ExtremeRavens

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh runs on to the field before the start of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/David Richard) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (4) warms up prior to the start of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Kirk Irwin) Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) warms up prior to the start of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Kirk Irwin) Baltimore Ravens defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, left, and cornerback Brandon Stephens (21) warm up before the start of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) View the full article

The Ravens (5-2) take on the Cleveland Browns (1-6) on Sunday at 1 p.m. in a Week 8 clash between AFC North rivals. Baltimore is riding a five-game winning streak, while Cleveland has lost five in a row. Follow along here for live coverage and analysis. View the full article

The Ravens’ banged-up secondary is getting some reinforcements. On Saturday, Baltimore activated cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis from injured reserve and elevated undrafted rookie cornerback Ryan “Bump” Cooper Jr. from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the host Cleveland Browns. The Ravens (5-2) also placed rookie cornerback T.J. Tampa (ankle) on injured reserve, meaning the fourth-round draft pick will miss at least four games. Rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins (shoulder/illness) did not travel with the team to Cleveland, but his playing status for Sunday remains questionable. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey doubtful vs. Browns; WR Zay Flowers returns to practice Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith fined for hip-drop tackle; Bucs WR Chris Godwin reacts on Instagram Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: How Ravens and Todd Monken evolved and built the league’s best offense | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens TE Todd Heap reacts to Mark Andrews breaking his TD record Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley, healthy again, is elite once more Cornerback Marlon Humphrey (knee), who leads the team with four interceptions, is doubtful to play Sunday after being injured in Monday night’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But Arthur Maulet will make his season debut, joining Brandon Stephens, Ar’Darius Washington, Armour-Davis and Cooper as healthy cornerbacks against a Browns offense now led by quarterback Jameis Winston and new play-caller Ken Dorsey. The Ravens’ pass defense is the worst in the NFL, allowing 287.1 yards per game. Last season, Maulet recorded 37 tackles, a pair of sacks and an interception in 14 games. The 31-year-old had an impressive training camp but tweaked his hamstring in his first practice back from arthroscopic knee surgery and missed seven games. Armour-Davis, who started the season opener in Kansas City, has not played since a Week 3 win over the Dallas Cowboys because of a hamstring injury. The 2022 fourth-round pick has played just 15 snaps on defense this season, lining up mostly on special teams. Wiggins, a first-round pick, has started three games, recording 13 tackles, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble. View the full article

The Ravens are likely to be without their top cornerback for Sunday’s AFC North showdown against the Browns in Cleveland. Marlon Humphrey, who did not practice for a third straight day Friday because of a knee injury, was listed as doubtful for the game. He suffered the injury late in the second quarter of Baltimore’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night and did not return. Humphrey leads the Ravens (5-2) with a career-high four interceptions this season and is coming off having two last week. Baltimore will be without rookie running back Rasheen Ali (ankle) and rookie cornerback T.J. Tampa (ankle), neither of whom practiced Friday and were ruled out. Several other players, meanwhile, were listed as questionable, including wide receiver Zay Flowers (ankle), who returned to practice after being absent the past two days. The 2023 first-round draft pick suffered the injury Monday night, though he finished the game. Flowers leads the Ravens in catches (34) and receiving yards (412) and has one touchdown. Also questionable for Baltimore are cornerback Nate Wiggins (shoulder/illness) and defensive tackle Travis Jones (ankle). Both were limited at Friday’s practice. Cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring) was limited as well and likewise listed as questionable. Defensive back Arthur Maulet, who missed the first seven games after arthroscopic knee surgery and a subsequent hamstring injury, will make his season debut. As for the Browns, they’ll be without running back Jerome Ford (hamstring), safety Ronnie Hickman (ankle), linebacker Jordan Hicks (elbow/triceps) and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee). Guard Wyatt Teller (knee) is questionable. With Wills sidelined, the Browns (1-6) will again have to shuffle the offensive line and coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed one option is sliding right tackle Dawand Jones to the left side. Jones started the first five games at right tackle as Jack Conklin worked his way back from reconstructive knee surgery. Conklin, a two-time All-Pro, was hurt in last year’s season opener and returned to the lineup two weeks ago. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith fined for hip-drop tackle; Bucs WR Chris Godwin reacts on Instagram Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: How Ravens and Todd Monken evolved and built the league’s best offense | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens TE Todd Heap reacts to Mark Andrews breaking his TD record Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley, healthy again, is elite once more Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s game in Cleveland? The Browns are expected to get back Teller, who missed the past four games with a knee injury. One of the league’s best run blockers, Teller was designated to return from injured reserve and practiced all week. That’s good news for Cleveland’s league-worst offense and quarterback Jameis Winston, who will make his first start this week after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury last week. Watson is scheduled to have surgery Friday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Stefanski said second-year QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson will back up Winston against the Ravens. Thompson-Robinson came in after Watson got hurt and injured the middle finger on his throwing hand on a sack. The Browns signed QB Bailey Zappe earlier this week off Kansas City’s practice squad. The Associated Press contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith was fined for an alleged hip-drop tackle on Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin on Monday night, a source with direct knowledge confirmed to The Baltimore Sun on Friday. The play resulted in a grizzly and likely season-ending ankle injury for the Pro Bowl receiver. Smith has up to three days to appeal the $16,833 fine after receiving a notification from the NFL. Once that happens, a hearing is scheduled and the case is assigned to one of the league’s current appeals officers: Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, Kevin Mawae or Jordy Nelson, each of whom were jointly appointed and paid by the NFL and the NFL Players Association. Ravens coach John Harbaugh was noncommittal about whether he thought it was a hip-drop tackle. “You could parse all that,” he said Friday. “It becomes really fine. It’s fine-tuning to determine those things. I’m sure there will be continued conversation on that. “As far as Ro goes, Ro’s fighting to go make a tackle there, we’re trying to get off the field, we’re trying to get out of the game with a victory. He would never do anything to hurt anyone and he would never do anything that’s outside the rules. … He tries to do it according to the rules, as all our guys do.” In March, teams unanimously voted to ban the hip-drop tackle, which is when a defender wraps up a ball carrier, swivels his hips, unweights himself and drops onto the ball carrier’s legs. Though no player has been flagged for the penalty this season, Smith is at least the eighth player to have been hit with a fine. The Washington Post reported at last week’s fall owners’ meeting that 22 plays had been reviewed for a hip-drop tackle this season. “You never wanna see anybody go down with any type of injury, but we play a very physical game and it demands a lot,” Smith said Thursday. “Bullets are playing pretty fast, but I never go into any game meaning to injure any player.” Godwin, who suffered a dislocated ankle on Smith’s tackle in the final minute of Baltimore’s 41-31 victory at Raymond James Stadium, underwent surgery Thursday. “It’s tough to put into words the range of emotions over the last few days,” Godwin said in an Instagram post Friday morning, his first comments since the injury. “We don’t always get to know ‘why,’ but that rarely matters anyway. Adversity reveals our true character and I look forward to the opportunity to display mine throughout this process.” After the game, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles defended his decision of keeping Godwin in when Tampa Bay had little chance of winning by then. “He’s a player. We’re trying to win the ballgame. We were still down 10, we’re trying to get extra points and kick another onside kick,” Bowles said. “It just happened. With Mike [Evans] going down, we didn’t have that many receivers left as it was, so we play what we got.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: How Ravens and Todd Monken evolved and built the league’s best offense | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens TE Todd Heap reacts to Mark Andrews breaking his TD record Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley, healthy again, is elite once more Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s game in Cleveland? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith mum on possible fine over alleged hip-drop tackle Smith was previously fined this season for unnecessary roughness after a horse collar tackle on Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, though he won his appeal. The Ravens are also familiar with the hip-drop tackle after they lost tight end Mark Andrews for the final six games and a divisional round playoff game last season after his ankle was injured while being dragged down by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson last November. “I don’t wanna say it’s part of the game, but I don’t think Roquan had any malicious intent with it,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said Thursday. “I think he’s just really trying to tackle him. “I thought he grabbed him and kind of dove at him. I don’t think he hip-dropped him or anything like that. Unfortunately, his leg got stuck under Roquan’s.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The new identity of the Ravens’ offense was changed shortly into the offseason. According to second-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Ravens coach John Harbaugh had a series of meetings to determine what the Ravens were going to look like in 2024. It was a time for clarity. It wasn’t an identity crisis, but putting the pieces together. “People throw around the word identity, which is a little bit strong, but it was more like who are we, what do we want to look like, how do we present it in a manner that we can execute,” Monken told The Baltimore Sun. “He pointed out this is where we want to go moving forward and how we want to do it. “I guess it is like knowing all the words to a song when it comes on the radio, if that makes sense, where you’re not having to guess the words. But how do we get to that point? How do we redirect but maximize all the talent to determine this is what we want to look like? In my 35 years of coaching, it was the best offseason I’ve ever had.” It worked. This season, the Ravens (5-2) are No. 1 in total offense (461.4), rushing offense (210.9), red zone offense (75.9% touchdown rate) and tied for first in points per game (31.1). They are also No. 2 in third down efficiency (50%) and No. 4 in fourth down at 80%. It’s ridiculous to get into the offensive packages because, to some degree, all NFL teams run some variations. What’s important is that the Ravens have learned from previous playoff and regular-season losses, including January’s 17-10 AFC championship game defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs here in Baltimore. In that game, the Ravens were down 17-7 at the half after Harrison Butker kicked a 52-yard field goal with four seconds left. The Ravens panicked. Quarterback Lamar Jackson got more involved in his passing duel with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes instead of running the ball. There seemed to be some communication problems between Monken and Jackson as far as the run-pass ratio in the second half. The Ravens faced a similar situation with Tampa Bay on Monday night, trailing 10-0 with two seconds left in the first quarter. This time, there was no panic. The Ravens stayed within the basic concepts of their offense with a run-first mentality. “We did a lot of really good things last year,” said Monken, who scripts his first 12 plays. “Obviously a lot of things you wish you did differently, but the rest of it was pretty good. We were on our way at times, but it didn’t end well. So, there is a bad taste. We had to live with that the whole offseason. That drives you, that motivates you in a lot of ways. “When that situation comes up again, how do you have better control? Then there are some things that have nothing to do with anyone else but me. The players have been great this year, but they were great last year, too. We have a tremendous staff and everybody wants and loves working together to do as much as possible this season while we’re all here.” Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, right, speaks to quarterback Lamar Jackson during practice. Jackson, in his seventh season, has the right to text Monken during the game with suggestions. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) The calls, though, have been excellent, the best since Gary Kubiak was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator in 2014. Ever since Harbaugh arrived in Baltimore in 2008, the Ravens haven not been able to run screens. In fact, it was just downright ugly because the timing was off and the offensive linemen couldn’t get downfield. But against the Buccaneers, running back Justice Hill scored on a 18-yard screen pass in the second quarter. The Ravens had four offensive linemen out in front, and it was a thing of beauty because they were so close to each other that they could have held hands and sang “Kumbaya.” The Bucs were caught so off guard that center Tyler Linderbaum didn’t need to block anyone and was running down the left sideline cheering with one of his teammates who wasn’t even on the field as Hill scored. “After the second game, we just talked about detailing it out, being creative in how we get the ball to people and our landmarks,” Monken said. “The more success you have, the more you tend to go to it situationally, or at least are talking about it.” But there have been other notable differences. Against Tampa Bay, Monken had two receivers split out far to the left. They both ran downfield to clear out for tight end Mark Andrews, who started out on the right before dragging across the middle for a 20-yard reception. The Ravens had run a similar play the week before against Washington, but this time Andrews started out on the same side as the receivers and then ran a “banana” route to avoid becoming too predictable. That earns Monken more bonus points. In the first four weeks of the season, Andrews was targeted only nine times and caught six passes. In back-to-back weeks against Dallas and Buffalo, he didn’t have a catch. Now, he has 17 catches for 227 yards and three touchdowns, setting the all-time franchise record. An invisible player has become visible again, without complaining publicly. “I don’t blame the skilled players,” said Monken, who also has to spread the ball around to receivers Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Isaiah Likely as well as running backs Derrick Henry, Hill and recently returned speedster Keaton Mitchell. “A lot of their self-worth, their salary comes from being able to showcase their talent, their ability. We do have a lot of good skilled players that deserve to touch the football. I am happy for Mark over the last few games because we’ve gotten him in the end zone and that helps motivate guys in the practice, and being involved. We do try to make a conscientious effort. “But it’s really no different than a baseball player wanting more at-bats or a basketball player wanting to shoot. Skilled players are going to want to touch the ball. Also, remember, winning helps. That’s a big help.” After an 0-2 start, the Ravens have won five straight. While TV cameras often show Monken dialing up plays in the press box, he is always in dialogue with other offensive assistants. Players, though, can offer suggestions to Monken in preparing for a game. Some veterans, such as Nelson Agholor or Andrews, might offer a route change or suggest a spacing issue. Others, especially younger players, are more prone to follow the exact game plan until they gain more experience. Jackson, in his seventh season, has the right to text Monken during the game with suggestions. But there is never a lack of communication as far as Jackson being able to set the blocking assignments with Linderbaum. Jackson has completed 135 of 198 passes for 1,810 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. He has also rushed 73 times for 455 yards and two scores, making him the early betting favorite to win a third NFL Most Valuable Player Award. “I’ve said to a lot of people, I thought we did a great job of streamlining who we wanted to be,” Monken said. “It’s Lamar’s second year in the system, I think he’s more comfortable with the verbiage. I think we’re doing a better job of presenting things to him systemically, so, it’s a lot of everything. He’s always had the keys to what we do, it’s just a matter of us doing it better as a staff, doing better as a team, and then him feeling comfortable about whatever he’s getting us into. “A play, a call, a protection, whatever that might be. To me, that’s just an evolution of playing, being together, and a comfort level of just doing it more consistently.” The offensive line has also improved since the first two games. In those contests, the group played against two of the better defensive lines in the NFL in Kansas City and Las Vegas. Monken can’t say enough about the coaching job of George Warhop, who replaced offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris after the 70-year-old longtime assistant died in late August. According to Monken, both he and Warhop had coached together during their time in Tampa Bay. The offensive line, a problem area at the beginning of the season, has performed well lately led by left tackle Ronnie Stanley and Linderbaum. The group has also been helped by the team’s run-pass ratio as the Ravens have 239 rushing attempts compared with 199 passing attempts. Pass protection is not this group’s forte. “Those guys are very conscientious of doing things right and being consistent in communicating,” Monken said. “The more you can run the football, the more you help yourself out. The more you hand the ball off, it takes a lot of pressure off these guys.” It’s all gone well for the Ravens. If the offense continues to flourish, there might be some head coaching opportunities for Monken at the end of the year. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens TE Todd Heap reacts to Mark Andrews breaking his TD record Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley, healthy again, is elite once more Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s game in Cleveland? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith mum on possible fine over alleged hip-drop tackle Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers, CB Marlon Humphrey miss practice again Monken, though, might be the odd man out. He is 58 years old in a league in which owners are going for young coaches. Seattle’s Mike Macdonald is 37 and there are several other thirty somethings like New England’s Jerod Mayo, the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay, Houston’s DeMeco Ryans, Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell and Indianapolis’ Shane Steichen. But Monken might be able to dazzle a lot of NFL owners with coachspeak. He has that raspy, gravel tone voice. He’s been in the NFL circles before with Cleveland and Tampa Bay and won back-to-back national championships as Georgia’s offensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022. Plus, he is charismatic and has a wonderful sense of humor. “I don’t worry about things that I don’t control, and I don’t control anything other than here right now,” Monken said. “Someone told me a long time ago that the path to the penthouse and the outhouse is the same distance. “My goal is to get us better every week.” Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Todd Heap couldn’t remember off-hand the touchdown when he set the Ravens’ franchise record. It was on Nov. 28, 2010. The Ravens were hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Heap, a tight end in his final season with Baltimore after the better part of a decade, exploded off the line of scrimmage and caught a floater from Joe Flacco in stride. The Bucs’ blown coverage left Heap with an open runway, and he outran three defenders on his way to a 65-yard score. Fourteen years later against the same team, the current tight end who grew up 20 minutes from Heap outside of Phoenix broke the Ravens’ all-time record in career receiving touchdowns, now up to 43. Mark Andrews is four touchdowns from tying Jamal Lewis’ overall franchise record (47). “We all know records were only made to be broken,” said Heap, who’s in Baltimore’s Ring of Honor. “It’s a great accomplishment. Anytime you score a touchdown in the NFL it’s an accomplishment and he’s had his fair share but those ones you remember a little bit because of the circumstances.” Heap, 44, watched from home as Andrews, 29, broke his 14-year-old record. He sent a congratulatory text as the current team boarded the plane out of Tampa Bay and got a quick response back. Andrews gave a nod to his predecessor postgame saying, “You got to look back at the guys like Todd Heap, and the guys that have done it before you and just be grateful that I’m in this situation and blessed.” Andrews tied Heap’s 41 touchdown catches earlier this month in a win over the Commanders. He screamed to the high heavens, dripping in relief after high-pointing an 18-yard strike from quarterback Lamar Jackson. Presumably Heap’s record was not front of mind. The emotional release was because before that, Andrews had been a minimal contributor to Baltimore’s passing game despite Pro Football Focus grading him out as the best blocking tight end in football. “He’s such a well-rounded tight end. He can do it at the line of scrimmage, he can do it down the field,” Heap said. “He runs routes that guys his size shouldn’t be able to run. That gives you such an advantage. He’s just kind of a mismatch out there for most defenses. That’s the nature of what you want in a tight end. You want a guy that can do it all. There hasn’t been that many tight ends in history that have done it that well.” Against Tampa Bay, Andrews took sole possession of the record on a curl route, which Heap pointed out how he found a pocket in the defense at the goal line. Then Andrews cashed in on a fourth-and-3 gamble because of a “fantastic route,” Heap said. For the first four weeks of the season, there weren’t many defenses keying in on Andrews. He was targeted only nine times over that stretch. He caught six passes and went back-to-back games without a reception against Dallas and Buffalo — a far cry from the days where he was Jackson’s top receiving target. Ravens tight end Todd Heap, top, celebrates on Nov. 28, 2010, after recording his 41st career touchdown reception, a franchise record that stood until Mark Andrews recently broke it. (Baltimore Sun file)After tying Heap’s record, Andrews talked about the challenges of learning to be patient while playing in one of the league’s most dynamic offenses. “It’s easier to be patient when you have so much talent around you,” Heap said. “It’s tough when you’ve got goals set for yourself [and] you’re not attaining or on track to attain those goals. But personal things go out the window, especially when you’re winning games.” Even if Heap didn’t quite remember his own 14-year-old, record-setting 65-yarder off the top of his head, there were plenty of other memorable moments from his 41 Ravens touchdowns that flooded back to memory while watching Andrews etch his name into the record books. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: How Ravens and Todd Monken evolved and built the league’s best offense | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley, healthy again, is elite once more Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s game in Cleveland? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith mum on possible fine over alleged hip-drop tackle Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers, CB Marlon Humphrey miss practice again Like his game-winner against the Chargers in 2006. He was lined up outside, essentially as a decoy — maybe Steve McNair’s fourth option. Heap caught a high pass and barreled through linebacker Shawne Merriman at the goal line with 34 seconds left. Those moments are behind him now and Heap has great admiration for the current group. He called Jackson one of the most exciting players in football. He watches Derrick Henry and recalls blocking for Jamal Lewis when he ran for 2,000 yards in 2003. Above all, he’s proud to see the continued lineage of successful tight ends in Baltimore, thinking back to Shannon Sharpe before him with Andrews and now Isaiah Likely in succession. “From the offensive line to the running backs to the receivers to the tight ends,” Heap said, “you can see how much fun they’re having out on the field. … As far as being a retired former player, you just see how much fun they’re having stacking wins and having a lot of success.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

