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It was 5 a.m. in July and Ravens safety Malaki Starks was still asleep when his phone buzzed with an incoming text. It was from senior secondary coach Chuck Pagano. Pagano, 64, was already awake and watching practice film from the day before when he spotted a mistake the rookie first-round draft pick kept making against a particular offensive set. So he explained in the message what Starks was likely thinking and noted that the backside X-receiver was going to be wider than Starks expected at a particular point in the play. “I didn’t know why I kept [making the same mistake],” Starks told The Baltimore Sun. “He was able to give me the whole picture and break it down so I could understand it.” No matter the hour or player, Pagano texts and FaceTime calls have been a regular occurrence for the defensive backfield, starting in the offseason and continuing through to the regular season. To a man, praise for Baltimore’s one-time defensive coordinator and the former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts has flowed. Players value his wealth of knowledge. They appreciate his energy, communication and personality. They trust what he teaches. “He’s been a beacon of light in the room,” fourth-year and two-time Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton told The Sun. The Ravens also hope it leads to a marked change. Last season under first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr, they were one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, particularly over the first 10 weeks of the season before scheme and personnel changes helped turn them into one of the best down the stretch. Still, despite one of the most talented secondaries in the league Baltimore finished the year ranked last in explosive passing plays allowed (16.1%), per Pro Football Focus, and was in need of a fix. Coach John Harbaugh fired longtime assistant and passing game coordinator Chris Hewitt, did not bring back senior adviser Dean Pees and lured Pagano from “The Pat McAfee Show” and out of a four-year retirement to help restore past greatness. A longtime NFL assistant who was on Harbaugh’s first staff in Baltimore and later coached the Colts from 2012 to 2017, Pagano jumped at the chance to get back in the game at a place that he was already intimately familiar with. There was a particular connectivity to the secondary, too. In his one season as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator 2011, Baltimore ranked third in yards allowed per game (288.9), points per game (16.6) and, notably, passing yards per game (224.9). “When you’re part of a team for your whole career and you don’t have that and you get to have that back…,” Pagano told The Sun. “With this group, I feel like I’m 45 again.” And why wouldn’t he? In addition to Hamilton and Starks, Baltimore’s secondary is dripping with talent. Marlon Humphrey was an All-Pro at slot cornerback in 2024. Ascendant second-year cornerback Nate Wiggins flashed elite coverage skills in 2024 with 13 pass breakups, the third-best completion rate (47.8%) among corners with at least 50 targets, per Next Gen Stats, and posted the best expected points added mark (minus-24.8) among all cornerbacks. The Ravens also added gifted (but oft-injured) cornerbacks Jaire Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, and Chidobe Awuzie in free agency. Over the summer, he called the secondary, with its five former first-round picks, the best he’s ever seen in his 40 years of coaching. “You’ve got so many chess pieces, so many options, different ways to play different teams,” Pagano said. “It looks like a lot. It’s simple for us, but it’s complex to offenses because of how they can move around. “That’s the genius of Zach and this group.” And, what Baltimore believes will be the genius of Pagano’s influence on the defensive backfield. “Super detail oriented,” Hamilton said, noting improved formation recognition and pre-snap preparations. For others, there has been an emphasis on better technique. Wiggins, for example, said that Pagano noticed that he was leaving his eyes on opposing quarterbacks too long and sometimes losing sight of the receiver. Ravens safeties Malaki Starks, left, Kyle Hamilton, center, and senior defensive assistant and secondary coach Chuck Pagano, right, are shown during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. Ravens defensive backs say Pagano's extensive NFL experience has helped them improve since he was hired during the offseason. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Second-year safety Sanoussi Kane added that Pagano has helped speed up getting from one read to the next as well as understanding his responsibilities as a post safety after he’d played more in the box at Purdue. Fellow sophomore and cornerback T.J. Tampa said Pagano has taught him how to better recognize receiver splits to better anticipate routes and play design and added that the coach who brings plenty of energy to practices and meetings isn’t afraid to call out players. “We’ll be going through film and he’ll say, ‘What are you doing? Where did you learn this? I didn’t teach you this,” Tampa told The Sun. “He brings a lot of things that we haven’t heard.” It’s necessary, and the effectiveness is still to be determined, at least so far within the small sample size of two games. In the season-opener against the Bills, Josh Allen completed 33 of 46 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns. The majority of that came in the second half and down the stretch as the Ravens’ pass defense collapsed. Baltimore blew a 15-point fourth-quarter lead and Buffalo won, 41-40. The Ravens bounced back in a 41-17 Week 2 win at home over the Cleveland Browns, who were held to 207 yards passing and 4.1 yards per