 and 2006 with Kyle Boller and Steve McNair at quarterback, respectively. The Orioles failed to win more than 71 games in either of those seasons.
Harbaugh’s Ravens then won back-to-back division crowns in 2011 and 2012. The former ended with a missed kick by Billy Cundiff in the playoffs; the latter ended with a Super Bowl trophy. The Orioles won just 69 games under Showalter in 2011, but they started to show life over the season’s final two months. In 2012, they made the playoffs for the first time since 1997, winning 93 games and making the playoffs as a wild-card team.
A year before the Ravens’ illustrious 2019 campaign, a 21-year-old Jackson stepped in for Flacco midway through the 2018 season and led the team to its first division title since 2012. The Orioles lost 115 games, traded Manny Machado and others at the deadline to ignite the rebuild, and fired Showalter and general manager Dan Duquette after the season.
Of course, 2023 isn’t the first time both the baseball and football teams in Baltimore have been humming. The Johnny Unitas-led Colts won two championships in the late 1950s as the Orioles gained their footing in Baltimore. Then, for a decade beginning in 1966, few sports towns had it better than Baltimore, as the Orioles played in four World Series, winning two, and the Colts made the playoffs six times, winning a Super Bowl and losing another.
Ravens fan Keon Fisher holds up a stadium edition of The Baltimore Sun after the Ravens beat the Dolphins, 56-19, to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) 2023 will go down as one of the best years in Baltimore sports history — especially if the Ravens can go on a playoff run the Orioles couldn’t. But it can’t be the best.
In 1970, like in 2023, the Orioles and Colts both won their respective leagues in the regular season. The Orioles won 108 games to lead the AL, while the Colts went 11-2-1 to finish atop the AFC. They both won championships, with the Colts beating the Dallas Cowboys, 16-13, and the Orioles topping the Reds in five games. But there were no divisions in either sport back then.
Success like 1970 and 2023 is difficult to achieve. But with Jackson signed long term and the young Orioles still boasting MLB’s best farm system, it’s possible 2023 is just the start.
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Underneath the surface of the Ravens’ 56-19 victory Sunday over the Miami Dolphins, which clinched the AFC North title, home-field advantage in the postseason and most likely quarterback Lamar Jackson’s second NFL Most Valuable Player Award, there is a bigger story about the team being able to throw the long ball again.
That’s a major key heading into the postseason. It’s been a problem for this franchise for five years, but that wasn’t the case Sunday.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson completed 18 of 21 passes for 321 yards and five touchdowns and finished with a perfect rating of 158.3. He had completions of 23, 75, 35, 33 and 19 yards as the Ravens ran enough vertical routes to run the Dolphins out of M&T Bank Stadium.
The missing element in the offense has been found.
“They were massively good,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of the long passes. “To me, that was a part of it. We kept saying, ‘If we can start hitting the deep ball, we can make those big plays. That’s going to be a backbreaker.’ It turned out to be a backbreaker today. It was great to see.”
Jackson’s performance Sunday turned the MVP vote into a no-brainer. There is no competition.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is struggling and Buffalo’s Josh Allen is as unpredictable as the Bills. Aaron Rodgers, a four-time MVP winner, hasn’t played since tearing his Achilles tendon on his fourth snap with the New York Jets, and the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow was never seriously in the race after the first quarter of the season.
Then Jackson turns in a performance like Sunday’s. It wasn’t that close anyway.
During his first five seasons in the NFL, Jackson was inaccurate even on short to midrange passes, but he was still good enough to win. However, opposing teams didn’t have to respect his deep throws.
In the previous 16 games, Jackson often overthrew or underthrew open receivers. Rookie Zay Flowers or Rashod Bateman had success getting one or two steps behind defensive backs, but to no avail. You could see the frustration growing on their faces. Even when Jackson threw deep to Odell Beckham Jr., the veteran receiver had to make twisting turns and adjustments.
On Sunday, Jackson threw a 42-yard pass down the right sideline that Bateman had to stretch out for, but it was catchable. Then it got worse for Miami. Jackson threw a nice spiral to running back Justice Hill for a 26-yard gain, but that was nullified because of a penalty.
Jackson was just warming up. He had another 25-yard pass to Flowers in the same series, then a 20-yard touchdown pass to Hill.
The 75-yard touchdown pass to Flowers with 2:58 left in the second quarter made it 21-13, and that was a beauty, too.
There is a theme brewing here. In Jackson’s first three seasons in Baltimore, opposing teams would stack the box and take away the Ravens’ running game. That strategy neutralized Jackson, but there’s another major difference this year compared with 2019, the last time Baltimore had the best record in the AFC and home-field advantage.
Todd Monken replaced Greg Roman as offensive coordinator in February, and he and Jackson were dialing up some big plays Sunday.
“That’s the type of game I like, he [Monken] was dialing it up [and] being aggressive, but he was letting me be the decision-maker,” Jackson said. “I can be aggressive, but just take what the defense gives us, and it was hand and hand with that. That’s pretty much how I like the game to go, and he did a great job today.”
But it’s not just about Monken or Jackson’s development. The Ravens went out and got Jackson some playmaking receivers in the offseason, such as Beckham and Flowers. No one knew that tight end Mark Andrews would miss almost the entire second half of the season with an ankle injury, but backup Isaiah Likely has performed well and caught two touchdown passes Sunday, including a one-handed, 35-yard touchdown catch across the middle late in the first half.
Those kinds of passes open up the field. Opposing teams can’t stack the box with six or seven players, and it forces them to defend the entire field. That was Harbaugh’s goal when he hired Monken.
So as the Ravens head into the postseason with what amounts to a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, they might have found themselves. On Sunday, Jackson was able to throw accurately down the field and outside the numbers.
“We’ve got the best fans in the world,” Hill said. “No matter what the weather is, no matter what the record is. They’re going to be here [and] they show up. This place was rocking. The playoffs, I’m glad we have them here. We’re on a roll and they’re going to help us tremendously.”
The Ravens have another dimension, too. They’ve got the long ball in the arsenal, and with it, Jackson should have another MVP award.
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Is Lamar Jackson “quarterback-y” enough yet?
The superlatives for the Ravens’ leader flowed as freely and sweet as the celebratory nectar of not just a 10th victory in the past 11 games, but a 56-19 dismantling of the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium. With the win, Baltimore won the AFC North, clinched the conference’s No. 1 seed and secured the first-round bye in the playoffs and home-field advantage throughout the AFC title game.
At the nexus of all of Baltimore’s successes, against the Dolphins and against the rest of the NFL this season, was Jackson.
Six days earlier, Jackson threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 45 yards and led Baltimore to a 33-19 bullying of the NFC-leading San Francisco 49ers on Christmas night. Afterward, Ravens coach John Harbaugh called it an “MVP” performance.
Sunday, Jackson torched Miami, completing 18 of 21 passes for 325 yards and five touchdowns (along with 35 rushing yards).
“He played a perfect football game in terms of the passing game,” Harbaugh said in the afterglow. “He was on point.”
Harbaugh might’ve sounded hyperbolic, but he was accurate. Jackson finished with a perfect quarterback rating (158.3). It was the third time he has done so in his career, tying him with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner and Ben Roethlisberger. Hall of Fame company.
And who was the last quarterback to have a perfect passer rating and more passing touchdowns than incompletions in the same game?
All Jackson had to do was look in the mirror. He did it against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019. And against the Dolphins earlier that same season.
That’s also the last time he was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, when he joined Brady as the only unanimous choices in history.
Now he’s poised to become the 11th player to win the award twice, at just 26 years old and in the sixth year of his career.
“It’s like watching a video game, bro,” Ravens cornerback Arthur Maulet said. “Every week, he does something and it’s like, ‘really?’ I played against him in Pittsburgh. I’m glad I’m on this side now. I don’t have to chase him around.”
The only difference between Jackson and a video game is that what he does is real, and it manifested itself in several ways Sunday, much the way it has most of the season.
Last year against Miami, Jackson put on an epic and historic performance, racking up 437 yards of total offense and four touchdowns, including a highlight reel 79-yard scoring run. Then the Ravens’ defense disintegrated, choking away a 21-point fourth-quarter lead in a 42-38 loss. After the disastrous outcome, Harbaugh said the team had to “own” the collapse, and that how his players responded would be the story.
Jackson eventually got hurt and missed the last six games of the season, of course.
The story this time was that there wouldn’t be so much as a whiff of a comeback, thanks to a largely dominant defense that was without two main contributors, All-Pro-level safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerback Brandon Stephens, and because of the play of Jackson, who seems to grow by leaps and bounds by the week.