He was, in a way, the central plank to the mystery. Would the Ravens’ offensive line function in 2024? Not if Ronnie Stanley could not be A) present and B) a decent approximation of the guy who protected the blind side as well as anyone in the world in 2019 and 2020. Stanley will be the first to tell you he was not himself a year ago after he injured his knee in the season opener and re-injured it in November. Try as he might, the former All-Pro left tackle could not comfortably flex his body for movements he had taken for granted as a young man. He’d already lost the better part of two seasons to a terrible ankle injury, and he began to wonder if he would ever catch a break. Even under the best circumstances, an NFL veteran’s health becomes a cloudier issue after he turns 30, as Stanley did in March. Would he ever feel good enough to tap fully into skills he knew he had not lost? The Ravens needed the answer to be yes after they waved goodbye to veteran stalwarts Kevin Zeitler and Morgan Moses in the offseason. Their line, without which Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry could not soar, would be remade, with Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum as the only carryover pieces. No one else on the roster could touch Stanley’s resume. They needed him to be that guy. Through seven games, he has been, playing all but two of the team’s offensive snaps and grading as the league’s third best pass blocker at tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. In 245 pass blocking snaps, he has allowed nine pressures and no sacks. He ranks 10th among tackles in ESPN’s pass block win rate. “I think he’s right back to that level he was at,” Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuinness said. “He’s just not allowing guys to beat him. And his run blocking grade is not quite back to where it was in 2019, but he’s on track for the second highest of his career. … I didn’t think he’d ever be back at this level, so it’s been really cool to see.” Jackson watched his chief protector and locker room neighbor make that long climb back from the 2020 ankle injury that left him writhing on the field and led to multiple surgeries. He knew how much it would mean to his game to play behind a vintage Stanley. “That was the only thing with Ronnie, just the injuries,” Jackson said. “He was just trying to get back to where he was, and I feel like he’s feeling pretty good now, and he’s just the same Ronnie I knew ever since I entered the league. … I get to go through my progressions, get the ball out and just have successful plays.” Stanley spoke candidly last season of feeling haunted by the knee injury that would not allow him to be himself. In 245 pass blocking snaps, Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley, left, has allowed nine pressures and no sacks. (Terrance Williams/AP) “It definitely messes with you, your confidence and stuff,” he said Thursday, reflecting on that time. “Your mind wants to do one thing, but your body can’t do it. And when you’re out there, you can’t really think too much about it. You just have to react.” So it has been a tremendous relief for him to move freely again, confident that his legs will provide a solid anchor and keep him in front of world-class pass rushers such as Myles Garrett, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year he will face Sunday in Cleveland. “I just feel like I can kind of let my subconscious take over,” he said. “I feel like I’m thinking less and just playing with more confidence and belief in myself.” Beyond his exceptional play, Stanley has emerged as a galvanizing senior voice for a unit that’s not only young but experienced the death of its longtime coach, Joe D’Alessandris, and the abrupt transition to a new guide in George Warhop. Through a chaotic and emotionally rending three months, Stanley has appeared on the practice field every day, often staying after to give sparring lessons to younger peers such as rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten. Rosengarten was a freshman in high school when he first studied Stanley as a model of how to play tackle. “My parents, I’m always going to take advice from them. The same thing goes when it comes to Ronnie,” Rosengarten said. “He’s such an experienced player. Anything he tells me, I take it fully and put it into my game. You have the technique stuff, but the biggest thing is he tells me that I belong right where I am. He just gives me the utmost confidence in myself.” Stanley might not expect comparisons to a teammate’s mom and dad. “Never really thought about that,” he said, grinning. But he does get a kick out of his role as the elder statesman for a group that has greatly exceeded expectations. He’s charmed by the notion that he might imprint on Rosengarten or Daniel Faalele in ways that help them become quality NFL starters. “They all listen,” he said. “They’re all hard workers. They’re tough.” “My parents, I’m always going to take advice from them. The same thing goes when it comes to Ronnie,” Ravens rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten, left, said. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Beyond his importance to the Ravens’ Super Bowl ambitions, this is a pivotal year for Stanley individually. He’s coming to the end of the five-year, $98.75 million deal he signed at the peak of his powers. He took a $7.5 million pay cut going into this season and will be a free agent when it’s over. If he continues on his current trajectory, he could set himself up for a substantial third contract in a league starved for standout offensive linemen. He reiterated Thursday that his goal is to play 15 NFL seasons, a prospect that seemed further from reach during his injury hiatuses. Stanley has impressed everyone with his response to this crossroads moment. For his friends on the team, it’s a joy to watch him play this way again after so many years defined by pain and frustration. “He’s playing great,” said Patrick Mekari, the second-longest tenured Ravens lineman behind Stanley. “The small details that maybe you guys don’t realize — he makes everything work. Like I’ve seen him block two guys in pass [protection], which sounds good on paper but it’s really difficult to achieve. The balance in his stance, the timing of his hands — it’s all just really good. You see him putting it all on the line.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: How Ravens and Todd Monken evolved and built the league’s best offense | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens TE Todd Heap reacts to Mark Andrews breaking his TD record Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s game in Cleveland? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith mum on possible fine over alleged hip-drop tackle Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers, CB Marlon Humphrey miss practice again Mekari kept coming back to the effort he’s seeing from his longtime teammate after so many dispiriting injuries. No one ever questioned Stanley’s innate smoothness gliding sideways and back to cut off an edge rusher. “But a lot of people are naturally talented,” Mekari said. “That doesn’t make you an All-Pro. That doesn’t make you the best in the league. He’s had to work through a lot.” Peak Stanley spoke to the souls of those who grade and study offensive line play. He was 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, yes, but he glided through all the movements so naturally. He lost some of that elegance to the injuries, but those who watch him closely see it again, much to their surprise and delight. “He was still playing pretty well when he was on the field the last two seasons, but it looked way more awkward, like it took more effort to do everything,” McGuinness said. “I remember in 2019 thinking he’s not quite on that level, but he makes pass blocking look effortless, like Jonathan Ogden did. He looks smoother again, like he was back in 2019.” Have a news tip? Contact Childs Walker at daviwalker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6893 and x.com/ChildsWalker. View the full article

Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 8 game between the Ravens (5-2) and Cleveland Browns (1-6) at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio: Brian Wacker, reporter Ravens 27, Browns 14: The Browns still have one of the better defenses in the league, especially against the pass, and divisional familiarity almost always makes these games closer than they feel like they should be. But the Ravens are operating at an elite level with a dominant rushing attack that sets up the passing game and vice versa, so there should be little trouble racking up yards and points. Browns quarterback Jameis Winston should actually be an improvement over the injured Deshaun Watson, and I expect he’ll make some plays against a secondary that remains leaky. But the Browns simply don’t have enough to keep up. Childs Walker, reporter Ravens 31, Browns 17: This matchup, pitting the league’s best offense against its worst, doesn’t feel complicated. Perhaps there’s some fear Cleveland will discover a spark with Jameis Winston in place of Deshaun Watson at quarterback and Nick Chubb in the backfield. The Browns still have notable defensive talent and seem unlikely to roll over against the Ravens, even if their season is lost. But no one has discovered a counter to the Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry machine, and it’s hard to imagine a Cleveland offense that averages 4 yards per play keeping up. Mike Preston, columnist Ravens 31, Browns 14: The Browns are in a sad state. There was speculation during the offseason that the coaching staff wanted Joe Flacco to return and challenge Deshaun Watson for the starting quarterback role. It didn’t happen, and it was a decision made by the Haslam family, owners of the Browns. Regardless of what people say, the NFL is a business, and Watson signed a five-year, $230 million contract in 2022 with Cleveland. Despite his struggles, it made no sense for some fans to boo him last week when he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon. It’s way too early in the season for the Browns to quit playing. Once we get 12 to 13 games into the season, then it might happen. Cleveland plays good enough defense to hang around in this game, but not even the Ravens’ defense can give up another 31 points to this offense. C.J. Doon, editor Ravens 27, Browns 23: There’s no way the Ravens lose this one … right? The Browns are the only team in both the NFL and major college football that has failed to score 20 points in a game this season, but now Jameis Winston will be playing quarterback and Ken Dorsey will be calling the plays. That should give some life to a moribund unit that still has running back Nick Chubb and tight end David Njoku, who have historically been tough assignments for the Ravens. For all his faults, Winston won’t be afraid to attack a Baltimore secondary that is still struggling to figure things out and is now dealing with injuries. Jim Schwartz’s defense also has plenty of talent and could make things difficult for Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, especially if Zay Flowers’ ankle is not 100%. This could be a lot closer than expected, but it would take a small miracle for both the Browns’ offense and defense to step up and knock off their AFC North rivals. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: How Ravens and Todd Monken evolved and built the league’s best offense | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens TE Todd Heap reacts to Mark Andrews breaking his TD record Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley, healthy again, is elite once more Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith mum on possible fine over alleged hip-drop tackle Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers, CB Marlon Humphrey miss practice again Tim Schwartz, editor Ravens 35, Browns 17: Jameis Winston is probably an upgrade from Deshaun Watson, but that’s not saying much. The Browns are not a good team, and their defense — which was right there with Baltimore’s as the best in the NFL last year — has also regressed. The Ravens’ offense is playing at a different level right now with Lamar Jackson pulling away in the Most Valuable Player race (yes, it’s early), and it’s hard to fathom Cleveland being his kryptonite. But, as we all know, the Ravens are notorious for laying eggs in games they should win. I’m just not buying this being a trap game. Baltimore should roll out of Cleveland on Sunday afternoon with their sixth straight win, and anything less would feel like a disaster. Bennett Conlin, editor Ravens 34, Browns 14: Jameis Winston could spark life into Cleveland’s subpar offense and the Browns’ defense could stand tall against Baltimore’s elite attack led by Jackson. On the flipside, the Browns could just be destined for a disastrous season with Sunday’s game another disappointing chapter in a long year. Last week, six teams beat their opponent by at least 20 points as the cream rises to the top midway through the year. As entertaining as it would be to see Winston make Cleveland respectable the rest of the season, it’s hard to imagine the Browns putting up a serious fight against a red-hot Ravens squad. If Baltimore’s defense plays better than usual, which feels quite possible against a backup quarterback with limited weapons, this game could get ugly quickly. View the full article

Whether Roquan Smith was fined for an alleged hip-drop tackle on Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin on Monday night that led to a gruesome and likely season-ending ankle injury, the Ravens inside linebacker wouldn’t say. “That’s not really something to discuss at the moment,” he said Thursday in Owings Mills. NFL fines are announced every Saturday during the season. First and foremost, the All-Pro linebacker said, is the health of Godwin, the 2019 Pro Bowl selection and Delaware native. “You never wanna see anybody go down with any type of injury, but we play a very physical game and it demands a lot,” Smith said. “Bullets are playing pretty fast, but I never go into any game meaning to injure any player.” Godwin, who suffered a dislocated ankle on Smith’s tackle in the final minute of Baltimore’s 41-31 victory at Raymond James Stadium, underwent surgery Thursday. Though Smith was not flagged on the play, it was being reviewed this week by the NFL to see if it met the grounds for a fine. In March, teams unanimously voted to ban the hip-drop tackle, which is when a defender wraps up a ball carrier, swivels his hips, unweights himself and drops onto the ball carrier’s legs. The NFL cited an injury rate 20 times higher than a normal tackle, leading to the ban. After Smith’s tackle on Monday, Godwin’s left leg was put in an aircast and he was carted off the field. It was a crushing blow for the Buccaneers, who also lost wide receiver Mike Evans to a hamstring injury earlier in the game, and to Godwin, who had an NFL-leading 50 catches for 576 yards and five touchdowns before being injured. Afterward, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles defended his decision of keeping Godwin in a game Tampa Bay had little chance of winning at that point. “He’s a player. We’re trying to win the ballgame. We were still down 10, we’re trying to get extra points and kick another onside kick,” Bowles said. “It just happened. With Mike [Evans] going down, we didn’t have that many receivers left as it was, so we play what we got.” The Washington Post reported at the league’s fall owners’ meeting last week that there were 22 plays up for review of a hip-drop tackle this season. No flags have been thrown, though seven players have been fined. Smith was also previously fined once this season for unnecessary roughness after a horse collar tackle on Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, but he won his appeal of that fine. The Ravens are also familiar with the hip-drop tackle after they lost tight end Mark Andrews for the final two months of the season last year after his ankle was injured while being dragged down by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson last November. Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, who was nearby Smith’s tackle and had a visceral reaction to the injury as he saw it unfold, told The Baltimore Sun that he did not think it was a hip-drop tackle. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers, CB Marlon Humphrey miss practice again Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns Week 8 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Here’s how fans have graded the Ravens through Week 7 | READERS RESPOND Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Trade talk, Derrick Henry usage and Zach Orr patience | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns scouting report for Week 8: Who has the edge? “I don’t wanna say it’s part of the game, but I don’t think Roquan had any malicious intent with it,” Hamilton told The Sun. “I think he’s just really trying to tackle him. “I thought he grabbed him and kind of dove at him. I don’t think he hip-dropped him or anything like that. Unfortunately, his leg got stuck under Roquan’s.” Hamilton also echoed the same sentiments as Smith when it came to the injury. “At the end of the day, the fine, the ruling is the least of anybody’s worries,” he told The Sun. “He’s been a great receiver, a great pro in the league for a while and his season’s over, so it sucks. “We’re always competing, but at the same time everybody here has lives, we’re real people and trying to provide for everybody we know and obviously your body is important.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens could be in danger of not having two key starters for Sunday’s showdown against the AFC North rival Browns in Cleveland. Wide receiver Zay Flowers (ankle) and cornerback Marlon Humphrey (knee) did not practice for a second straight day Thursday in Owings Mills. Flowers is the Ravens’ leading receiver with 34 catches for 412 yards and a touchdown, while Humphrey’s four interceptions lead the team and are a career high. Both were injured during Baltimore’s 41-31 win Monday night over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They are hardly the only concerns Baltimore is dealing with. Also absent for a second straight day were reserve rookie running back Rasheen Ali (ankle) and rookie cornerback T.J. Tampa (ankle). If Humphrey, Ali and Tampa can’t play, that would likely mean activating cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring), who began practicing earlier this week after being on injured reserve and was a full participant Thursday after being limited a day earlier. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Travis Jones was limited after not practicing Wednesday, but he was wearing a substantial wrap/brace on his injured left ankle and was struggling to move around during the open portion of practice. Three others — linebacker Malik Harrison (groin), defensive tackle Broderick Washington (knee) and cornerback Nate Wiggins (shoulder/illness) — were all full participants after being limited or not practicing a day earlier. Cornerback Arthur Maulet (hamstring) also fully practiced for the first time and is eager to return to the field to help what has been a beleaguered secondary. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith mum on possible fine over alleged hip-drop tackle Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns Week 8 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Here’s how fans have graded the Ravens through Week 7 | READERS RESPOND Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Trade talk, Derrick Henry usage and Zach Orr patience | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns scouting report for Week 8: Who has the edge? “Feels good,” Maulet said. “I’m ready to play. “It was tough obviously because I know I can help the guys. I’m big on communicating … helping guys get aligned and confirming formations and all those type of things. It’s nothing major that they have to work on. It’s just communication. We’ll be fine.” For the Browns, center Ethan Pocic (knee) and defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson (personal) both returned, though Pocic was limited. Also limited were right guard Wyatt Teller (knee), right tackle Jack Conklin (knee) and backup cornerback Tony Brown (ankle). Running back Jerome Ford (hamstring), safety Ronnie Hickman (ankle), linebacker Jordan Hicks (elbow/triceps) and left tackle Jedrick Wills (knee) all did not practice for the second day in a row. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

When the Ravens fell to 0-2 to begin the season, there were questions about Baltimore’s immediate future. Why can’t the Ravens close games? Is the offense using Derrick Henry correctly? Is Lamar Jackson finding his footing in Todd Monken’s offensive scheme? Five games later, Baltimore is 5-2 and betting odds suggest the Ravens have as good a chance of winning a Super Bowl title as just about any team in the NFL. Lamar Jackson is the NFL Most Valuable Player betting favorite, and Derrick Henry is on pace to rush for over 2,000 yards. The offense leads the NFL in yards and points per game, and Baltimore is tied for the AFC North lead. It’s safe to say there were overreactions after Week 2. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson isn’t listening to any of it, and he’s not listening to the positive reviews of the offense now. “It just goes in one ear and out the other,” Jackson said. While Jackson is tuning out the “outside noise,” it’s nearly impossible for fans and media to do the same. The Ravens have looked unstoppable offensively in recent weeks, and they’re averaging an astounding 461.4 yards per game. The 2013 Denver Broncos were the most recent NFL team to average more than 450 yards per game across an entire regular season, finishing with a mark of 457.3. Oddsmakers have noticed Baltimore’s surge. Only the Kansas City Chiefs (+430) hold shorter odds to win the Super Bowl than the Ravens (+550) on FanDuel. The Detroit Lions (+750) and San Francisco 49ers (+850) hold the shortest odds among NFC teams. Those four teams all made their respective conference championship games last season, with the Chiefs beating the 49ers in the Super Bowl. As for the AFC North, FanDuel lists Baltimore as a -370 favorite to win the division. The Steelers have the next shortest odds at +490. The Cleveland Browns, who the Ravens visit this Sunday at 1 p.m., are +24000 to win the division. At 1-6 this season, Cleveland needs a miracle. What are the odds? Given Cleveland’s subpar start to the season and the Ravens’ excellent play, Baltimore is a massive favorite Sunday. The Browns are also without starting quarterback Deshaun Watson (not that he was playing well), but they’ll turn to Jameis Winston at the position. He’s completed just 6 of his 12 passes this year. Here’s a look at the odds for Sunday’s matchup in Cleveland: Spread: Ravens -8.5 (FanDuel) Total: 44.5 points Moneyline: Ravens -450, Browns +350 The Ravens are 4-2-1 against the spread this season, covering the spread in all five of their wins this season. The Browns are 2-5 against the spread. Of Baltimore’s seven games, six have gone over the projected point total. Cleveland lands on the opposite end of the spectrum, with five of the Browns’ seven games going under the projected point total. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith mum on possible fine over alleged hip-drop tackle Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers, CB Marlon Humphrey miss practice again Baltimore Ravens | Here’s how fans have graded the Ravens through Week 7 | READERS RESPOND Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Trade talk, Derrick Henry usage and Zach Orr patience | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns scouting report for Week 8: Who has the edge? Trust the Ravens Trends don’t always foretell results, but they can help guide betting decisions. In Lamar Jackson’s four trips to Cleveland, the Ravens are a perfect 4-0 against the spread, according to Action Network data. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski is just 8-17 against the spread against AFC North teams when leading Cleveland, and Winston is 34-42-5 against the spread in his career as a starting quarterback. Baltimore ranks first in the NFL in DVOA, while Cleveland ranks 31st. This is a matchup, on paper, between one of the best teams in the NFL and one of the worst. The trends suggest Baltimore should cruise Sunday. My eyes say the same. That can be tricky when it comes to betting, but I’ll gladly back the Ravens in this spot. Six teams won games by at least 20 points last week. Could the Ravens put up a blowout win Sunday? I’m betting on it. Best bet: Ravens -8.5 Have a news tip? Contact Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article

We asked readers how they would grade the Ravens (5-2) through the first seven weeks of the NFL season. Here are the results from our online poll, Instagram and X: A — 94 votes B — 199 votes C — 19 votes D — 10 votes F — 0 votes Here’s what some of the voters said (answers have been edited for clarity and grammar): The O-line has really come around as opposed to the first two weeks. That means offensive coordinator Todd Monken must run Derrick Henry 20 times a game. He will break one big run or more because opponents’ defense will let down a few times a game. Keep doing it as it is now. This will all go toward Lamar Jackson flourishing. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr should follow last year’s approach with aggressive pressure. His inexperienced play-calling is hurting his job. Follow a proven path and listen to adviser Dean Pees on strategy. John Harbaugh brought him back for a reason. I agree with others’ comments that defensive backs are sitting back in zone and waiting for an interception. They lack aggressive zone cover technique. This leads to late-game comebacks as the D-line and secondary tire as the game goes on into the fourth quarter. Harbaugh, as always, sets a good tone. Spend more time with Orr to help him. Overall, in the past five games I would grade a high B. Find and develop depth to cover for future predictable injuries. — Joe When there’s a 21-point swing around for the Bucs in the fourth quarter … that’s a concern. — Jeff Jones Our unbelievable offense has been covering up for many defensive lapses. The defense is not yet together and I blame the turnover in coaching staff for that problem. I hope defensive coordinator Zach Orr can get it together before the playoffs. — Art Stowe I give offense and defense 40% of the total score and special teams 20% of the score. The offense is playing at an A level. There are still too many penalties and slow starts to games, but I give them a 97, or 39 points toward the total score. The defense has frustrated me for years, aside from last year (I would never have let Mike Macdonald leave the building at any cost. Sorry, Harbaugh) in the way that they play in the secondary. They don’t contest the ball and are willing to concede receptions to the opposing offenses and far too frequently miss tackles. The pass rush is still not where it needs to be and we are giving up way too many yards to the tight ends and running backs. For this reason, I give the defense a 65, or 26 points to the total score. The special teams is probably the biggest surprise since this is allegedly Harbaugh’s best possibility to influence improvement on the team. The degree of difficulty of what they ask the special teams to do, particularly on kickoff scenarios, is low compared to others who are trying to pin other teams deeper in their territory. Kicking it out of the end zone shows no confidence in their ability to cover and puts a cap on the total score, a la an easy vault in the women’s gymnastics. You can’t get big scores if you don’t try big things. Giving up two onside kicks has to be brought up. Punter Jordan Stout has been average. For a team with two supposed experts on special teams on the staff, this seems to be underwhelming. I’d give them a 70, or 14 points toward the total. The defense and special teams are not contributing to a satisfactory level. The total score is 79 or close enough to a B letter grade. — David Wells Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens LB Roquan Smith mum on possible fine over alleged hip-drop tackle Baltimore Ravens | Ravens WR Zay Flowers, CB Marlon Humphrey miss practice again Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns Week 8 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Trade talk, Derrick Henry usage and Zach Orr patience | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns scouting report for Week 8: Who has the edge? We must work on our defense and offensive line and mental mistakes leading to penalties. — Angela Coming into ’24, the questions were the O-line, the receivers and the defensive coaching. Two-thirds have been home runs. And not solo shots, but grand slams. The fact that the defense is a bit behind should surprise nobody. There’s time for improvement. “A” season so far. — Tim Hendren on X The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To see results from previous sports polls, go to baltimoresun.com/sportspoll View the full article

Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer fans’ questions in the middle of each week throughout the Ravens season. After a 41-31 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on “Monday Night Football,” Baltimore (5-2) looks to continue its five-game winning streak in an AFC North matchup against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Here’s Preston’s take on a handful of questions from readers: (Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.) Kudos to Marlon Humphrey, but should we trade for secondary help because we still give up way too many passes and touchdowns? — Dan Gainor on X Dan, the Ravens recently got healthy cornerbacks returning in Arthur Maulet and Jayln Armour-Davis, and both of those guys are decent. They aren’t great, but they can help, and they are familiar with the system as opposed to bringing in a new player who has to adjust, which could take a week or two. A better trade might be for the Ravens to work a deal with the Carolina Panthers for outside linebacker-defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who had 9 1/2 sacks for the Ravens last season. Baltimore’s pass rush needs an upgrade, so why not make the deal for Clowney? He is 31, but worth the gamble. Pass rush and coverage in the secondary go hand-in-hand. In your opinion, are the Ravens utilizing Derrick Henry properly this season? His yards per carry average is very good. Might we see his workload increase during the season? — Ed Helinski His workload will depend on the situation. If there are teams that have a weak run defense, then the Ravens will exploit them by using Henry more. If the opposition stacks the box or line of scrimmage like the last couple teams the Ravens have faced, then they will throw. I prefer the Ravens being balanced. Against Tampa Bay on Monday night, the Ravens threw the ball 22 times and ran it 30 times. That’s about as balanced as a team will get in a game. I also like having a “fresh” Henry coming off the bench to close out the game in the second half. Look at the Bucs. There were times when those safeties and cornerbacks wanted no part of Henry, especially in the fourth quarter. The Ravens have won five straight games using Henry properly. That will come in handy in the winter, when the weather turns cold, snow is on the ground and opposing teams might have problems throwing the ball. Then it’s time to go to “The King,” who has 873 yards on 136 carries. Do you think Zach Orr is the right person to run the defense, or should he defer to Dean Pees so he can learn from him? — Jim Lahman Jim, this reminds me of when the Ravens lost the first two games and fans wanted to run coach John Harbaugh out of town. I will give you the same advice I gave them: Chill. Orr is a young coordinator trying to find his voice. Will it come? I don’t know, but let’s be patient. I have questions about the schematics as well, but it’s hard to give up on a coordinator after seven games. I like the addition of Pees and his experience. I have received emails from fans questioning Pees and pointing out that his “prevent defenses” weren’t very good in Baltimore when he was the defensive coordinator from 2012 through 2017. I counter by saying that Pees was the coordinator when the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2012 and was New England’s linebackers coach when the Patriots won back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 2004 and 2005. He has worked for former Patriots coach Bill Belichick and later with Harbaugh. That’s a pretty good pedigree. I don’t expect Pees to come in and change things overnight, but he can be a great sounding board in offering advice to Orr. It’s only been two weeks since Pees joined the Ravens as an adviser. If he can help fix this defense, then the Ravens are even more impressive. If he can’t, then it’s not like the Ravens haven’t tried. I like the addition of Pees. The Ravens’ defense is clearly significantly worse than last year in pretty much every statistic that matters, including more yards per game, more points per game, and more penalties, but it seems like the communication on the field is also much worse and receivers are just being left completely wide-open. How much of the blame is on the players versus how much goes to the defensive coordinator who’s only 32 years old and has limited coaching experience? — Micah Kleid It’s a combination of problems. Against Tampa Bay, the Bucs ran two or three passes with running backs out in the flat and the Ravens couldn’t stop it. That was a problem in the season opener versus Kansas City. I fault the scheme for the Ravens trying to match up middle linebacker Roquan Smith with a running back or a receiver because he doesn’t have that kind of speed. Where is weakside linebacker Trenton Simpson, who does? I also question Smith. He got picked on one play out of the same formation, but he should have seen it coming the next time. He didn’t. That’s on him. I look in the secondary, and sometimes the Ravens don’t even have a cornerback or a safety in the same zip code as a receiver. It’s one thing to get beat physically, but when a defensive player isn’t in the vicinity, that’s confusion and/or a lack of communication. There are other problems as well, such as cornerback Brandon Stephens getting beat on the first move, trying to catch up and then not looking for the ball. Safety Marcus Williams and rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins have also struggled. The kid is going to be good, but he still likes to be physical near the line of scrimmage. That was great in college, but not so effective in the NFL. But as I mentioned in the last question, maybe this all can be worked out. As I look around the NFL, few teams play good, physical defense anymore, and that’s what commissioner Roger Goodell wants. Recent rule changes protecting quarterbacks, allowing offensive linemen to extend their arms, cracking down on hits across the middle of the field and preventing defenders from being able to “chuck” a receiver at the line of scrimmage have changed the way the game is being played. The Ravens and Chiefs have actually swapped roles. Baltimore is now an offensive team and the Chiefs are now a defensive team, even though Kansas City still has quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Who else plays great defense in the NFL? Minnesota? Even Cleveland isn’t what it used to be compared with a year ago. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns scouting report for Week 8: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Can Ravens RB Derrick Henry rush for 2,000 yards this season? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson had struggled vs. the blitz. Now he’s ‘locked in.’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell returns to practice; 2 cornerbacks also back Baltimore Ravens | Browns will have new QB and new play-caller against Ravens I think we need to give some credit to coach George Warhop. He inherited a difficult situation and has these guys playing pretty well on the offensive line. Seems like they are pretty set in who is playing, and it’s nice not seeing all of the rotations in and out like last year. What can they continue to improve on for the rest of the season? — Brian P from Ellicott City Brian, it will come down to pass blocking. They’ve improved, especially moving Patrick Mekari to left guard and inserting rookie Roger Rosengarten at right tackle to replace him. A lot of credit also has to be given to left tackle Ronnie Stanley. The Ravens asked him to redo his contract, and that hurt his personal pride in his performance the past couple of years. But Stanley has played extremely well so far. A year ago, he would get overpowered by pass rushers. As far as Warhop, there were some people around the league who said he would come in and make changes that wouldn’t be proper. Maybe he did, but so far those changes have worked. The combination blocks have been excellent, and the Ravens have run outside, especially late in games, with authority. So yes, no complaints here. It’s tough to come in and then try to fit in under unusual circumstances, but so far the line has improved, and that was the most suspect area heading into the season. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