The 2019 NFL MVP all but locked up another one with his first-half performance alone Sunday, completing 12 of 14 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns in the first 30 minutes to stake the Ravens to a 28-13 lead. The signature moment in a season full of moments came when he let fly a 33-yard bomb down the right sideline to a streaking Odell Beckham Jr., the three-time Pro Bowl selection who Baltimore wasn’t even sure could run when they signed him a one-year, $15 million deal before Jackson signed his own $260 million deal in the offseason.
It was the kind of poetry Baltimore has longed for from its wide receivers and has gotten more and more as the season has worn on, from rookie Zay Flowers, to veteran Nelson Agholor, to Rashod Bateman, to Beckham.
Much of it traces back to Jackson.
“We were on the same page, I got the signal, he threw a dot,” said Beckham, who made a diving, over-the-shoulder grab on a perfectly thrown ball and dragged his second foot in bounds as he tumbled out of bounds at the 1-yard line. “I expect myself to make those plays, I think everyone here does. To me, it felt like it was just a normal catch.”
And to many, it looked like just another normal performance from Jackson.
All afternoon, fans chanted “M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P!” just the way the Ravens had in the locker room in Santa Clara, California, after the victory over the 49ers. Jackson was immune to them and kept pouring gas on the fire, lighting up Miami with two more touchdown passes in the second half.
“[I was thinking,] ‘We need to finish this game.’ I’m not really paying attention to the chants,” he said. “Last year, the score was looking like that at halftime and stuff like that and [in the] third quarter. Then, those guys started making plays, and we didn’t do anything, but the only thing on my mind was to finish the game, and today, we did.”
And with it finished off any lingering questions about whether he should be the MVP.
With one game remaining in the regular season, Jackson has thrown for a career-high 3,682 yards and 24 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. He has also completed a career-best 67.2% of his passes. And he’s the best player on the best team, one that has been besieged by injuries, from running backs J.K. Dobbins and Keaton Mitchell to tight end and security blanket Mark Andrews.
Importantly, Jackson has been at his best in the biggest games, too, with Sunday just the latest given what was at stake.
“It was very important,” Jackson said. “We had a lot of guys banged up, nicked up with injuries, [and] guys who couldn’t play. We had guys who stepped up [and] knew the situation, and they played lights out [in] all phases.”
No one more so than Jackson.
“Ain’t no argument,” said tight end Isaiah Likely, the recipient of two of Jackson’s touchdown passes, including one on fourth-and-7. “You go out every Sunday and you tell me somebody better than 8.”
Added backup quarterback Tyler Huntley: “I just see how he’s locked in every play every second of the day. He don’t take no plays for granted. He don’t let a play go by where he’s not trying to get the best out of it. You’re damn sure right [he’s the MVP].”
Fullback Patrick Ricard, who caught the last of Jackson’s touchdowns on the day, hauling in a 4-yard pass on a play that he said the Ravens have been working on for weeks, agreed.
“He’s clearly a quarterback,” Ricard said. “He makes the plays with the throws. OK, because he can run the ball pretty well he’s not quarterback-y? I don’t get it.”
Neither do LeBron James or Ray Lewis.
“Quarterbacky huh!?!? NAAAAHHHHH!! H.I.M.,” James posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Looks real ‘quarterbacky’ to me,” Lewis wrote.
None of them need to worry, because anyone who watched Sunday, and this season, gets it now.
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Here’s how the Ravens (13-3) graded out at each position after a 56-19 win over the Miami Dolphins (11-5) in Sunday’s Week 17 game at M&T Bank Stadium.
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson completed 18 of 21 passes for 321 yards and five touchdowns to finish with a perfect passer rating of 158.3 for the second time in his career. He was unstoppable on every type of pass imaginable, but a key for the postseason is his ability to connect on the deep ball. Jackson completed passes of 23, 75, 35, 33 and 19 yards Sunday. There were times when his receivers were wide-open, but that doesn’t make a difference. They’ve been open before and he couldn’t connect. On Sunday, that was a major difference in the game and it will be an even bigger one heading into the postseason. Grade: A
Running backs
The Ravens pounded the Dolphins’ defense with a steady dose of Gus Edwards, who had 68 yards on 16 carries. His success set up the play-action game, but the Ravens also took apart Miami with Justice Hill coming out of the backfield. Hill had 48 yards on three carries and five receptions for 64 yards. He also had a 78-yard kickoff return to open the second half that set up a touchdown. Miami never adjusted to Hill coming out of the backfield and running wheel routes. Grade: A
Receivers
The Ravens ran every route in the passing tree, from deep verticals to short crossing routes to slow drifters into the flats, and everything was open. They averaged 17.9 yards per reception. Hill led the team in catches, while Rashod Bateman had four receptions for 54 yards, rookie Zay Flowers had a 75-yard touchdown catch-and-run and Odell Beckham Jr. hauled in a highlight-reel 33-yard pass near the goal line. Tight end Isaiah Likely had two touchdown catches, including a brilliant one-handed grab for a 35-yard score in the second quarter. There were times when the Dolphins weren’t in the same zip code as the Ravens’ receivers. Grade: A
Offensive line
Jackson had time to eat lunch, have a drink and get his car from the valet service, and this was against one of the better pass rushing teams in the NFL. The Ravens were without starting right guard Kevin Zeitler, but replacement Ben Cleveland did well, especially getting into the second level. Both starting tackles, Morgan Moses and Ronnie Stanley, played well for the second straight week, and the Ravens kept Miami from getting inside pressure. Miami had only one sack and two quarterback hits. However, left guard John Simpson seems to average about two penalties per game. That has to stop. Grade: A
Defensive line
Miami averaged 6.2 yards on 25 carries. The Dolphins stayed with their philosophy of running off the perimeter and using a lot of toss plays. The Ravens didn’t get much help from end Jadeveon Clowney and tackle Justin Madubuike in slowing Miami down. Madubuike finished with five tackles, including a sack, and nose tackle Michael Pierce had three tackles, including one pressure, before exiting to be evaluated for a head injury. Miami finished with 154 rushing yards, but the Ravens were able to make adjustments after being gashed early. De’Von Achane had just 21 rushing yards in the second half. Grade: C
Linebackers
Middle linebacker Roquan Smith led this group with seven tackles and had a great one-handed interception. The Ravens always seemed to be a step behind the Miami receivers or tight ends over the middle in the first half but adjusted well in the second. Weakside linebacker Patrick Queen finished with six tackles. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy had a sack and so did Odafe Oweh, but overall it was a strong game by this usually stellar group. Grade: C+
Secondary
The Ravens gave up 237 passing yards and 375 yards of total offense, but they were missing injured safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerback Brandon Stephens. They were also without cornerback Marlon Humphrey after he exited with a calf injury in the first half. The Ravens were forced to play with reserves such as safety Geno Stone and cornerbacks Rock Ya-Sin and Daryl Worley, though Stone led the team with eight tackles and recorded his sixth interception of the season. Cornerback Arthur Maulet, another reserve, finished with five tackles. Grade: B-
Special teams
Jordan Stout averaged 35.5 yards on two punts, and the Ravens didn’t have to use kicker Justin Tucker except for extra points. Hill had a 78-yard kickoff return to open the third quarter and averaged 50.5 yards on two returns. The Ravens allowed three kickoff returns for a total of 74 yards, including one of 32 by Braxton Berrios. Baltimore won this phase of the game as well. Grade: B+
Coaching
There was concern about a letdown after the Ravens had a short week following such a physical game against San Francisco on Monday night, but they were even more dominant against Miami. This was their best game of the year. Defensively, they got off to a slow start, but coordinator Mike Macdonald made adjustments in the second half, especially with the linebackers in coverage. Offensively, coordinator Todd Monken was way ahead of his counterpart, Miami defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The Dolphins privately complained about the Ravens running up the score, but that’s on them. Make a stop. Grade: B+
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The last two times December gave way to January, the Ravens were limping, and so was their quarterback.
Injuries to Lamar Jackson hampered Baltimore down the stretch in 2021 and 2022, and his absences raised questions about whether he’s worthy of elite quarterback status and the money that comes with it.
This time, as the calendar flips, so have those narratives.
With a healthy Jackson at the helm, the Ravens are surging into the new year as perhaps the NFL’s best team. Their convincing 56-19 win over the Dolphins on Sunday clinched a division title and the AFC’s No. 1 seed for Baltimore (13-3), which will have a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the conference championship.