The Ravens painted another offensive masterpiece to beat the Buccaneers, 41-31. The Browns fell to the Bengals, 21-14, and lost their starting quarterback for the season. Who will have the edge when these AFC North rivals meet Sunday afternoon in Cleveland? Ravens passing game vs. Browns pass defense As dominant as the Ravens are on the ground, it’s their remarkable passing efficiency that has them running away from the pack in offensive DVOA. Lamar Jackson was almost perfect on Monday night against Tampa Bay, completing 17 of 22 for 281 yards and five touchdowns. He’s headed for the best passing season of his career: completing 68.2%, on pace to throw for more than 4,000 yards and 36 touchdowns, leading the league in passer rating and second to the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen in ESPN’s QBR. Opponents have tried to crowd the box and rattle him with pressure over the last three weeks. Jackson has punished them with an improved screen game and by pinpointing downfield targets. His top target, Zay Flowers, hurt his ankle and had a quiet game against the Buccaneers. No matter. Jackson simply turned to wide receivers Rashod Bateman (12 catches on 16 targets for 250 yards over his last three games) and tight end Mark Andrews (three touchdowns over his last two games). Running back Justice Hill again proved to be a great threat on those aforementioned screens, scoring on one and taking another 18 yards to set up a field goal. Jackson’s pass protection was uneven against Tampa Bay’s frequent blitzes. Rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten allowed an early sack, but left tackle Ronnie Stanley played another superb game, allowing no pressures. He’ll be a key player again in Cleveland, where the Browns’ pass defense will always be dangerous with Myles Garrett (four sacks, nine quarterback hits) and Za’Darius Smith rushing from the edges in coordinator Jim Schwartz’s tried-and-true schemes. Garrett, playing through Achilles and thigh pain, hasn’t been as dominant as usual but still grades as the No. 4 edge defender in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. That said, the Browns aren’t what they were in 2023, when they ranked just behind the Ravens in DVOA against the pass. They have just one interception and have allowed 6.2 yards per attempt. Martin Emerson Jr. has graded as one of the worst starting cornerbacks in the league, and nickel back Greg Newsome II hasn’t been much better. Cleveland has blitzed on 35.7% of dropbacks, the third-highest rate in the league. Will Schwartz risk that against Jackson, who has been so deadly against extra rushers? EDGE: Ravens Browns passing game vs. Ravens pass defense Jameis Winston will get his chance to lift the Browns from the rubble after Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles and backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson injured his finger against the Bengals. Cleveland was a disaster under Watson, ranking last in pass DVOA by a wide margin. They rank 30th in yards per game and last in yards per attempt and already traded their No. 1 wide receiver, Amari Cooper, to Buffalo, seemingly signaling their acceptance of a lost season. Jerry Jeudy was supposed to give Cleveland a dynamic No. 2, but he’s been merely decent, catching 21 of the 41 balls thrown his way for 266 yards and one touchdown. Tight end David Njoku has given the Ravens problems, and he appeared healthy (he missed three games with an ankle injury) against the Bengals, catching 10 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Winston is five years removed from his last full year as a starter, and he has always been interception-prone (he threw 30 in 2019). Watson was often his own worst enemy, but the league-high 33 sacks he took also show that the Browns’ offensive line isn’t the stellar unit it was a few years ago. Cleveland will look for a flicker of life against a Baltimore pass defense that’s still giving up far too many easy yards. The Ravens rank last in yards allowed, 28th in yards allowed per attempt and 18th in DVOA against the pass. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey was their saving grace against Tampa Bay, picking off Baker Mayfield twice to turn the tide, but he left before halftime with a knee injury. Humphrey has been the secondary’s top playmaker and coordinator Zach Orr’s top choice to cover slot receivers, so his absence — he did not practice Wednesday — would hurt. On the bright side, rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins played well against the Buccaneers coming off a pair of rough games, but he also did not practice Wednesday because of a shoulder injury. If Njoku is the greatest threat in a toothless attack, it will be interesting to see whether Orr checks him with linebacker Roquan Smith, who been uneven in coverage this year, or safety Kyle Hamilton. The Ravens are tied for fourth in sacks despite blitzing on just 18.9% of dropbacks. Perhaps Orr will be more aggressive this week against a backup quarterback without a wide selection of dangerous targets. Save for a stretch of the third quarter during which they dropped Mayfield twice, Baltimore’s pass rushers didn’t make much impact against Tampa Bay’s quick-throwing attack. EDGE: Ravens Ravens running game vs. Browns run defense Tampa Bay actually outgained the league’s top rushing attack in the first half. By the end of the game, the Ravens held their usual crushing advantage: 244 yards to 125. They’ve outrushed every opponent this year by at least 100 yards. We’re running out of ways to illustrate their dominance with Jackson at the controls and Derrick Henry serving as the team’s closer (11 carries, 146 yards after halftime against the Buccaneers). The Ravens are on pace to blow past the all-time rushing record they set in 2019, and their 6.2 yards per attempt is a full yard ahead of the next most efficient ground game. They’ll try to maintain their historic pace against a solid Cleveland run defense that ranks 16th in DVOA, allowing 4.4 yards per carry. Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (54 tackles, seven for loss) is an elite run defender. Defensive tackle Shelby Harris is solid on the interior, and Garrett still makes plays from the edge. Washington, with a top running quarterback in Jayden Daniels, rolled for 215 yards against the Browns, which could hint at the problems Jackson will pose. Cleveland held the Ravens’ ground game in check last year (237 yards in two games) but did not have Henry to worry about. EDGE: Ravens Browns running game vs. Ravens run defense Running back Nick Chubb’s return from the awful knee injury that ended his 2023 season provided a ray of hope for the Browns last weekend. The four-time Pro Bowl selection carried 11 times for 22 yards against Cincinnati, so he might still need several weeks to get up to speed. The Browns went with a backfield committee before Chubb’s return and rank 28th in rushing, 20th in yards per attempt. Again, this team’s blocking isn’t what it was a few years ago. The Ravens have allowed the fewest rushing yards per game and per attempt, but the Buccaneers went at them more than any previous opponent and found some success with 125 yards on 30 carries. Their interior wall of Travis Jones, Michael Pierce and Nnamdi Madubuike wasn’t as dominant as usual, so perhaps the Browns will feel empowered to establish Chubb early. When opposing backs have gotten past the line of scrimmage, the Ravens, led by Hamilton and Smith, have done a good job preventing chunk gains. Baltimore’s defensive line, including tackle Michael Pierce, helps the Ravens lead the NFL in rushing defense. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) EDGE: Ravens Ravens special teams vs. Browns special teams Justin Tucker drilled a 52-yard field goal dead-center in the win over Tampa Bay and has not missed in his last four games. He seems to have worked past whatever technique issue plagued him on long attempts early in the season. With Deonte Harty on injured reserve, Chris Collier and Hill averaged 36 yards on a pair of kickoff returns against the Buccaneers. But the Ravens made the fourth quarter more interesting than it needed to be when they failed to field an onside kick for the second time this season. No other team has botched even one. Cleveland’s troubles have extended to special teams. Kicker Dustin Hopkins has missed three field goals and two extra points. The Browns are averaging 23.4 yards per kickoff return and allowing 30.7. They’re also at a net negative on punt returns. EDGE: Ravens Ravens intangibles vs. Browns intangibles The Ravens have won five straight — three of those on the road — building supreme confidence that their offense will transcend defensive and special teams foibles. Jackson’s 7-4 record against the Browns falls below his career winning percentage, but he has played great games in Cleveland, including the memorable jog to the locker room and subsequent return in a 2020 victory. The Ravens, having played Monday night, will be at a rest disadvantage but will be motivated to move to 2-0 on the road in the AFC North. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Trade talk, Derrick Henry usage and Zach Orr patience | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Can Ravens RB Derrick Henry rush for 2,000 yards this season? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson had struggled vs. the blitz. Now he’s ‘locked in.’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell returns to practice; 2 cornerbacks also back Baltimore Ravens | Browns will have new QB and new play-caller against Ravens Cleveland is off to a nightmare start at 1-6, with reports swirling that several more starters could follow Cooper out the door in trades. The quarterback situation is a mess, the offense anemic. But Kevin Stefanski is a widely respected coach, and perhaps he will use Watson’s injury as a chance to reset. EDGE: Ravens Prediction This matchup, pitting the league’s best offense against its worst, doesn’t feel complicated. Perhaps there’s some fear Cleveland will discover a spark with Winston in place of Watson at quarterback and Chubb in the backfield. The Browns still have notable defensive talent and seem unlikely to roll over against the Ravens, even if their season is lost. But no one has discovered a counter to the Jackson-Henry machine, and it’s hard to imagine a Cleveland offense that averages four yards per play keeping up. Ravens 31, Browns 17 Have a news tip? Contact Childs Walker at daviwalker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6893 and x.com/ChildsWalker. View the full article

Derrick Henry tramples over, through and in-between defenses at such an historic rate that his dodgy humbleness is borderline comedic. In 2020, after becoming the eighth running back to eclipse 2,000 yards in a single season, he lambasted his fumble when speaking to Tennessee Titans reporters. In a scrum with Ravens media after beating the Commanders this month, he used the word “humble” five times to answer three questions about their surging offense. After an 81-yard run against Tampa Bay, Henry called himself “slow” on social media for not scoring despite clocking his top speed since 2021. “To me,” coach John Harbaugh said, “that’s what greatness looks like.” His greatness thus far is looking like a bargain for Baltimore, which signed Henry for two years, $16 million in March. As it stands, he’s on pace to become the second Raven to eclipse 2,000 yards in a season and the first player to do it twice. At 873 yards through seven weeks, he’s hurtling toward 2,120 yards. That would edge Eric Dickerson’s 40-year-old record of 2,105 yards and crown Henry the all-time single-season rushing leader. “I don’t really try to think about that too much,” Henry said. “I just try to focus on doing my job and being better and better every week. I don’t really try to get into the statistics of things.” There are eight players in NFL history who have rushed for over 2,000 yards in a single season. Here’s the venerable list: O.J Simpson (1973), Eric Dickerson (1984), Barry Sanders (1997), Terrell Davis (1998), Jamal Lewis (2003), Chris Johnson (2009), Adrian Peterson (2012) and Henry (2020). “He’s there,” quarterback Lamar Jackson said. “I feel like he has a great chance of achieving that. I think he can do it.” Much of Henry’s brilliance has been a result of him turning nothing into something. He handily leads the league in rushing yards over expected with 363, according to Next Gen Stats; Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles is next closest with 226. And Henry is only the third player to bounce multiple 80-plus yard runs through seven games, after Sanders (twice) and Johnson. On the flip side, Henry’s usage rate could oscillate as the season wears on. Harbaugh said at the start of the season that they didn’t bring in Henry to get 30 carries a game. Heading into a Week 8 matchup with the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, he’s averaging 19.14 touches per game. “It’s not 30,” Harbaugh quipped on Wednesday. “30 is kind of a high number, I protected myself on that.” Ravens running back Derrick Henry is on pace to run for more than 2,000 yards. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The league’s rushing yards leader has had one game with 25 carries (against Dallas) and a pair at 24. The rest have stayed under 19. His fewest — and least substantial outing — was Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, finishing with 46 yards on 13 carries. “I’m happy with [the 19.14 average] because it means we’ve had a lot of carries in the fourth quarter, which means that we have the lead,” Harbaugh said. “And that’s what you want. I also feel like over the course of the season it’s gonna be OK if it’s not 19 or 25. When it’s 10 or 12 that’s OK, too.” Added Henry: “I just think that speaks about the offense that we have, the dynamic players we have. … As far as touches, I don’t try to worry about that. If I get an opportunity, I try to make the best of it.” The backfield complement of Justice Hill and looming return of Keaton Mitchell, who tore his ACL last season and returned to practice Wednesday, could impact Henry’s volume — which could potentially keep him from the record books. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Trade talk, Derrick Henry usage and Zach Orr patience | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns scouting report for Week 8: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson had struggled vs. the blitz. Now he’s ‘locked in.’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell returns to practice; 2 cornerbacks also back Baltimore Ravens | Browns will have new QB and new play-caller against Ravens But Henry is doing more with less, like rushing for 169 yards on 15 carries against the Buccaneers or 199 on 24 versus the Bills. The back of his football card from his first 2,000-yard season shows 10 games with 100-plus yards on the ground. Two for over 200, which he’s already come close to once this year. Consider this: the 2020 Titans fed him 23.63 times per game — twice going above 30 carries and only four times falling into the teens. Every other 2,000-yard rusher has finished the season above 20 attempts per game. Sanders was the most efficient of the group with 2,053 yards on 20.94 attempts. He was also the closest to Henry in age at 29 years old. At this juncture, with 12 weeks of football left to be played, the 30-year-old Henry is running the ball at an unprecedented rate. “He’s named ‘King Henry’ for a reason,” fullback Pat Ricard said, “and it’s just a dream to have him here.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Lamar Jackson doesn’t think much about the high praise for the Ravens’ success on offense this season. “In one ear, out the other,” the star quarterback said Wednesday night in Owings Mills. “Early in the season, they were saying we were one of the worst teams in the league. Each and every week, we’ve just been worried about proving ourselves right. That’s pretty much what we’ve been doing.” Still, the results are impossible to ignore: Baltimore is on pace for 7,844 total yards, which would break the 2011 New Orleans Saints’ NFL record for the most in a season. A big reason: Jackson’s performance against the blitz. By any number of metrics, it’s been the best of his career. Last year, he had a passer rating of 62 and plus-0.04 expected points added per play against the blitz, which ranked 16th in the NFL. This year, those numbers have skyrocketed to 88 and plus-0.27, which ranks third. Monday night in Tampa, Florida, the Buccaneers blitzed Jackson on 61.5% of his dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats. Jackson responded by completing 11 of 15 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns for a passer rating of 148.9 — and, more importantly, a 41-31 victory, the Ravens’ fifth straight. In a 30-23 win at home against the Commanders a week earlier, he completed 9 of 10 passes for 150 yards with a plus-0.47 EPA per attempt and a 90% success rate against Washington’s blitz. And in Week 5 in Cincinnati, Jackson threw for a season-high 348 yards along with four touchdowns to lead Baltimore to a 41-38 overtime win over the blitz-happy Bengals. “I think we’ve been intentional about it,” coach John Harbaugh said about Jackson’s dominance against opposing blitzes this season. “That has been a big one; how we attack people who are gonna blitz us in various ways and play various coverages behind it. “Lamar’s been the most intentional about it. He’s been locked in on it since Day 1.” And performing the best compared with any point in his six-plus year career. “That’s pretty much what I study,” he said. “That’s the main thing. … Blitzes is one of the main things we go over the most and knowing the protections and pickups and stuff like that.” How Jackson, 27, has been responding to them is also a departure from earlier in his career. “When I was younger, I would see the blitz happening and I would pretty much just try to beat the blitz without flipping the protection,” he said. “Sometimes I had to pay for it. “My biggest thing over the last few years was getting my line to go where they should be going, and if a guy is gonna be free, I’m gonna know how to navigate the ball to get it away from him and get us in a positive situation.” “My biggest thing over the last few years was getting my [offensive] line to go where they should be going,” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said.Of course, Jackson isn’t doing it all alone. The offense, which is in its second year under coordinator Todd Monken and has three new starters along the line, has adjusted in scheme and play-calling. Running backs — Justice Hill in particular — have been adept in picking up rushers. And the once much-maligned offensive line has improved significantly, particularly in pass protection. “It starts from the top,” said veteran lineman Patrick Mekari, who started the season at right tackle before switching to left guard. “From the coaches’ schemes, from Lamar seeing it, checking it, getting us to the side he wants us to go to, all the backs picking it up, the receivers realizing the blitz is coming and getting open and then the O-line doing their job and picking up the blitz too. “We knows there’s holes to be exposed when they blitz us.” As a result, the yards and points have added up. The Ravens’ 31.1 points per game rank first in the NFL. Ditto their 461.4 yards per game, which is nearly 50 more than the second-place Detroit Lions. Unsurprisingly, Jackson is also putting up career numbers and is on pace to surpass 4,000 passing yards in a season for the first time. Likewise, the Ravens are benefitting from it. From 2020 through 2023, Jackson was a below-average quarterback against the blitz in terms of EPA per attempt. When teams blitzed more than 37% of his dropbacks during that span, Baltimore was just 12-10, per Sharp Analytics. When they blitzed at a lower rate, Baltimore was 29-8. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Trade talk, Derrick Henry usage and Zach Orr patience | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Browns scouting report for Week 8: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Can Ravens RB Derrick Henry rush for 2,000 yards this season? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell returns to practice; 2 cornerbacks also back Baltimore Ravens | Browns will have new QB and new play-caller against Ravens This week, the Ravens and Jackson, who is the early favorite to be named NFL Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row and third team in his career, will face another team, the Cleveland Browns, that likes to blitz often. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is known for an aggressive style. He has the edge rushers to turn up the pressure with Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith, among others. But they’ll be doing so perhaps at their own peril. “He’s got a high IQ. He’s an elite player,” said Ravens running back Derrick Henry, who comfortably leads the NFL with 873 rushing yards in his first year with Jackson. “That’s ‘L.’ He’s a high IQ player and a great player and he’s playing through the roof. He’s been better than his previous years playing. MV3, as they say.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The NFL’s leading rushing attack is about to get even stronger. Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell returned to practice Wednesday in Owings Mills. It marks the first time he has practiced since suffering a torn ACL in mid-December of last season against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Baltimore has 21 days to add him to the roster from the physically unable to perform list or the second-year back will revert to season-ending injured reserve. Asked about a timetable for Mitchell’s return, coach John Harbaugh did not elaborate. “I don’t expect him to be back this week,” Harbaugh said. “He’s been away quite awhile, so you want to get him going, get him moving, get him practicing football and get him ready hopefully within the three-week window.” Harbaugh added that he would need to see good change of direction on cuts, as well as Mitchell being productive while also being able to protect himself. Mitchell, who last season provided a jolt to the Ravens’ rushing attack with his breakaway speed, joins a backfield that already includes the league’s leading rusher in Derrick Henry (873 yards, eight touchdowns) and versatile veteran Justice Hill, whom Baltimore recently signed to a contract extension. However, it remains to be seen if the 5-foot-9, 181-pound speedster who was wearing a brace on his surgically repaired left knee has the same explosiveness he displayed during his rookie year as an undrafted free agent out of East Carolina. Mitchell, who rushed for 396 yards and two touchdowns on 47 carries and caught nine passes for 93 yards in eight games a season ago, tore three ligaments and cartilage in what was described as a “nasty” injury. There was no nerve damage or other complications, however, and five weeks ago Mitchell posted on X that he had reached 20-plus mph while working out. It was initially believed he would not be able to practice until early December, but his return Wednesday signals a possible mid-November return. From Weeks 9 through 16 last season Mitchell, who is the son of former Ravens defensive back Anthony Mitchell, was one of the fastest and best backs in the NFL. His 8.4 yards per carry and 5.9 yards after contact led the league, and he was third in broken tackle percentage and fourth in yards before contact (2.9) during that span. Mitchell’s top speed of 20.99 mph, per Next Gen Stats, was the fastest of any Ravens running back last season. This year, however, he has plenty of competition for carries with Henry averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. In Monday night’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 30-year-old ran for 169 yards on 15 carries, marking the fourth time he’s topped the century mark in the past five games, and he reached a top speed of 21.72 mph during an 81-yard run in the fourth quarter. Consequently, the Ravens have rolled up the most yards in the league during their five-game winning streak, during which they have averaged 35 points and 479 yards per game after totaling 508 yards on Monday night. Baltimore’s 244 rushing yards against Tampa Bay also made them just the fourth team since 1980 to have at least 1,400 rushing yards through seven games. Mitchell wasn’t the only player to return Wednesday in the week’s first practice ahead of Sunday’s game against the Browns in Cleveland. Cornerbacks Arthur Maulet (hamstring-knee) and Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring) were back, though both were limited in the late afternoon walk-through practice, according to the injury report. Armour-Davis also has 21 days to be added to the roster after coming off injured reserve. Several others were missing, though. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Browns will have new QB and new play-caller against Ravens Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata and Marshal Yanda advance in Hall of Fame voting Baltimore Ravens | Bail denied for Ravens fan accused of assaulting Commanders fans in Federal Hill Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: How would you grade the Ravens’ season so far? Baltimore Ravens | NFL is reviewing Ravens’ Roquan Smith’s tackle that injured Bucs’ Chris Godwin Wide receiver Zay Flowers (ankle), cornerbacks Nate Wiggins (shoulder) and Marlon Humphrey (knee), defensive tackle Travis Jones (knee), cornerback T.J. Tampa (ankle) and rookie running back Rasheen Ali (ankle) all did not practice. Linebacker Malik Harrison (groin) and defensive tackle Broderick Washington (knee) were limited. Harbaugh added that he’s hopeful that Humphrey would be available to play Sunday and said all the players currently dealing with injury also have a chance to play. For Cleveland, running back Jerome Ford (knee), linebacker Jordan Hicks (elbow/triceps), safety Ronnie Hickman (ankle), left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee), center Ethan Pocic (knee) and backup defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson (personal) all did not practice. Coach Kevin Stefanski said Hicks, Wills and Pocic are “day to day.” Meanwhile, right tackle Jack Conklin (knee) and backup cornerback Tony Brown (ankle) were limited. Defensive end Myles Garrett (Achilles tendon), wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (knee) and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (right finger) were full participants. Stefanski said quarterback Jameis Winston will start Sunday after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Right guard Wyatt Teller (knee) was designated to return for Cleveland. He’s been on IR since Sept. 25. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

BEREA, Ohio — The Browns have changed who’s calling the plays and who’s running them. On Wednesday, Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski announced that Jameis Winston will start at quarterback against the Ravens this week after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture last Sunday. Winston will be making his first start since 2022 when he was with New Orleans Saints. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft will be making his 81st career start in the NFL. Winston’s ascension into the starting spot was expected. Stefanski handing over play-calling duties to coordinator Ken Dorsey seven games into the season was a surprise. But with the Browns (1-6) in a freefall and their offense needing a spark after failing to score 20 points in a game this season, Stefanski, a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year, is putting Dorsey in charge of calling the plays. “I’m just always looking at what we can do to just be a little bit better and truth is we have to be better on offense and coach Dorsey is somebody that I rely on very heavily and I just feel like this is the right thing for the team,” Stefanski said. Dorsey, who played quarterback for the Browns, is in his first season on Stefanski’s staff. He was fired as Buffalo’s OC midway through last season. The offense is now in the hands of Winston, who was signed by the Browns to a 1-year, $8.7 million contract as a free agent in March after the team cycled through five quarterbacks last season. Watson ruptured his tendon last Sunday on a running play against the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s scheduled to undergo surgery Friday and will likely need at least six months of rehab. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata and Marshal Yanda advance in Hall of Fame voting Baltimore Ravens | Bail denied for Ravens fan accused of assaulting Commanders fans in Federal Hill Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: How would you grade the Ravens’ season so far? Baltimore Ravens | NFL is reviewing Ravens’ Roquan Smith’s tackle that injured Bucs’ Chris Godwin Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 7: Steelers’ Russell Wilson switch looks genius Winston has been Cleveland’s No. 2 quarterback for most of the season. However, last week he was the No. 3 behind Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who came in for Watson but hurt a finger on his throwing hand in the second half against the Bengals. Stefanski said Thompson-Robinson will practice, but he wants to see how he throws before deciding if he can be Winston’s backup against the Ravens (5-2). On Tuesday, the Browns signed quarterback Bailey Zappe off Kansas City’s practice squad. Zappe made eight starts over two seasons for the New England Patriots, who released him this summer. Winston gives the Browns some experience at the position, but he doesn’t end their problems at quarterback. Watson’s injury could lead to the team selecting a quarterback near the top of next year’s draft. View the full article