After leading the Ravens to victory over the 49ers on Christmas, Jackson became the betting favorite to win the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award. Sports talk shows throughout the past week questioned whether Jackson — with his unique style of play — is deserving of the honor.
He proved Sunday that he is.
In his best passing performance of the season, Jackson threw a season-high five touchdown passes with a perfect 158.3 passer rating, solidifying his case to win his second MVP award. After each score, Baltimore fans at M&T Bank Stadium chanted “M-V-P” for their star quarterback who is 58-19 in the regular season since taking over as the starter midway through the 2018 season.
The AFC North title is the Ravens’ third in the Jackson era, fifth under coach John Harbaugh and seventh in team history. They’ve done so this year before their Week 18 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers — one in which Jackson and other starters could rest to prepare for a playoff run.
As elating as Sunday’s victory was, the Ravens and Jackson have been here before. In 2019, Baltimore entered the postseason as the AFC’s top seed on a 12-game winning streak, and Jackson was on the verge of being a unanimous MVP. None of that mattered, though, when they fell flat in the divisional round to the Tennessee Titans.
“We know what it was in 2019 when we were playing against [teams] like this [and] winning regular-season games,” Jackson said after the win over the 49ers last week. “When the time came, we didn’t finish the season. We’re just going to keep taking it a day at a time, a practice at a time and a game at a time. That’s all I’m focused on right now.”
On Christmas, the Ravens stymied quarterback Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense in a convincing win over the NFC’s best team. In a similar offense led by Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, a protege of San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan, Tagovailoa didn’t have the same difficulty early in the game against a Ravens defense without injured safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerback Brandon Stephens.
Tagovailoa, who entered with the opportunity to usurp Jackson as the MVP front-runner, easily matriculated the ball downfield on the opening drive with the help of running back De’Von Achane, starting in place of the injured Raheem Mostert, for a 75-yard drive that ended in an 8-yard touchdown pass from the former Alabama standout to wideout Cedrick Wilson Jr. on third down.
The start to Baltimore’s first offensive drive wasn’t as smooth. Jackson and wideout Rashod Bateman couldn’t connect on a wide-open deep pass, and a big gain to running back Justice Hill on a wheel route was called back by a penalty. But Hill extended the drive by taking a screen 18 yards to convert on third-and-16. Hill then scored his fourth touchdown of the season — and first receiving score of his four-year career — on the same wheel route that was penalized earlier in the drive, catching Jackson’s accurate throw for a 20-yard score.
The Dolphins easily drove inside Baltimore’s 10-yard line on their next drive, but Tyreek Hill, an MVP candidate who is chasing a 2,000-yard season, dropped a wide-open touchdown in the end zone, forcing Miami (11-5) to settle for a short field goal from Jason Sanders.
Sanders kicked another field goal in the second quarter, but those points were the only Miami could muster until the fourth. Without Stephens, Hamilton and cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who exited in the first half with a calf injury, the Ravens bent but didn’t break against a Miami offense that entered leading the NFL in points and yards. The depleted secondary held Hill to 76 yards on six receptions.
The Ravens took their first lead — one they never relinquished — midway through the second quarter on a 1-yard rushing score from Gus Edwards. The plunge was set up by a majestic throw and catch from Jackson to Odell Beckham Jr., who corralled an off-balanced throw from his quarterback down the sideline for a 33-yard gain. It wasn’t quite his signature one-handed grab back in 2014 with the Giants, but his teammates would later show off their own ability in that regard.
After Sanders’ second field goal, Jackson needed just one play for his response, hitting Zay Flowers down the sideline and watching the rookie wideout evade two defenders for a 75-yard touchdown.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh holds The Baltimore Sun newspaper with the headline “AFC’S BEST” after Baltimore’s 56-19 win over the Dolphins on Sunday clinched the No. 1 seed. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Linebacker Roquan Smith then picked off Tagovailoa — the first of two, as Geno Stone caught his seventh interception in the third quarter — to give Jackson and company another opportunity to score before halftime. It appeared they would have to settle for a field goal, but Harbaugh trusted his 26-year-old signal-caller to convert a fourth-and-7 at the 35 instead of sending kicker Justin Tucker out for a 53-yard field goal attempt.
Harbaugh’s faith was correctly placed, as Isaiah Likely hauled in a pass from Jackson with one hand and raced into the end zone, giving the Ravens a 28-13 lead at halftime.
The Ravens didn’t take their foot off the gas pedal in the second half, as Hill returned the opening kickoff 78 yards to set up another Jackson-to-Likely touchdown pass. After a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tagovailoa to Achane early in the fourth, Jackson responded with his fifth touchdown of the afternoon, hitting fullback Patrick Ricard on a 4-yard floater in the end zone.
Backup running back Melvin Gordon and No. 2 tight end Charlie Kolar both scored touchdowns in the final five minutes as the Ravens continued to pour in the points. Gordon’s was his first of the season, while Kolar’s was the first of his career. Their 56 points are the second most in franchise history, behind only the 59 points Jackson and the Ravens scored in the 2019 season opener against Miami.
Jackson celebrated more after the final score — a 19-yard pass from backup quarterback Tyler Huntley to Kolar — than after any of his own touchdowns. He danced up and down the sideline with Flowers in jubilation for his friend and teammate.
The final two minutes consisted of hugs and high-fives on the Ravens’ sideline. Each time Jackson appeared on the video board, the crowd at M&T Bank Stadium let him and the football world know what they think of him.
“M-V-P,” Ravens fans repeatedly chanted.
This story will be updated.
Week 18
Steelers at Ravens
Sunday, TBA
TV: TBA
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 56-19 win over the visiting Miami Dolphins in Sunday’s Week 17 game at M&T Bank Stadium.
Brian Wacker: There wasn’t going to be a historic comeback this time, not the way the Ravens bullied the Dolphins on both sides of the ball. First, there was Lamar Jackson delivering another Most Valuable Player performance against another stellar defense, completing 18 of 21 passes for 321 yards and five touchdowns for a perfect passer rating.
Baltimore clearly had little respect for Miami’s secondary, dialing up several long passing plays and most notably going for it on fourth-and-7 from Miami’s 35-yard line in the first half instead of trying a field goal.
The result was emblematic of the day: Jackson hit Isaiah Likely on a crossing route and the tight end snagged the pass with one hand, Odell Beckham Jr. style, before rumbling 35 yards for the touchdown. That gave Baltimore a 28-13 halftime lead they tacked onto with a 7-yard strike from Jackson to Likely to start the third quarter after a 78-yard kick return by Justice Hill set up the short field.
Jackson’s performance all but locked up a second NFL MVP Award and deservedly so after he guided the Ravens through the gantlet to the NFL’s best record and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs as the AFC’s top seed.
The Ravens have been a tremendous front-runner for all but a few games and that played out again, thanks to Jackson but also the defense, which clamped down on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and running back De’Von Achane in the second half. That they also did so without safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerback Brandon Stephens, both of whom were inactive with injuries, and cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who left the game late in the first quarter and didn’t return, speaks volumes about the next-man up mantra they so often tout. To that point, cornerbacks Arthur Maulet and Ronald Darby stepped in beautifully. Then, once the Ravens had a hefty lead, their pass rush teed off on Tagovailoa and buried Miami.
Childs Walker: Sometimes, a team just goes on a heater. What else could you say after the Ravens packed a one-handed interception, a one-handed touchdown catch and an 78-yard kickoff return into less than five minutes of game time?
In broad strokes, this game felt eerily similar to the Dolphins’ last visit to M&T Bank Stadium, with the Ravens holding a 35-13 lead, one off their 35-14 advantage last year, going into the fourth quarter. But the Ravens are a deeper, more adaptable team in 2023, with a fully realized Lamar Jackson leading them. They earned the AFC’s No. 1 seed by firing back harder every time the Dolphins hit them.
The Ravens’ defense, playing without Kyle Hamilton or Brandon Stephens, looked helpless against the Dolphins’ speed in the first quarter. It was on the offense to pick up the early slack, and Jackson answered the call, finding open receivers all over the field and conducting an efficient running attack. Their hand grew so hot that John Harbaugh rather stunningly went for a fourth-and-7 late in the second quarter, and it resulted in a one-handed 35-yard touchdown catch by Isaiah Likely. Jackson finished the half an absurd 12 for 14 for 255 yards and three touchdowns, burnishing his MVP case.
Home-field advantage throughout the playoffs is great, but the Ravens earned something more important: a three-week break for their many key players who are nursing injuries.