Two-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Eli Manning, former NFL Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and prolific tight end Antonio Gates are among the players who advanced to the next stage in voting for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Suggs joined Haloti Ngata and Marshal Yanda as former Ravens advancing to the next step in the process. The Hall announced Wednesday the 50 modern era candidates who advanced from the original list of 167 after voting by a newly created screening committee. The list includes eight players in their first year of eligibility, including Ngata and Suggs, and 10 players who were finalists last year but didn’t get enough support. The full selection committee will next reduce the list of nominees to 25 semifinalists in about four weeks. Then 15 finalists will be picked for the annual meeting before the Super Bowl that will produce the new class. Players must get 80% of votes to get in with between three and five players getting in as modern era candidates. There will also be votes for three seniors candidates, one contributor and one coach with between one and three people from that group getting into the Hall. Leading the group of candidates in their first year of eligibility were Manning, Kuechly, Suggs and postseason kicking hero Adam Vinatieri. The others two key members of Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning team in the 2013 season in running back Marshawn Lynch and safety Earl Thomas, a former Raven; two-time All-Pro guard Yanda; and longtime San Francisco 49ers left tackle Joe Staley. Gates and defensive lineman Jared Allen headline the group of returning finalists from last year along with receivers Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne; offensive linemen Willie Anderson, a former Raven, and Jahri Evans; defensive backs Darren Woodson, Eric Allen and Rodney Harrison; and running back Fred Taylor. Others who played for the Ravens on the list include quarterback Steve McNair (2006-07), wide receivers Anquan Boldin (2010-12) and Steve Smith Sr. (2014-16), tight end Ben Coates (2000) and offensive lineman Erik Williams (2001). Boldin and Smith rank ninth and 11th, respectively, on the Ravens’ all-time receiving yards list. Kuechly and Suggs were among the top defensive players of their era with Kuechly selected as the top defensive player in 2013 and Suggs in 2011. Suggs was one of the top pass rushers in the league over his 17-year career, with his 139 sacks ranking eighth best since they became an official stat in 1982. Suggs had seven double-digit sack seasons in his 16 seasons with Baltimore, including 14 in 2011 when he was selected as the top defensive player in the league and led the NFL with seven forced fumbles. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and helped the Ravens win the Super Bowl in the 2012 season. He finished his career in Kansas City where he helped the Chiefs win the Super Bowl in the 2019 season. Ngata played for the Ravens from 2006 to 2014, making five Pro Bowls and winning one Super Bowl. The monstrous defensive tackle played his college football at Oregon, and he played for the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles at the end of his professional career. He finished his career with 515 tackles, including 32 1/2 sacks. Yanda, an eight-time Pro Bowl participant, played for the Ravens from 2007 to 2019. The former Iowa great is among the top offensive linemen to play for John Harbaugh in Baltimore, as Yanda was Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked guard in the NFL in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Manning will look to follow his brother Peyton into the Hall following a standout career with the New York Giants. Manning was picked first overall in the 2004 draft and spent his entire career in New York. He led the Giants to an upset win over the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl following the 2007 season, throwing a game-winning TD pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Browns will have new QB and new play-caller against Ravens Baltimore Ravens | Bail denied for Ravens fan accused of assaulting Commanders fans in Federal Hill Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: How would you grade the Ravens’ season so far? Baltimore Ravens | NFL is reviewing Ravens’ Roquan Smith’s tackle that injured Bucs’ Chris Godwin Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 7: Steelers’ Russell Wilson switch looks genius He led another late TD drive to upset Tom Brady and the Patriots four years later. Manning is one of 13 QBs to win multiple Super Bowls with eight of the nine who are eligible for the Hall getting inducted. Only Jim Plunkett has not been inducted along with more recent players such as Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes, who aren’t eligible. Plunkett has advanced in voting for the seniors candidates. Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler but never made All-Pro or led the league in a major statistical category in a season but finished his career with 57,023 yards passing and 366 TDs. His best moments were in those two postseason runs. Manning joined Brady (five), Mahomes (three), Joe Montana (three), Bart Starr (two) and Terry Bradshaw (two) as the only multiple winners of Super Bowl MVP awards. View the full article

The Ravens fan accused of assaulting three Commanders fans in Federal Hill earlier this month, shown in a video that went viral, was denied bail Wednesday. John Callis of Sarasota, Florida, appeared in Baltimore District Court, where Judge LaTina Burse Greene denied his attorney’s request that Callis be held in an outpatient rehab facility along with GPS monitoring. Callis, 24, allegedly assaulted three people after the Ravens-Commanders game in Baltimore on Oct. 13. Now, he’s charged with one count of first-degree assault and three counts of second-degree assault. Together, the charges could have a maximum penalty of up to 55 years. State’s Attorney Twila Driggins recommended Callis be held without bail considering his ties to other states and the potential threat to public safety. She recalled for the court that Callis had been given probation before judgment in an 2021 fight in Towson, as well as a similar punishment for riot and loitering in Delaware. She said two of the October victims, 23-year-old men who attended the Ravens game with their parents, were “humiliated” by the circulating viral video of the assault and worried about Callis’ possible release. Defense attorney Brian Thompson suggested the judge release Callis to outpatient treatment for his yearslong cocaine addiction and alcoholism. The program, OnePromise, buses patients from residential facilities in Overlea to the rehab facility daily, Thompson said, and there would be low likelihood of any potential home-monitoring violations. Greene was familiar with the program and stated that although she wasn’t satisfied with this proposal of outpatient care, she would entertain a motion to modify Callis’ bail status should Thompson find an in-patient program to combine with around-the-clock GPS monitoring and home detention. Callis turned himself into Southern District police earlier this week as a result of negotiations with the state. Have a news tip? Contact Racquel Bazos at rbazos@baltsun.com, 443-813-0770 or on X as @rzbworks. View the full article

The Ravens beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 41-31, on Monday night for their fifth straight victory after starting the season 0-2. Lamar Jackson is the current betting favorite to win his second straight NFL Most Valuable Player Award and third overall, but the defense — which was the league’s best a season ago — has continued to struggle. We want to know your thoughts on the team through Week 7. Under the poll, tell us what you think and we may use our take on the Ravens in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

When Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin suffered an ankle injury in the final minute of Monday night’s loss to the Ravens, ESPN’s production crew deemed the play too gruesome to replay on the national broadcast. Godwin — who is expected to have surgery later this week on what is believed to be a dislocated ankle that would likely sideline him for the rest of the season — had his lower leg rolled over by Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith. That tackle is now being reviewed as a potential hip-drop tackle, according to an NFL source with direct knowledge of the league’s review, a banned play that, if substantiated, could result in a fine for the two-time All-Pro and captain of Baltimore’s defense. In March, teams unanimously voted to ban the hip-drop tackle, citing an injury rate 20 times higher than a normal tackle. A hip-drop tackle occurs when a defender wraps up a ball carrier and rotates or swivels his hips, the league says, unweighting himself and dropping onto the ball carrier’s legs. Schefter posted on X that Smith’s tackle had all the makings of the banned move. Hip-drop tackles result in a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down when called, but through Week 7, it has yet to be called during a game. Smith was not immediately penalized although the play is more commonly addressed in the following days. Players can receive a warning letter but could be subject to a fine. Smith has already been fined once this season for unnecessary roughness after a horse collar tackle on Chiefs running back Isaiah Pacheco, but the Ravens linebacker won his appeal of that fine. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 7: Steelers’ Russell Wilson switch looks genius Baltimore Ravens | What Joe Flacco, Ed Reed and Bill Belichick said about the Ravens on the ‘ManningCast’ Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 41-31 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 41-31 win over Buccaneers | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson dazzles to lead Ravens past Buccaneers, 41-31, for 5th straight win The Washington Post’s Mark Maske reported that league leaders at an NFL owners’ meeting last week deemed there had been 22 plays up for review of a hip-drop tackle this season. Though no flags have been thrown, seven players have been fined. Baltimore is no stranger to the hip-drop tackle. It’s why tight end Mark Andrews missed two months of the season last year, having been pulled down by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson last November. Andrews’ injury reignited the argument for the NFL to ban it. After Smith’s tackle on Monday, Godwin’s left leg was put in an aircast and he was carted off the field. “It doesn’t look good,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles told reporters postgame. The 28-year-old was on pace for a career-best season; through seven weeks, he ranked second in the NFL in recovering yards (576) and first in receptions (50). Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Each week of the NFL season, The Baltimore Sun will recap the best and worst from around the league. Here are our winners and losers from Week 7: Winner: Russell Wilson In the beginning of Sunday night’s game, it felt like Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made the wrong decision. Making his first start of the season after being sidelined by a calf injury, Wilson struggled as the Jets took a 15-6 lead midway through the second quarter. The Pittsburgh crowd grew restless as Justin Fields, who played well enough to lead his new team to a 4-2 start, watched from the sideline. How did Wilson respond? By leading the Steelers to 31 unanswered points in a 37-15 victory over Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. The 35-year-old Wilson finished 16-for-29 for 264 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score, providing a lift for an offense that had been good but not great with Fields under center. Most notable was Wilson’s connection with wide receiver George Pickens, who benefitted from Wilson’s downfield aggressiveness with five catches for 111 yards and his first touchdown of the season. The emergence of the enigmatic receiver is huge, considering he’s talented enough to be a true No. 1 target but has struggled to be consistent with his effort and attitude. Of course, Wilson doesn’t deserve all the credit. Undrafted rookie Beanie Bishop Jr. had two huge interceptions that led directly to a pair of Steelers touchdowns, including a one-handed grab over the middle that helped Pittsburgh cut the lead to 15-13 at halftime. Bishop later picked off a pass that bounced off Jets wideout Garrett Wilson and returned it all the way to the 1-yard line, setting up Pittsburgh for an easy touchdown and a 23-15 lead. The Steelers also recorded their second blocked field goal of the season late in the third quarter to keep it an eight-point game, leading to players mobbing special teams coach Danny Smith on the sideline. The defense held wide receiver Davante Adams to just three catches for 30 yards in his Jets debut, frustrated Rodgers all night and allowed just 54 rushing yards. In the end, it was a stroke of genius for Tomlin, who wasn’t shy about how he felt about making the bold switch to Wilson. “That’s why I’m well compensated,” the NFL’s longest-tenured coach said. Loser: San Francisco 49ers It might be time to write off the 49ers as serious Super Bowl contenders. That probably seems like an overreaction to Sunday’s 28-18 loss to the Chiefs, but mounting injuries have robbed this team of its best players. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk suffered a season-ending knee injury Sunday, joining running back Christian McCaffrey, safety Talanoa Hufanga, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and linebacker Dre Greenlaw on the sideline for an extended period of time. Wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings were also out against Kansas City, leaving tight end George Kittle and running back Jordan Mason as quarterback Brock Purdy’s top playmakers. Unsurprisingly, the offense struggled to score, going 2-for-4 in the red zone and 2-for-11 on third down while Purdy threw three interceptions. At 3-4, it’s going to be an uphill battle for San Francisco to even make the playoffs. Every team in the NFC North has a better record and point differential, while the Seahawks, Buccaneers, Falcons, Cowboys, Eagles and Commanders are also ahead in the standings. Each of the Niners’ next six opponents are .500 or better, and their remaining schedule is the eighth toughest in the league, according to FTN Fantasy’s DVOA. Although the roster is unquestionably among the league’s best when healthy, San Francisco is simply running out of time. Even if McCaffrey returns, the 49ers might already be too far down the standings to make a playoff run and could decide to prioritize his long-term health instead. Over the past three years, the Niners have ranked second, third and fifth in overall efficiency as measured by DVOA. This year, they’re 11th, including one of the league’s worst special teams units. The margin for error is slim, and coach Kyle Shanahan might not be able to overcome it. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown in a dominant 28-3 win over the Giants on Sunday. (Al Bello/AP) Winner: Saquon Barkley Barkley said it wasn’t a “revenge game,” but he sure played like it was. In his return to MetLife Stadium on Sunday, the star running back rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ dominant 28-3 win over the Giants. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, those 176 yards are the second most by any player in NFL history in a game against his former team. In six seasons in New York, Barkley eclipsed 170 rushing yards in a game just once, with 189 in an overtime win over Washington in 2019. Playing behind a much better offensive line, Barkley is on pace for nearly 2,000 rushing yards, making his three-year, $37.5 million deal he signed this offseason look like a steal. That’s a number the Giants were unwilling to offer, and unsurprisingly it has come back to bite them. Owner John Mara feared as much when he told general manager Joe Schoen on “Hard Knocks” earlier this year that “I’ll have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia.” Mara’s worst nightmare was realized when Barkley took a handoff 55 yards to set up the Eagles’ first touchdown early in the second quarter. The former Penn State star reached a career-high 21.93 mph on the run, according to Next Gen Stats, the second-fastest speed by a ball carrier this season. If the Giants had any doubt that Barkley lost a step, he showed that he might only be getting better. Related Articles NFL | Staff picks for Week 7 of 2024 NFL season: Texans vs. Packers, Chiefs vs. 49ers and more NFL | Baltimore Police investigating video of man in Ravens jersey assaulting Commanders fans in Federal Hill NFL | Maryland sets monthly sports betting tax revenue record in September NFL | Some fans frustrated by light rail crowds after Baltimore events, but many still ride NFL | Meet Tini Younger, a social media chef and Ravens fan with over 9 million followers He even took the high road when asked about his feelings of returning to his old stadium, despite seeing fans burning his Giants jersey in the parking lot before the game. “To be honest, I’m so happy this game’s over,” Barkley said. “I don’t think I should get — besides today — any more questions about the Giants. But like I always said, I’m thankful for that organization. They’re the team that drafted me. I still got nothing but love and respect for all the guys over there, but I’m happy to be an Eagle.” There’s really no way to defend the Giants letting Barkley go. Running back contracts have historically been a bad investment, but elite players are worth the price, as the Ravens are finding out with Derrick Henry. Barkley was the face of the franchise, and without him, the Giants have one of the worst offenses in the league. They only won one playoff game with him on the roster, but that was hardly his fault. Why not keep one of the best players on the team, regardless of circumstances? Even setting aside everything Barkley meant to the fans, the locker room and the community, failing to secure a long-term deal and letting him hit free agency was penny-wise and pound-foolish. The Giants are paying the price. Have a news tip? Contact C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