Mike Preston: The Ravens are starting to make this run to the playoffs look easy, and that’s what good teams do at this point of the season. They dominate opponents, gain momentum and prove they are the team to beat.
Miami came into Baltimore with visions of beating the Ravens and trying to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the first-round bye and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Instead, the Ravens pounded them in a game Miami won’t forget anytime soon.
The message is clear: The Ravens have the most complete and balanced team in the NFL and its going to take a superior effort to beat them. They still struggled defensively at times, but they have a quarterback in Lamar Jackson who has developed touch on the deep ball, and that could come in handy in the postseason when quarterbacks take control of the game, especially if the Ravens fall behind early.
Jacob Calvin Meyer: The start of the game didn’t go as planned. Kyle Hamilton, Brandon Stephens and Kevin Zeitler were all inactive. The Dolphins easily drove the ball down the field and went up 7-0. And two of the Ravens’ first three plays on offense should’ve been big gains but weren’t.
Then Lamar Jackson took over.
He played a perfect game — according to his 158.3 passer rating — with five touchdown passes. It was his best game of the season, and it solidified his case to win his second NFL MVP award.
The defense, meanwhile, held up against one of the league’s best offenses. Running back Justice Hill stepped up for his best game of the season with contributions on the ground, through the air and on special teams. Isaiah Likely continued to show he’s a suitable replacement for Mark Andrews as the starting tight end recovers from an ankle injury.
The Week 18 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers posed a tough test for the Ravens against a team that has given Baltimore and Jackson trouble.
Now it won’t matter.
C.J. Doon: If there were any lingering doubts about who deserves the NFL MVP Award, Lamar Jackson put them to rest.
After the Dolphins made easy work of the Ravens’ defense on their opening possession, Jackson responded with a clinical drive of his own to tie the game and only got better from there. His only two incompletions of the first half were a drop on a diving attempt by Rashod Bateman and another pass to Bateman that could have been called pass interference on Dolphins cornerback Eli Apple. With Justice Hill and Isaiah Likely (combined three touchdowns) stepping up in the absence of playmakers Keaton Mitchell and Mark Andrews, rookie Zay Flowers continuing to excel and receivers Rashod Bateman and Odell Beckham Jr. showing flashes, this Ravens offense looks well equipped to make a deep postseason run.
The same can be said of the defense, which tightened up after being gashed early. The Dolphins didn’t have their full complement of playmakers with Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert out, but containing speedsters De’Von Achane and Tyreek Hill is no easy feat. They did their fair share of damage, but not enough to overwhelm a shorthanded secondary missing Kyle Hamilton, Brandon Stephens and Marlon Humphrey, who suffered a calf injury in the first quarter and did not return. That’s a credit to coordinator Mike Macdonald and the players for embodying the “next man up” mentality.
With the No. 1 seed locked up, the Ravens face the old rest vs. rust debate heading into a Week 18 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who could be fighting for a playoff berth. Logic dictates the Ravens will sit Jackson and most of their starters, but maybe that divisional round loss to the Titans four years ago will influence the team’s thinking.
Tim Schwartz: The best team in the NFL resides in Baltimore. There wasn’t much doubt about that after Monday’s beatdown of the 49ers, but Sunday’s dismantling of the Dolphins put an exclamation point on the Ravens’ 2023 regular season.
Yes, they still need to play the Steelers next week, but they have earned the option of resting players in what will be a meaningless game for Baltimore. Lamar Jackson is also your 2023 NFL Most Valuable Player, putting together his signature performance of the year by throwing five touchdown passes for the fourth time in his career with only three incompletions and a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
The running game is humming. Isaiah Likely is starring in Mark Andrews’ place. Jackson has several reliable options to throw to. Run defense is probably their only weakness right now, but the Ravens make up for it by creating turnovers and with exceptional special teams play.
Now coach John Harbaugh needs to decide how much rest is too much while considering the health of several players — a bunch got banged up on Sunday. That’s a luxury only they have in the AFC.
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The Ravens’ secondary suffered another blow late in the first quarter Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium.
Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey is questionable to return with a calf injury. He suffered the injury on Miami’s 27-yard field goal with 3:42 remaining in the opening quarter and limped to the sideline before heading into the blue medical tent.
Humphrey returned to the Ravens’ bench, but was not on the field for the defense’s next series, with veteran Rock Ya-Sin taking his place. He stayed on the sideline continuing to try to stretch out his calf.
Baltimore is already without cornerback Brandon Stephens (ankle) and safety Kyle Hamilton (knee) for the game and Miami so far has been able to take advantage of the depleted secondary in taking a 10-7 lead. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has passed for 77 yards and a touchdown in the first half, and running back Da’Von Achane also gashed Baltimore in the opening quarter with 68 rushing yards and 27 receiving yards.
This story will be updated.
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The Ravens will have to win the biggest game of their season without three of their best players.
Safety Kyle Hamilton, cornerback Brandon Stephens and right guard Kevin Zeitler are inactive for Sunday’s home game against the Miami Dolphins. It is the first missed game of the season for all three players.
If the Ravens win Sunday, they will clinch the AFC North title, the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage through the conference playoffs.
Hamilton, who injured his knee during his standout performance on Christmas against the 49ers, has broken out in his second season. His two-interception game against San Francisco was his coronation as one of the NFL’s best safeties.
Stephens (ankle) has also enjoyed a breakout year as a capable cover corner alongside Marlon Humphrey. Zeitler (knee/quad), a veteran guard in is third season with Baltimore, is one of quarterback Lamar Jackson’s most trusted linemen. With rookie Sala Aumavae-Laulu inactive, Patrick Mekari and Ben Cleveland are the top options to replace Zeitler.
Without Hamilton and Stephens, Humphrey, safety Marcus Williams and the rest of the Ravens’ defense will be tasked with containing star wideout and NFL Most Valuable Player candidate Tyreek Hill. Ronald Darby and Rock Ya-Sin are next up at cornerback after Jalyn Armour-Davis was placed on injured reserve Saturday and Damarion “Pepe” Williams was ruled inactive.
Veteran Josh Johnson will be the emergency third quarterback, while fourth-string quarterback Malik Cunningham is inactive.
It’s not all bad news leading up to the pivotal contest, though. Rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers, who was questionable with a calf injury, is active. On Saturday, wide receiver Laquon Treadwell was signed to the 53-man roster, while outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon and defensive back Andrew Adams were promoted from the practice squad.
The Dolphins are also compromised for Sunday’s game. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (ankle), a key part of Miami’s offense, and running back Raheem Mostert (knee/ankle), who leads the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns, are inactive. Right guard Robert Hunt (hamstring) and reserve defensive end Emanuel Ogbah are also out.
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Former Ravens running back Ray Rice will be the “Legend of the Game” for Sunday’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium.
The honor recognizes a past player for accomplishments on and off the field. Rice, 36, spent six seasons in Baltimore from 2008 to 2013 and was a key member of its Super Bowl championship team during the 2012 season.
But he was suspended and later released after video surfaced of him punching his then-fiancée Janay Palmer in an elevator at an Atlantic City casino on Feb. 15, 2014.
In a story published on the team’s website Friday, the Ravens said Rice is “being recognized for the player he was, and for the redemption he has worked towards.”
“I truly understand why I was let go and why so many hearts changed,” Rice told the team’s website. “But hopefully people can see where I’m at now.
“They say people can change, right? I am not the same person I was 10-12 years ago. That’s just not who I am. Every time I stepped on the field, I gave it my all. But I couldn’t say the same for life. Now I’m trying to be the best version of me.”
A second-round draft pick out of Rutgers in 2008, Rice was a three-time Pro Bowl selection with the Ravens. He rushed for 6,180 yards, second-most in franchise history, and 70 touchdowns and had 369 catches for 3,064 yards and six scores. Four times he topped 1,000 yards in a season, and he averaged 4.3 yards per carry for his career.
In February 2014, Rice and Palmer were arrested and charged with simple assault following an alercation at the Revel Casino, according to Atlantic City police. Rice was indicted the following month on a charge of third-degree aggravated assault, but prosecutors dropped the charge after he paid $125 in fines and received anger management counseling. The charge against Palmer also was dropped.
The NFL initially suspended Rice for two games, drawing widespread criticism for being too lenient and driving conversation about how the league deals with domestic violence. On Sept. 8, 2014, hours after TMZ posted video of Rice punching Palmer, the Ravens released him and the NFL announced an indefinite suspension.
Rice and Palmer have been married for 10 years and have two kids together, Rayven, 11, and Jaylen, 7, and recently moved back to the Baltimore area full-time, the team said. Rice also coaches two youth football teams, the 13U and 7U Pikesville Wildcats.
“He was also consistently in the community, giving back. Importantly, after Ray’s incident he owned it,” Ravens president Sashi Brown said, via the team’s website. “On his own accord, Ray undertook critical work within himself and to bring awareness to and educate others on domestic violence. Nothing will change his past or make it right, but Ray’s work has allowed him to atone for his actions and rebuild relationships personally and professionally, including with the Ravens.”
Over the years, Rice has been involved with domestic violence awareness groups, including the Childhood Domestic Violence Association and A Call to Men. Since 2014, the Ravens have donated more than $2 million to Baltimore’s House of Ruth.
Rice has also spoken to several NFL and college teams and talks to Ravens rookies at the team’s annual educational seminar. He was honored on the field at M&T Bank Stadium last season, along with former teammates, as part of the Ravens’ 10th anniversary celebration of their last Super Bowl title.
In 2019, Rice launched Pipeline 2 Prosperity, a nonprofit organization helping underprivileged kids in Baltimore and his hometown of New Rochelle, New York, providing them with toys, sports equipment, peer-to-peer mentoring and other needs.
“I knew it would be hard to forgive me, but the one thing I have been consistent with was that I was going to be better. I’m not going to be a victim of my past,” Rice told the team’s website. “My legacy won’t be domestic violence. My legacy will be what I became after.”
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CLEVELAND — In a surreal moment seemingly clipped from a Disney movie, Joe Flacco stood on the field and posed for a family photo with his wife, Dana, and their five children as delirious Browns fans serenaded them with chants of “M-V-P, M-V-P.”
Welcome to Cleveland.
Or in Flacco’s case, Dreamland.
Another chapter was added to the NFL’s most improbable story of 2023 Thursday night when Flacco — who stayed in shape in the offseason by throwing passes to his brother, Tom, in New Jersey while waiting, and wondering, if a team would call — led the Browns into the playoffs for just the third time since 1999.
That’s right, with a 37-20 win over the New York Jets, the Browns (11-5) clinched a postseason spot while riding the rifle arm of a 38-year-old quarterback who spent most of his career beating them with rival Baltimore.
This wasn’t in the script, so to speak. But then again, little has gone as planned in Cleveland this season.
The Browns haven’t let significant injuries slow them down. In fact, the adversity has only bonded them while they put together a run to the playoffs few thought possible.
Not after All-Pro tackle Jack Conklin tore up his knee in the opener. Not after star running back Nick Chubb’s season ended the same way a week later in Pittsburgh. Not when starting tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Dawand Jones both suffered season-ending knee injuries.
And not after quarterback Deshaun Watson’s shoulder fractured during his best game in two seasons.
No other team has started four quarterbacks and kept winning. No other team has endured more than these Browns, who just might be the league’s most dangerous team as big December games become bigger ones in January.
No other team has Flacco.
He has the Browns and their fans believing anything is possible.
“We find a way — no matter what,” running back Kareem Hunt said. “Flacco’s been doing a heck of a job leading us, being that coach leader out there on the field for us, making every pass. He’s calm, cool, and collected. That’s a great quarterback.”
Flacco’s numbers are mind-numbing.
He’s passed for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns in five starts (both league highs in that span), and the former Super Bowl Most Valuable Player is the first quarterback in league history to pass for at least 250 yards and two touchdowns in his first five games with a team.
He’s thrown for 300 yards in four straight games, and in Thursday’s playoff clincher, Flacco passed for 296 yards and three scores — in the first half.
After the game, as the nearing-midnight sky above Cleveland Browns Stadium lit up with fireworks, Flacco spent a moment at midfield chatting with Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback who was supposed to save the Jets — the same Jets who felt Flacco could no longer help them.
Looking back, New York’s mistake helped Flacco.
It all worked out. He’s found a new home, Cleveland.
“This city,” he said. “You can just tell they love football and it’s special going out there and playing for them.”
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One week after being on a nearly impossible mission against the San Francisco 49ers, the Ravens face another one Sunday when they play the Dolphins.
The Ravens (12-3) host Miami (11-4) at M&T Bank Stadium and can clinch the No. 1 seed and the first-round bye in the AFC playoffs with a win. (Baltimore can still secure the top spot with a loss if it beats the Pittsburgh Steelers next week and the Dolphins lose to the Buffalo Bills.)
The Ravens smacked San Francisco around Monday night in a 33-19 victory, and the 49ers and Dolphins have a lot in common as far as offensive philosophy and schemes.
But no team has as much speed as Miami, which boasts two 1,000-yard receivers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and a pair of dynamic running backs in Raheem Mostert (1,012 rushing yards) and rookie De’Von Achane (637). Combined with the league-leading 70.5% completion rate of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the offensive brilliance of coach Mike McDaniel, this track team in shoulder pads presents major concerns for the Ravens.
“It’s a challenge. It’s unique to the rest of the league because it’s at every spot,” Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald said. “Every guy that can touch the ball can take off and score from any point. So, it sounds cliché, but it is all 11 players. You have to take great angles, you have to have great force, great secondary force and a third guy in the alley. And the ball can hit at any point in the field, anywhere from the A-gap all the way out to the alley. So, it’s a challenge.
“How we structure things, and how we play blocks, and they do some things, schematically, that are a little different from what we’ve seen in the run game and the perimeter, like screen game. So, we’re getting a great look this week.”
Few teams have been able to slow down Miami. The Dolphins are averaging 30.9 points and 411.5 yards per game, both tops in the NFL. While Tagovailoa has thrown for a league-leading 4,214 yards with 26 touchdowns, the offense is built around Hill, the best receiver in the league.
He has 106 receptions for 1,641 yards and 12 touchdowns despite missing Week 15 with an ankle injury. Hill needs 324 yards in the final two games to break the NFL record for receiving yards set by Detroit’s Calvin Johnson (1,964) in 2012.
Hill’s speed is jaw-dropping, and the Dolphins use him in motion anywhere on the field. He might line up as a tight end and sprint to the outside. He could line up outside, then go in an orbit motion behind the quarterback or go to the other side of the field to anchor the slot.
He can disappear faster than Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“Well, they do a great job of getting him the ball creatively,” Macdonald said. “It’s different if someone just lines up at the X, and he’s on the ball, and he’s not moving, and you know where he’s going to be — that’s definitely not the case with Tyreek. So, we have some initial plans on how we want to handle it. Obviously, I don’t want to divulge it right now, but it’s a challenge in how they move him.”
The Ravens will get a break because Waddle, another speedster, won’t play because of a high ankle sprain. With so much emphasis on Hill, Tagovailoa has been able to find Waddle streaking open in the middle, often in one-on-one coverage.
Hill, though, is the playmaker. The New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys tried to bracket him, or shade zone coverage toward his side of the field. Other teams have tried the two-high safety look. Regardless, Hill has run through double and triple teams at times.
The Dolphins also have outstanding speed with Mostert (4.8 yards per carry) and Achane (8.1 yards per carry), the second-fastest player on the team after Hill.
There are no pretenses with the Dolphins. They want to run outside. Like everything else the Dolphins do on offense, they try to cause confusion with motion. Then it’s beep, beep, gone.
Jerry Jackson/Baltimore SunDolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa throws a touchdown pass ahead of the rush of Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh, left, on Sept. 18, 2022, at M&T Bank Stadium. (Jerry Jackson/Staff)“Honestly, I just think it’s eye candy, for sure,” said Ravens middle linebacker Roquan Smith, who leads the team with 151 tackles. “I think it’s more so just about the final formation. You get back to what you’re doing.”
Maybe the Ravens want to look at Kansas City’s game against Miami earlier this year, a 21-14 Chiefs victory in Germany. Tagovailoa completed 21 of 34 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, while Hill had eight catches for 62 yards and Waddle had three for 42.
A key for the Ravens is to get pressure on Tagovailoa with their front four so they can drop six, seven or even eight defenders into coverage. Kansas City also confused Miami by bringing pressure off the perimeter. Tagovailoa is basically a one-read quarterback, and he can’t move outside the pocket. If he holds the ball too long, panic sets in.
There is more pressure on the Ravens going into this game than Monday against San Francisco. The Ravens went into that prime-time matchup with a chip on their shoulders because they were underdogs. They are favored against Miami.