With Lamar Jackson’s big performance and a few familiar faces helping call the game, Monday night’s 41-31 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was like a Ravens party. Former Ravens stars Joe Flacco and Ed Reed and former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick — an Annapolis High graduate, special assistant with the Baltimore Colts and son of a longtime Navy assistant coach — joined the “ManningCast,” ESPN’s alternative broadcast led by brothers and former quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning. The format, which does not include a play-by-play announcer, allows the Mannings and guests to comment on the game and share their knowledge and experience in real time. On Monday night, there was a lot of admiration for Jackson, a few criticisms of the Ravens and plenty of stories of Baltimore history. Here’s a sampling of what was said: Bill Belichick On facing the Ravens’ offense: “You have to do a good job of tackling Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry all game long. These guys really wear people out in the fourth quarter.” On Lamar Jackson’s development: “Lamar’s improved a lot. I think his pocket presence and poise [have] improved greatly. He’s not as quick to run; he’ll stand in there and make the throws. He was much quicker to bail out earlier in his career. His vision down the field is better in the pocket, too, reading the rush.” On the Ravens’ biggest weakness: “This is the biggest problem for the Ravens, their overall pass protection. When they have to throw and pass block, that’s where they’ve had the most trouble. … When they can’t stay on track and they have to pass protect, whether it’s blitz pickup or just getting beat. … It’s just bad protection.” On the Ravens’ defense: “I don’t think they feel very comfortable in man-to-man. Too many big plays, too many missed tackles.” “The Ravens have given up more downfield passes than any other team in the league. Dean Pees joined them this week. Of course, Dean has a ton of experience. Coached for me in New England, also coached at the Ravens, Tennessee, Atlanta. He’s got a ton of experience, and I think in the long run that’s a good move to give a young defensive staff. They lost three guys off that staff; [Zach] Orr’s a pretty young coordinator. I think Dean will give them a presence in the secondary and maybe help that defense out over the long run.” On Ray Lewis: “The Ravens went to Baltimore [from Cleveland], and I didn’t. I made a trade [as Browns coach] in ’95 to get an extra draft pick in the ’96 draft, and it turned out [the Ravens] took [Jonathan] Ogden with the first pick in the draft and it turned out to be Ray Lewis with the second pick [No. 26 overall]. What a great career he had. Tremendous player. Went down to work him out when I was with the Patriots in ’96 as an assistant on Coach [Bill] Parcells’ staff and spent the day down there in Miami with Ray. It was a really impressive workout. Tremendous person; really, really smart player. Very fast. I was amazed at how fast and explosive he was for his size. He gave us a lot of problems with the Patriots.” On the Lewis and Ed Reed tandem: “You see one instinctive player on a team, it’s just rare, and it’s so impressive. When you have two of them on the same defense with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, honest to God between those two guys it was like they were in the offensive huddle.” DOUG KAPUSTIN / Baltimore SunRavens coach John Harbaugh watches his team work out indoors at the team’s Owings Mills training facility in 2008 with safety Ed Reed, a franchise legend. (File) On what made Reed great: “Everything. Where do you start? Run force, tackling, man-to-man coverage, blitzing, disguise, he was great in the deep part of the field. Great speed, range. Nobody got his hands on the ball more from anywhere, 105-, 108-yard return interceptions. And then, punt blocking. When we played against him, we had a different punt protection whenever he was in the game to make sure he was double-teamed. Luckily he wasn’t in there on every punt rush. There were times when we played against him where he didn’t rush a punt the entire season, but if he came in the game, we were doubling him. He had his own punt protection. Only player I’ve ever done that against in my entire career.” “I told Tom [Brady], ‘Never release the ball without knowing where he is on the field.’ Not that I had to tell him that; he knew that. You have to know where Ed Reed is when you release the ball. He would start 2 yards from the line of scrimmage, ended up being 35 yards deep. Or he’d start 20 yards deep and blitz, and get there. I had so much respect for him as a player. He was so hard to play against.” On Ravens’ third-down offense: “They were 3-for-11 against the Chiefs in the AFC championship game, so that’s something they really worked hard on all offseason and they’re the top team in the league now.” Peyton Manning On linebacker Roquan Smith: “When I look at Roquan Smith, I see a lot of similarities with Ray Lewis. His leadership, he’s in full control out there. He’s around the ball all the time.” On Marlon Humphrey’s interception in the end zone: “Why are we throwing? They’re playing Cover 4, you got 6 yards on the run play before. They’re dropping all these defenders, they’re building a picket fence. Like Jimmy in Hoosiers, right in the end zone. Run the ball!” On Justice Hill’s touchdown catch-and-run: “Screen into the blitz. They blitz the two outside backers. Couldn’t have a better call at a perfect time. You want them to blitz on screens. You got four [offensive] linemen out!” On Lewis: “Ray is so nice to me now, but when we were playing, never that nice to me. Always hitting me, always knew our snap count, always knew which way we were running it. He’d get this running start and drive me into the ground. But now we’re like best friends. Ray, where was that friendship when we were playing?” Joe Flacco On being a backup QB: “When you’re on the sideline as the backup, you have some nerves. If somebody told me to come replace one of you guys, man, I don’t know what I’d come down with, but I’d run away as far as I could.” On the Colts’ season: “I don’t think we’ve played our best football. We’re working on playing a complete game with the offense and the defense, but I think we’re playing one good side of the ball at a time and getting the job done.” On rooting for the Ravens or not: “I don’t know how you guys felt when you played, but I literally wish all other 31 teams could lose somehow. So whatever team I’m on, I’m all for. I don’t root for a single other quarterback, I don’t root for a single other team, so right now I’m on the Colts and that’s about all I can muster up.” On being older than five current NFL coaches, including Colts’ Shane Steichen: “I still view myself as the player and them as the coach no matter what the age difference may be. It really can be hard sometimes with a younger coach to feel like he can coach you. I hope that’s not the case, and it’s definitely not the case with Shane. We actually graduated high school in the same year, but I think I got him by six months or so. It actually makes for a pretty cool relationship.” On what stood out about rookie Lamar Jackson: “The competitor in him. When he took that field, you could see he was in the exact spot he wanted to be. Everything else kind of went out of sight, and he went out there and just played football.” Kenneth K. Lam / Baltimore SunJoe Flacco, right, spoke glowingly on “Monday Night Football” about Lamar Jackson’s competitive spirit. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) On Jackson’s development as a passer: “That’s the one thing about him. Even if he misses a guy here or there, like I said he’s in the exact spot he wants to be. He doesn’t let anything faze him. He just goes out there and he rips it and he’s not in his head, he’s not thinking about those things, he’s exactly what you want to be on Sundays. He’s just out there playing football. He’s done all the preparation and he goes and competes and you can see that when he’s on the field. He’s able to take the easy ones, and when he has to actually use the stuff that he’s been gifted and all that, he just does it naturally.” On coach John Harbaugh and the culture in Baltimore: “I didn’t know any better when I first got there. Whatever I saw, that was the NFL to me. But I’ll tell you what, he set the tone right away. He set the expectations high, and then he held everyone accountable. Just from being around him, he gets as much as he possibly can from everyone in that building. I think when you work in that building, and you’re working for him, you know that you can be the best version of yourself. I think that’s probably what he does best. He drives everybody and can kind of stand back and see everything from over the top and see what needs to be done. And then he knows how to build a tough football team. Everyone always wants to know, what is it about Baltimore? I know it’s 2024 and football is changing a little bit, but toughness still matters and I think they do a great job of going and getting tough football players.” On Jackson’s TD pass to Rashod Bateman: “If you’re going to roll the coverages like that, you might get some guys out of place every now and then. I think the big thing with that is, you better get pressure. Because if you don’t get pressure on the quarterback, when you run that many defenses, eventually you go through your progressions, you’re gonna find somebody.” On the “Mile High Miracle” in the 2012 postseason: “That was the first time I’ve ever beaten [Peyton], that game right there. We just got pummelled a couple weeks before that in Baltimore. I will say, that was the most electric locker room and overall postgame feeling that I’ve ever had in my life. I think I was talking to my mom on the bus two hours later, and I was still screaming at the top of my lungs. I’m sorry that I had to say that in this setting, but it was insane.” “But the next year [Peyton] came back and threw seven touchdowns on us, so take that, you know?” On the Ravens’ defense during his time in Baltimore: “Earlier in my career, there were games that were easier than practice. Harbaugh was a new coach, so we got an extra minicamp. So as soon I got drafted, I showed up for a mandatory minicamp. I had no clue what I was looking at out there. If I knew I had a 9 route, I took five steps and threw it. And if it went out of bounds, it was, ‘OK, I survived the play, I didn’t throw a pick.’ Guys out there were just so insane. Terrell Suggs is lining up right here, Haloti Ngata, there’s fights going on, Ed Reed’s in the back end, you’re looking at Ray Lewis. It was absolutely insane.” “I remember 2008, it looked like they were having parties on the field. That’s how good they were, and how much fun it looked like they were having.” Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Ray LewisBaltimore Sun photo by Lloyd FoxThe Ravens are known for elite-level defense led by players like Ed Reed, left, Terrell Suggs, center, and Ray Lewis. Joe Flacco remembers how hard it was to practice against the trio. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) On his dad calling him dull: “I am glad that that’s all he said. If you knew him, and the amount that he could say, and what may come out of his mouth, then you’d be happy if that’s what he said. He would talk to you for three hours and say the craziest stuff you’ve ever heard in your life. So dull, I’m totally fine with.” On jokingly being called a dual-threat QB for his recent 21-yard run: “If it can get me a couple extra passing yards somewhere in there because a defense has to think of prepping for something like that, I’m all for it. That’s the last thing I need. I could barely call the play in the huddle after that, so I don’t need too much of it.” Ed Reed On competing vs. Peyton and Eli: “We were competing, brother. Y’all two are from Louisiana just like me. We’re very competitive people when it comes to sports. That’s what it was about. It was about bringing that out of each other. You were trying to score touchdowns, bro.” On Ravens’ performance: “They’re playing good ball. They started off slow, started to turn things around, started to get some turnovers going. You know, that’s expected a little bit on the road sometimes. But you got to win road games.” On how he would defend Jackson: “I played against Michael Vick. Lamar is 2024’s Michael Vick. We’re gonna do what we do as a unit, not what we do as an individual. I’m gonna do my job to make sure that we do our job against him. You have film of us playing against Michael Vick. Now, I would tell you this: Michael Vick’s my brother, and we didn’t always get the best of him.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 7: Steelers’ Russell Wilson switch looks genius Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 41-31 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 41-31 win over Buccaneers | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson dazzles to lead Ravens past Buccaneers, 41-31, for 5th straight win: ‘Ultimate competitor’ Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 41-31 win over Tampa Bay Buccaneers On playing for Harbaugh: “Coach is about tradition. I think Joe said a lot of it as well. With his system, what he stood for, what he stands for, his family, his dad. He was born to do football. Some people are just born to play it, like you guys. It’s in his blood. He’s a coach, man. That’s my guy.” On playing quarterback in high school: “I threw more interceptions than I caught. We actually ran the Wing-T and I wasn’t playing on offense as much. I actually won a quarterback challenge my senior year. I knew I could have played quarterback. That’s what helped me going against you guys. I knew how to play quarterback, I knew the movement of the ball, I knew the angles, the mathematical geometry going on out there.” On comparing Roquan Smith to Ray Lewis: “I love Roquan, that’s my guy, man. He’s a student of the game. But I’m not about to sit here and compare Ray Lewis to anybody. With all respect, bro, that’s my brother.” Have a news tip? Contact C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article