The Dolphins have won two straight against Baltimore, including last year’s 42-38 victory in which Miami scored 28 points in the fourth quarter. The Ravens could be without four injured starters in guard Kevin Zeitler (knee/quad), rookie receiver Zay Flowers (calf), cornerback Brandon Stephens (ankle) and safety Kyle Hamilton (knee). The Ravens are also operating on a short week after a physical game against the 49ers, and they would prefer to secure home-field advantage with a win against Miami instead of having that emotional battle with the AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday.
There is one person, though, who remains calm, and that’s Smith. The Ravens are ranked No. 5 in total defense and are allowing the fewest points per game (16.3) in the league.
“At the end of the day, the field is 100 yards long — and what is it, like 53 yards wide? — so you can only go so far,” he said. “There is 100 yards this way and 50-or-so yards going that way, so when you look at it from that perspective, I think it’s just more so doing our jobs and getting back to our responsibilities.
“I think if we do that, we’ll slow a lot of that down, but obviously, it’s a lot easier said than done. We’re ready for it, and we’re going to be ready for it.”
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Camden Yards was packed, Baltimore fans were covered in orange swag and the Orioles were minutes away from their most important home game in almost a decade.
After losing the day before, the local nine were hosting Game 2 of the American League Division Series for a virtual must-win October contest in front of 46,475 fans. However, shortly before first pitch, some fans weren’t solely focused on hyping themselves up for the postseason ballgame. Instead, for many on the club level, their eyes were glued to nearby televisions showing the end of the Ravens’ regular-season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That sight would’ve hardly been a surprise for the many Baltimore fans who believe Charm City is — at its core — a football town first. No matter your allegiance, 2023 has been a remarkable year to be a Baltimore fan. The Orioles were the best team in MLB’s AL, while the Ravens are the front-runner for the top seed in the NFL’s AFC. The two franchises’ success in the same year — a rarity in recent decades — poses a fitting moment to ponder the age-old question of whether Baltimore is a football or baseball city.
“I think it’s probably more of a football city,” said Mike Miller, a 46-year-old Baltimore native who was donning an Orioles cap while tailgating outside M&T Bank Stadium before a Ravens game in November. “But the Orioles have given the fans something to root for now, so it’s becoming closer.”
Some Baltimore fans say the city loves both teams equally, like parents with their children. But, as everyone knows, parents do, in fact, have their favorites, and so do fan bases. The Colts were the first to have success, as the Johnny Unitas-led squad won two championships in the late 1950s, including the 1958 title game that is considered “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”
“Football city,” Baltimore fan Ed Wazlavek said emphatically when asked the question. Wazlavek, 67, said growing up in East Baltimore and watching the Colts on Sundays was “like gospel.” It’s why he hasn’t missed attending a Ravens home game since the city regained an NFL franchise in 1996.
“Don’t get me wrong, the Orioles were popular,” Wazlavek said, naming the legends of those 1960s teams. “But I think because the Colts were relevant first is why it’s always been a football town. You see it, even if they’re losing, the stadium’s always sold out. The Orioles, it’s not like that.”
M&T Bank Stadium is lit in orange after the Orioles clinched the AL East Division championship at Orioles Park at Camden Yards on Sept. 28. It’s also been more fruitful and less draining to be a Ravens fan. Since 2000, the Ravens have been one of the NFL’s best teams with two Super Bowl rings, six division titles — with a seventh on the way if they win Sunday against the visiting Miami Dolphins — and 15 playoff berths. The Orioles, meanwhile, haven’t won a World Series since 1983, claimed a division title this year for just the third time in the past four decades and played in the postseason for only the fourth time this century.
“Since the Ravens got here, they’ve been a contender,” said Kevin Green, a 28-year-old Baltimore fan who wore an Orioles cap and a Lamar Jackson jersey while tailgating before a Ravens game last month. “We are always in the conversation.”
“Being an Orioles fan gets very frustrating,” said John Shipley, 41, of Rosedale. “It’s good, though, for when the Ravens do go through a rough patch, we’re accustomed to losing because of the Orioles.”
While the Ravens’ consistent success and the NFL’s increasing popularity are why many fans see Baltimore as a football city, that perhaps doesn’t tell the full story. During the Orioles’ struggles before Buck Showalter arrived as manager more than a decade ago and the recent rebuild that officially ended this year, a yearning was bubbling under the surface for a good ballclub to root for. Camden Yards drew more than 2 million fans — the mark of a solid attendance year — every season from 2012 and 2017, and while the Orioles came just short in 2023, attendance increased by 41.5% compared with 2022.
“I believe this city has embraced the good young team,” said Dwayne Jackson, a 43-year-old Baltimore native. “We’ve got a lot of young talent. We’re going to grow with them for years.”
That everlasting hope in the Orioles embedded deep in the city’s conscience might go back further than anyone alive can remember.
Baseball has a rich history in Baltimore even though it didn’t have an MLB team for most of the first half of the 20th century. The original Baltimore Orioles were a founding member of the American Association in the 1880s, later joining the National League in the 1890s and briefly the AL in the early 1900s when Hall of Famer John McGraw was a star player and manager.
“I would say at its heart, at its soul, Baltimore is a baseball city just because the Orioles have been here so long,” Baltimore fan Sean Jones said.
Then there’s the fact that the greatest baseball player to ever live was born in Ridgely’s Delight, which is still memorialized with the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum, and his childhood home was located where center field of Oriole Park is today. Ruth then started his professional baseball career playing for the International League Orioles — a dominant minor league team in the 1910s and 1920s — in 1914 before joining the Boston Red Sox.
“I don’t think there’s any question that this was by far a baseball town before it was a football town,” longtime former News American and Baltimore Sun sports reporter Jim Henneman said. “But you could probably say that about any major city because it wasn’t until the 1950s when the NFL started to take hold.”
Angels Orioles Baseball
Nick Wass/APThe Orioles’ Adley Rutschman, left, and the Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton, right, pose after they exchanged jerseys before a game May 16 at Camden Yards. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)Henneman, 88, is in his eighth decade covering Baltimore sports, now with PressBox, and he said the answer to this question has “flipped” over the years.
“The Colts hit the jackpot before the Orioles did, so they got a grip on the city,” he said, making the Orioles “kind of like stepchildren for a while.” Then, as the Colts struggled and moved to Indianapolis, the Orioles regained their status, only to have the Ravens come to town and capture the city’s consistent praise.
On-field success isn’t everything, though. According to Sam Clevenger, an assistant professor of sport management at Towson University, the ethos of a rust-belt city like Baltimore might jell more with the tough, gritty nature of football.
“I think Cleveland and Baltimore are kind of similar,” said Clevenger, a native of Canton, Ohio, a football town that is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “It seems like cities like that — Buffalo is another one — I think a lot of people are inclined to connect with football more. I think a lot of people in postindustrial cities have a nostalgia for the industrial, blue-collar past of the cities. They connect with these ideas of hard work and perseverance, and I think there’s an easy way to link that kind of nostalgia and identity with the sport of football.”
No matter the answer to the question, though, right now might be the best time to be a Baltimore fan in more than 50 years. If the Ravens can end the regular season as the AFC’s best team — a status they can claim Sunday with a victory — it would be the first time that both Baltimore franchises have finished atop their respective leagues since 1970. They both brought home championship trophies that year.
“It’s amazing, Jackson said. “You go from one season to the next, from baseball season to football season, and you still get to feel proud of your home team.”
Baltimore Sun reporter Hayes Gardner contributed to this article.
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If the Ravens are going to slow down the NFL’s highest scoring offense Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, they might have to do so without two of their best defensive players.
Safety Kyle Hamilton (knee) and cornerback Brandon Stephens (ankle) are both listed as questionable for the crucial 1 p.m. showdown between the AFC’s top two teams, though neither player practiced Friday in Owings Mills.
“It’s the time of year,” coach John Harbaugh after practice when asked about the status of Hamilton and Stephens. “Everybody who can go will be out there.”
If Baltimore (12-3) wins, it clinches the top seed in the AFC, the first-round bye in the playoffs and home-field advantage through the conference championship game. If Miami (11-4) wins, it can clinch the top spot with a Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills or a Ravens loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But stopping or even slowing down the Dolphins without Hamilton and Stephens would be challenging.
Hamilton has been the cornerstone of the Ravens’ defense, which is tops in the NFL in several metrics, and much of that success is because of his versatility and All-Pro level of play. When the second-year safety and 2022 first-round draft pick has been on the field this season, the Ravens have allowed 4.2 yards per play and have a success rate of 63.7%, which rank first and second in the NFL, respectively, per TruMedia. When he hasn’t been, the Ravens’ defense has been one of the worst in the league in those two categories.
Hamilton’s 81 tackles are also third-most on the team behind only inside linebackers Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen, and he has 13 passes defensed, four interceptions and three sacks.
Stephens, meanwhile, has been a surprising emergence for the Ravens and their most consistent cornerback on the outside. If he’s not able to play, veterans Ronald Darby or Rock Ya-Sin would likely fill the void. Baltimore is already a little thin at the position with Jalyn Armour-Davis (concussion) ruled out, though Arthur Maulet (knee) was a full participant Friday after being limited earlier in the week. If Hamilton and Maulet don’t play or are limited, that would likely mean more action in the slot for Marlon Humphrey.
The Dolphins are averaging 30.9 points per game and are likewise tops in passing yards per game (275.1) and completion percentage (.706) and second in yards per pass (8.2).
Others missing from practice Friday were wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (rest), though he was not given an injury designation for the game, and linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips (shoulder), who is listed as questionable. Wide receiver Zay Flowers (calf) and guard Kevin Zeitler (knee/quad) are also questionable and were limited.
For the Dolphins, star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (ankle) has been ruled out as expected, while right guard Robert Hunt (hamstring) is doubtful. Waddle ranks seventh in the NFL with 1,014 receiving yards. Braxton Berrios (23 receptions for 219 yards), Cedrick Wilson Jr. (19 for 245), River Cracraft (8 for 103), Robbie Chosen (4 for 126) and Chase Claypool are the other options at receiver, while tight end Durham Smythe has nine catches in the past two games.
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey (knee), meanwhile, was added to the injury report after being limited Friday and is questionable. Others who were limited and are questionable are running back Raheem Mostert (knee/ankle); cornerback Xavien Howard (hip/thumb); safety Jevon Holland (knees); and offensive linemen Lester Cotton (hip), Liam Eichenberg (calf/ankle) and Austin Jackson (oblique).
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel did say Friday, however, that he is optimistic about Holland as long as there were no setbacks and that he is not worried about Mostert. Holland has been one of the league’s best safeties when healthy, while Mostert has rushed for 1,012 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns.
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Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 17 game between the Ravens (12-3) and the Miami Dolphins (11-4) at M&T Bank Stadium.
Brian Wacker, reporter
Ravens 24, Dolphins 20: The Ravens have a short week after a West Coast game in which they dominated the 49ers in an emotional game, and that might normally be a concern for something of a letdown. But Baltimore can smell the finish line, and the defense as well as quarterback Lamar Jackson are operating at a high level. Miami stresses defenses with its running and passing game and has a defense that has been humming in recent weeks, but the Dolphins also have lost some big road games against the Bills, Eagles and Chiefs this season. They’re a different team on the road. The Ravens can match their speed and know they can clinch the top seed in the AFC with a win.
Mike Preston, columnist
Ravens 30, Dolphins 27: The Ravens have proved to be the most balanced team in the NFL and they will expose the Dolphins’ weaknesses on defense. Baltimore needs to get an early lead and then pound the ball with a strong running game in the second half.
Childs Walker, reporter
Ravens 31, Dolphins 27: If Ravens-49ers was the game of the year, this one is even more important. The Ravens will need takeaways to counter unavoidable chunk gains from Miami’s playmakers. The Dolphins won’t have an answer for Lamar Jackson, but if they can go up early, they might prevent the Ravens from pounding on them in the second half. Advantage goes to the home team as these heavyweights match strengths.
C.J. Doon, editor
Ravens 27, Dolphins 19: With wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle not fully healthy, the Ravens should be able to contain the Dolphins’ offense. As formiddable as Miami has looked with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa playing at a high level and running backs Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane leading a potent rushing attack, this Ravens defense just held a very similar offense in check in San Francisco. With the top seed in the AFC at stake and Lamar Jackson playing some of his best ball of the season, Baltimore gets it done at home and gives its top players three weeks of rest before the divisional round begins.
Tim Schwartz, editor
Ravens 35, Dolphins 24: The Ravens aren’t messing around anymore, having won nine of their past 10. Those late-game collapses earlier in the season (which really dates to their epic fall the last time they faced Miami in September 2022) seem like a thing of the past as they have found their winning formula. The Dolphins pose many challenges but are also banged up — neither of their star receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, are 100% — and their defense isn’t anything special. Baltimore does not want to go into the regular-season finale against Pittsburgh needing a win to lock up the No. 1 seed or even potentially the AFC North. The Ravens are a well-oiled machine right now without any major weakness, and that won’t change Sunday.
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Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer fans’ questions throughout the Ravens season. Coming off Baltimore’s 33-19 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16, plenty of questions remain heading into a Week 17 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
Here’s Preston’s take:
(Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.)
What are your thoughts for safety Kyle Hamilton as NFL Defensive Player of the Year? He is not a one-trick pony … he makes plays ALL over the field. — John R on X
When I think of Defensive Player of the Year, I always think of former New York Giants and Hall of Fame outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor. I also think of former Ravens such as middle linebacker Ray Lewis, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs and safety Ed Reed.
Hamilton isn’t in that class. He is having an outstanding season, but offensive coordinators aren’t staying up at night thinking about him, not yet anyway. He makes plays all over the field, but players such as Taylor, Lewis, Suggs and Reed could dominate games and control the tempo. In the prime of their careers, they made sudden change plays nearly every week.
Another key is consistency. All of those guys did it year in and year out. Hamilton hasn’t done it for a full season yet. He has great potential, and his size (6 feet 4, 220 pounds) makes him the perfect hybrid of being both a strong safety and outside linebacker. But no, he isn’t in that class yet. In fact, he isn’t even the best player on the Ravens’ defense. That title belongs to middle linebacker Roquan Smith.
You might be a little too eager with Hamilton at this point. Let’s wait and see.
You’ve been advocating for a while now to have cornerback Marlon Humphrey play in the slot on a regular basis, and against the 49ers he excelled playing there for a majority of snaps. Barring any injuries the rest of this season, do you expect defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to keep him there the rest of the way? — Paul in Orlando
I would say so, but it also depends on the matchups. Humphrey isn’t as fast and lacks the recovery speed that he once had, but he is special playing over the slot or against No. 3 receivers. He can still run with any of them and has the size and physical strength to play near the line of scrimmage. He can also blitz off the edge, which would give the Ravens another defensive look.
A week ago, some critics were down on Humphrey, but he just needed time to work himself into game shape after missing extensive practice time because of injuries. If the opposing team has a slower receiver on the outside and Humphrey can outmuscle him, the Ravens might move him outside again.
Injuries might also force the Ravens to move Humphrey around, but his strength is playing inside. He can hammer receivers and opposing ball carriers. Now, he just needs to wrap up when making tackles. It’s great to deliver crunching blows, but not when you don’t bring down the runner.
Who will/should be the next Ravens player to get a contract extension? — Phil on X
According to my calculations, the Ravens have 23 free agents heading into 2024. I would assume it depends on how the roster shakes out and when salary cap space becomes available.
Defensive lineman Justin Madubuike would be a top priority, especially with nose tackle Michael Pierce also hitting the free agent market. Weakside linebacker Patrick Queen also has to be high on the Ravens’ list, even though they signed Smith to a five-year, $100 million contract in early January. It’s hard to invest so much money into one position.
In a sense, the window of opportunity is closing for the Ravens because they have other important players who will become free agents such as running backs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor.
That’s quite a haul. There is no way general manager Eric DeCosta can re-sign all of them, and it’s a safe bet that Madubuike and Queen will either make top dollar here in Baltimore or some other NFL city.
Former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has enjoyed a remarkable comeback with the Browns this season. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) How surprised are you that Joe Flacco is performing the way that he is for the Browns? I fear “January Joe” will go off, and pray we’re not a victim. — BBT on X
Actually, my first thought on Flacco was that I hoped he didn’t get hurt. He has had a pretty good career and he has always been a nice guy. His health was a major concern.
I didn’t think Flacco was “washed up” here, but the Ravens wanted to move in a new direction, especially with a run-dominated offense built around Lamar Jackson.
After Vinny Testaverde, I thought Flacco had the best arm strength of any quarterback in Ravens history. When starting quarterbacks started going down early in the season, I thought he was better than most of the backups, but he had to go into the right system and play behind a strong offensive line.
Flacco sat on the couch watching football for a couple of months, and that helped him both mentally and physically. The time off gave his body a chance to heal and kept his legs fresh. It also gave him time to reflect and remember just how much he missed playing on Sunday afternoons.
His arm seems as strong as ever. Some of those touchdown passes are bullets rifled between two and three defenders. From a media standpoint, it would be exciting to have him play against the Ravens in the postseason. But also remember that even though Flacco is playing well, coach John Harbaugh knows him well and his weaknesses.
We’ve seen what happens when Flacco gets hot, but I’m not sure he can duplicate his run through the 2012 postseason now, not at the age of 38. His comeback, though, is amazing.
For the first time in a long time I saw Broderick Washington on the defensive line. When he plays, our defense is significantly better at stopping the run. Your thoughts? — Anonymous
I thought Washington struggled against the run earlier in the season, and when the Ravens played against top passing teams, they thought it was a good time to put him on the bench.
Sometimes, players struggle. I’ve seen that with Pierce at times this year and offensive tackles Morgan Moses and Ronnie Stanley have had problems as well.
But these guys are professionals and they have a lot of pride. Sometimes, they just need a little jolt to get them to turn it up a notch. Both Moses and Stanley played well last week against the 49ers, and Washington finished with a hard tackle of running back Christian McCaffrey.
I am not sure the Ravens are significantly better against the run when Washington plays, but he provides much-needed depth on the defensive line.
Ravens Insider: Odell Beckham Jr.’s impact on Ravens transcends his show-stopping catches: ‘His leadership has been outstanding’
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Perhaps Odell Beckham Jr. was simply inebriated on locker room euphoria after a 56-19 razing of the Miami Dolphins in which he delivered the most spectacular of plays in a game full of them. But at age 31 and already with one Super Bowl ring adorning his fingers, the Ravens wide receiver is as adept at seeing the big picture as he is at making a big catch.
He was so sure of his words that he said them twice.
“This is the best team I’ve ever been on in my entire life,” Beckham said through the glint of his iced-out diamond and gold-encrusted $1.8 million smile. “I had a crazy freshman [year] team in college [at LSU], but this is the best team I’ve been on in the NFL ever in my entire life.”
In a literal sense, he’s not sensationalizing. At 13-3, Baltimore has the best record in the NFL, has locked up the top seed in the AFC and will get a first-round bye and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The first two teams of his career— the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns — never finished better than 11-5 during his tenure with them. The Los Angeles Rams, whom Beckham joined midway through the 2021 season after a tumultuous and unceremonious exit from Cleveland, finished the regular season 12-5, were the No. 4 seed in the playoffs and, of course, went on to win it all.
Returning to the sport’s biggest stage is also why Beckham chose the Ravens (a one-year, $15 million deal didn’t hurt, either) when he signed in early April. A week later, he had a dream, he said, as he sat down with The Baltimore Sun for an interview. He is ambiguous on the details, preferring to see it come to fruition before sharing specifics, but said the vision was powerful enough that he made a note on his phone on April 15 and sent it to coach John Harbaugh, quarterback Lamar Jackson and tight end Mark Andrews.
“I don’t really have dreams unless I’m seeing something,” Beckham told The Sun. “This is the best chance I’ve had [to win the Super Bowl] besides when I was with the Rams.
“Something called me to this. And this isn’t even exactly where my heart desired to be — AFC North, I had already been in this division, I know what the Ravens are about, it wasn’t the most desiring place.”
It almost didn’t happen, either.
The day before Beckham announced on Instagram that he was signing with the Ravens, he was planning to fly to New Jersey to sign with the New York Jets if all went well. Their new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, had expressed an interest in playing with the transcendent star, and the two sides had an informal meeting at the NFL’s owners meetings in Phoenix two weeks before. His addition alongside second-year star Garrett Wilson, veteran Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman Jr. would give New York a splashy and drool-worthy wide receiver group.
But Beckham said he was “led to” the right place by instead getting on a plane to Baltimore, whose offer was also reportedly higher than the incentive-laden deal the Jets had discussed.
Yet, the Ravens didn’t know how well the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year could even run. Beckham didn’t either. Asked to describe just how relatively bad his twice surgically repaired knee was 14 months after he injured it in the Super Bowl, he told The Sun, “it was terrible.”
“When I did my ACL the first time, I trained for 14 months,” he said. “You get hurt, you train all the way up to the Super Bowl … it was the longest season I’ve ever had. [Then] you get hurt two quarters away from [the end of the game], you come back, you train for another 18, 19, 20 months, whatever it was, that’s a long time of training with no break. To then hit a full NFL season, my body went through some things where I wasn’t able to be myself and I had to work behind the scenes to get back to being where I’m at now.
“I’ve played for a long time. This body has a lot of miles on it.”
Specifically, Beckham suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 in Cincinnati against the Bengals and missed the next two games.
When he returned, he often looked like an aging player on his last legs. His hands were as trustworthy as ever, but he didn’t have the same burst, quickness and separation that he had before the second torn ACL, and the ankle issue only compounded it. In Week 7 against the Detroit Lions, he had five catches for 49 yards but had still yet to find the end zone.
Through his first six games, Beckham had just 14 catches for 162 yards, which included zero against the Cardinals (though he did draw three flags against Arizona’s defense). In Week 9 at home against the Seattle Seahawks, he managed five catches for 56 yards and a touchdown, but it came on the back end of a 38-6 blowout.
Then, finally, it happened. On Nov. 12 against his old team, the Browns, Beckham caught a short slant, hit the turbo button and left Cleveland defenders in his wake for a 40-yard touchdown. A week later, in a Thursday night showdown against the Bengals, he scorched Cincinnati’s secondary for 116 yards on four catches, including a 51-yard bomb. And last month against one of his other former teams, the Rams, he had four catches for 97 yards, including one that covered 46 of them.
Sunday against the Dolphins, Beckham had just one catch, but it was a sensational, twisting, over-the-shoulder 33-yard sideline grab in which he contorted around a defender and managed to get both feet in bounds before tumbling to the turf at the 1-yard line to set up a touchdown for Gus Edwards.
Beckham said it was just a normal catch for him, but it also served as a reminder of the kind of play Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta hoped for but didn’t know they would get when they first brought him to Baltimore — to make big plays in big games.
“When I’m at the point of my career that I’m at, would I like to have a 1,000-yard season? Of course. Would I like to have XYZ touchdowns? Of course,” he told The Sun. “But at the end of the day, you’re going to be remembered for the moments you had, playoffs and these big-time games.
“This is what legacy is. This is what I’ve preached since I was 18; it was about legacy, it wasn’t about ‘I wanna be famous.’ With legacy plays came some other things for me, but my stats say 0-0-0 at this point. It’s just about what can you do now.”
Beyond some big moments on the field, Beckham has bestowed his wisdom and set the tone.
His locker is next to Zay Flowers, who said that Beckham has helped guide him through the rigors of NFL life, a benefit that’s helped him accumulate the fourth most yards (858) and catches (77) among rookie receivers along with five touchdowns. Inside linebacker Patrick Queen, meanwhile, has referred to him as a “big brother.” And while the Baltimore locker room is bursting with big personalities, no one sets the vibe and mood quite the way Beckham does, from corn hole games to dance moves to imparting the know-how to get where the rest of his teammates want to go.
“The leadership part is really good; his leadership has been outstanding,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a real relational-type leader. He’s been there, he’s done that. He’s been in these big games. He’s had great success. He knows what it takes, so I do think he’s with the guys, and he encourages guys really well. He’s [a] really encouraging kind of leader.
“The other part of it, though, is his ability to make plays. To me, he’s a major factor out there. People, they’re giving him attention. They’re making sure they cover him, and he’s coming up with the ball. He’s a guy that can break out and have 10 catches at any time in a game, or he has the one [catch] that makes a huge difference in the game that’s really kind of one of those great Odell Beckham-type of catches. I mean, wow. He’s a factor, a big factor.”
Beckham says he prefers to let others talk about his impact, but there’s no shortage of confidence and self-awareness from him when it comes to his role with the team. Quite the opposite.
“I know what I bring energy-wise, I know what I bring leader-wise,” he said. “Everyone looks at he gets paid this much; there’s so much other [stuff] that people don’t see.
“People who are outside the locker room who create a narrative, they would be like, ‘diva this or that.’ They use these words, but they don’t know you on a day-to-day basis.”
What Beckham knows, though, is what he dreamt shortly after signing with Baltimore, and he was willing to share at least some of it.
“I seen colors, black and white and purple, and I seen a very dark stadium,” he said. “I remember running around the field saying something something two-time world champions.”
Week 18
Steelers at Ravens
Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
TV: ABC, ESPN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
Line: Steelers by 3 1/2
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