attempt. Still, through two games Baltimore ranked 14th in defensive defense-adjusted value over average (minus-3.3%) and 12th in defensive passing DVOA (minus-0.3%). The sternest test thus far and perhaps all season will also come Monday night against the Lions, who come into the Week 3 showdown at M&T Bank Stadium third in points per game (32.5) and fifth in yards per game (378.5). Related Articles Ravens injury report: Nnamdi Madubuike ruled out, to undergo more testing Girls’ flag football coming to Howard County through Ravens partnership Ravens TE Isaiah Likely on his status: ‘Me limited isn’t helping anybody’ Ravens injury report: CB Nate Wiggins returns; key defender still out Ravens vs. Lions scouting report for Week 3: Who has the edge? Detroit’s Jared Goff-led attack, with two-time All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Pro Bowl tight end Sam LaPorta and two-time Pro Bowl running back Jahmyr Gibbs, also has the second-highest touchdown efficiency rate (38.1%) this season — trailing only Baltimore (39.1%). In last week’s 52-point outburst against the Chicago Bears, Goff threw for five scores, St. Brown and fellow receiver Jameson Williams combined for 223 receiving yards and the offense racked up 511 yards. Yet, there remains a belief among the defense and in particular the secondary, aided players say by what Pagano has brought to his role, a defense-only bonding over dinner that followed the Week 1 loss to the Bills, the at times over-communication within the group and the talent all over the field. “The Week 1 loss, it brought guys closer,” Alexander, who played through injury and was scorched by the Bills late in the game, told The Sun. “I think guys are trusting each other more. Guys are playing freely. “Sometimes we get frustrated with each other, but that’s part of growing and improving. We have a lot of experience back there. But Chuck, man, he is wise.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Monday’s Week 3 game between the Ravens and Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: Brian Wacker, reporter Ravens 27, Lions 23: This will not be the drubbing the Ravens delivered in 2023 when they raced out to a 28-0 halftime lead and turned the Lions one-dimensional en route to a 38-6 wipeout. Detroit has a new offensive coordinator (John Morton) with Ben Johnson now the coach of the Bears, but there is also too much talent between receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, tight end Sam LaPorta and quarterback Jared Goff to be held completely in check. This will be a test for the Ravens’ secondary after it got torched by the Bills in Week 1. But playing at home at night should help, and it will likely have an impact on Goff, who hasn’t been as impressive in hostile environments as he has been at home. Expect Lamar Jackson to continue to play at an elite level and Baltimore’s defense to do just enough for the win. Sam Cohn, reporter Ravens 31, Lions 28: It’s tough to pick against history. And the Ravens have plenty of it Monday nights on Russell Street. Not to mention Lamar Jackson’s near-perfect 24-2 record against NFC teams. Detroit has the offensive firepower to put points up on the board and keep this game interesting late, but expect Jackson and Derrick Henry to be difference makers in keeping the Ravens above .500. Detroit likes to communicate a lot at the line of scrimmage, too. That won’t be easy during a primetime matchup at M&T Bank Stadium, as Odafe Oweh said, when “you can’t hear the guy next to you. I feel like the ground shakes a little bit.” Advantage, Ravens — by a hair. Mike Preston, columnist Ravens 31, Lions 28: The Ravens’ secondary will be tested for the second time this season with the Lions and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and quarterback Jared Goff. Detroit also has a top running back in Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions have a good defense, ranked No. 5 overall, particularly linemen D.J. Reader and Aidan Hutchinson. But the Ravens usually play well at home and they are on “Monday Night Football” for the first time this season. It’s showtime. Josh Tolentino, columnist Ravens 34, Lions 31: Detroit’s skill players will land their fair share of punches, but Baltimore’s edges in elite quarterback play and prime-time poise tilt a tight one in the Ravens’ favor. Last week, Lamar Jackson proved that he can still be highly effective even when his top weapons aren’t clicking. With tight end Isaiah Likely on the mend, Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Monken need to find a way to get their go-to playmakers more involved. It’d be tough imagining another forgettable performance from Derrick Henry, who managed just 23 rushing yards against Cleveland, his worst outing as a Raven. Zach Orr’s defense won’t pitch a shutout against a high-powered offensive machine, but a late-game takeaway could be the final flex needed from a group eager to prove it’s better than its 31st-ranked passing defense. C.J. Doon, editor Lions 27, Ravens 24: This was a bad week for the Ravens’ defense to be banged up. With Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey battling injuries and Nnamdi Madubuike and Kyle Van Noy ruled out, the last team you want to see is one coming off hanging half-a-hundred against a division rival. The Ravens are now starting fourth-round rookie Teddye Buchanan at inside linebacker alongside first-round safety Malaki Starks, and second-rounder Mike Green will be called on for more snaps in Van Noy’s absence. Rookie Aeneas Peebles and offseason addition John Jenkins will have bigger roles in the middle of the defensive line. Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie has played just two games in Baltimore’s scheme. That’s a lot of inexperience for coordinator Zach Orr to contend with. As shaky as Jared Goff might be outdoors in a hostile environment, the Lions have a cohesive group and a lot of explosive playmakers to give the ball to. Continuity gets the slight edge in this one. Bennett Conlin, editor Ravens 34, Lions 27: The Ravens look like a clear-cut Super Bowl contender with upside in all three phases. The Lions could get there, too, but I have questions about their defense with an injured Marcus Davenport highlighting the team’s pass-rushing issues. Detroit’s defense will return defensive tackle Alim McNeill and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez at some point this season, but they won’t be ready for Monday night. With the Lions missing those key contributors and having a first-year defensive coordinator, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken should be salivating. The Lions’ offense could make this game intriguing, as Detroit has several weapons at wide receiver (Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and others) and running back (Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery) to complement Jared Goff. A developing defense trying to stop Lamar Jackson on the road in prime-time is too tall a task, though. Baltimore’s coordinator continuity makes the difference Monday, as the Ravens will play like a more cohesive team. Tim Schwartz, editor Ravens 45, Lions 38: The highest-scoring team in the AFC welcomes the highest-scoring team in the NFC for a prime-time showdown. Baltimore has had no trouble dropping 40 or more points on the Bills and Browns, and I don’t expect Detroit to slow down Lamar Jackson and company all that much. The real question is, can the Ravens do enough to slow down Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs and the Lions? The answer two years ago when these teams last met was a resounding yes, as Baltimore dominated in a 38-6 victory. The Ravens are 6-1 all-time against Detroit, and I expect that to improve to 7-1 after an exciting shootout at M&T Bank Stadium. Patrice Sanders, FOX45 Morning News anchor Ravens 31, Lions 27: The Ravens play very well when they’re at home and when they’re on national TV. Not to overlook the Lions, though. They’re coming off a high-scoring game with their 52-point outing against the Bears. The Ravens must be able to stop the run and prevent the big pass play down the field. If Marlon Humphrey is limited or unable to play with that groin injury, that could put the Ravens’ pass defense at risk. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

After being the healthiest team in the NFL by a wide margin in terms of adjusted games lost last season, the Ravens will enter Monday night’s showdown against the Detroit Lions and one of the league’s top offenses without one of their defensive stars. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike was ruled out with a neck injury, coach John Harbaugh confirmed after Saturday’s practice. Harbaugh said that it’s too early to tell whether Madubuike, who didn’t practice all week, is a candidate for injured reserve as the team continues to evaluate the two-time Pro Bowl selection. If he were to go on IR, he would have to miss at least four games. “It’s something that they’re looking it,” Harbaugh said when asked whether the injury was muscular or structural, declining to go into specifics. “He came up with some symptoms after the game.” Harbaugh added that Madubuike will undergo more testing, an indication that he could potentially be out for a longer period of time beyond Monday’s game. The 2020 third-round draft pick had played in 55 straight games and was on the field for 43 snaps in Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns. Madubuike wasn’t the only player absent from the final open practice of the week. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy was also missing for a third straight day after suffering a hamstring injury in last week’s win over the Cleveland Browns. Van Noy is expected to miss at least some time, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Baltimore Sun earlier this week. Being without both defenders would be a blow for Baltimore. Van Noy led the Ravens with 12 1/2 sacks last season, while Madubuike has a team-high two sacks and 10 pressures through the first two games of this season. The Lions also come into the contest third in points per game (32.5), fifth in yards per game (378.5) and fresh off a 52-point performance against the Chicago Bears in which they also tallied 511 yards. Already, the Ravens this season have been without tight end Isaiah Likely (foot) and fullback/tight end Patrick Ricard (calf), though Likely has been practicing, albeit in a limited capacity, and is expected to return sooner than later. Cornerback Jaire Alexander has also been slowed by a knee injury and was scratched from last week’s game. How much if at all the former All-Pro plays this week remains to be seen. Related Articles Girls’ flag football coming to Howard County through Ravens partnership Ravens TE Isaiah Likely on his status: ‘Me limited isn’t helping anybody’ Ravens injury report: CB Nate Wiggins returns; key defender still out Ravens vs. Lions scouting report for Week 3: Who has the edge? No learning curve: Ravens’ young defenders brace for Lions’ attack | COMMENTARY “It’s gonna be sooner rather than later,” Harbaugh said of Alexander. “He’s chomping at the bit for sure. I just want to be fair to him.” With Madubuike out, veterans Broderick Washington Jr., John Jenkins and sixth-round rookie Aeneas Peebles are expected to see an increase in their snap counts. The Ravens could also look to elevate veteran defensive end Brent Urban from the practice squad. “Those guys are all going to have to step up and pick up the slack,” Harbaugh said. If Madubuike misses any significant amount of time, it’s possible that the Ravens could also turn to the veteran free agent market or acquire someone via trade. This year’s trade deadline is Nov. 11 following Week 10. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Girls in Howard County will now have the opportunity to compete with their high schools in one of the fastest-growing sports — flag football. “To me, this means more girls will be able to see themselves in the sport, to be able to go through those doors that were previously locked,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said. “More girls will have not only opportunities for health and wellness, but more career choices and opportunities.” Through a partnership with the Ravens, the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks will hold a girls’ flag football season in the gap between fall sports and the Howard County Public School System’s winter break, Nicholas Mooneyhan, director of the department, said. Clinics for coaches and players will begin in October through the Ravens, Mooneyhan said, with games anticipated to start in November. It will likely be a five-week season with six games, playoffs and a championship game, Mooneyhan said, but the format is still being finalized. The program will “look and feel like a high school sport,” with each team sporting its colors. Talks to bring girls’ flag football began around January and February of this year with Ball and Ravens President Sashi Brown, Mooneyhan said. The school system wasn’t able to support the program this year, so recreation and parks worked to come up with a program that would be a “launching point” for the school system, he said. The county is also working with the school system to find coaches, looking to gain a head start for next year’s transition. In the second year of a two-year agreement with the Ravens partnership, HCPSS is set to add girls’ flag football as a fall varsity sport at all 13 high schools for the 2026-2027 school year. Recreation and parks will continue to support girls’ flag football through clinics, camps and a spring league similar to its popular summer lacrosse league, Mooneyhan said. Girls can already play flag football through the Department of Recreation and Parks’ co-ed program; however, participation in co-ed programs tends to decline as girls age, Mooneyhan said. Expanding opportunities for girls in a space that has traditionally been male-dominated is something to be proud of, he said. Among the benefits of building leadership, teamwork and other skills, the program helps inclusivity and equality, which aligns with the department’s goal to create spaces where everyone can feel a sense of belonging. “Youth sports just has that impact to break down barriers through having a shared, common interest that even national politics and social issues, it kind of breaks those down and helps progress,” Mooneyhan said. There are several logistics considered when adding a new sport, according to the school system, and an average cost of about $200,000 for non-contact varsity sports. Though the school board dealt with a tough budget year, Ball said he’s sure the school system can work through its budget process to provide sufficient resources for the program to maintain state compliance, as it does with other sports. “Looking at access and opportunity, we are thrilled about the option for students not currently playing, or who have never played fall sports, to become more involved in athletics,” the school system said in a statement. “Flag football is rapidly growing in popularity, and we are excited to add it to our already outstanding athletics program and to be part of an initiative to provide an inclusive way for female students to play football.” About 351 students from eighth to 11th grade in the 2024-2025 school year expressed interest in girls’ flag football when surveyed, according to the school system. Given the numbers, Mooneyhan is confident there will be enough girls to field a team for each school. Otherwise, some schools might have to combine teams. With the addition of girls’ flag, Howard County joins about 92 other schools across Baltimore City and Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s and Washington counties that have girls’ flag programs through the Ravens. In total, the Ravens have provided $730,000 in grant funding throughout Maryland for the initiative. The initiative helps provide resources, uniforms and support for the programs. Flag football is quickly growing around the country. According to a National Federation of State High School Associations survey, about 2,736 schools and 68,847 athletes participated in girls’ high school football during the 2024-25 school year, a 60.3% increase from 2023-2024, and a 229.8% growth rate from 2022-2023. In Maryland, 1,266 student-athletes participated in girls’ flag football at 52 high schools, according to the NFHS survey. That number represents a 320% increase from the previous year, when there were 301 athletes at 12 schools. With more schools participating, the state might reach the threshold in 2026 for the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association to consider sanctioning girls’ flag as a statewide sport, and it’s exciting for the county to be part of it, Mooneyhan said. Women’s flag football will also make its debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Ball believes Howard County will raise some future Olympians through its program. “I’m hoping to see girls of all ages and backgrounds able to play a sport and learn a sport that they may love, that they may be watching on TV with their friends and family, and know that they have a place where they are seen, they are valued, and they have every opportunity to have access to the sport as their male counterparts,” Ball said. Have a news tip? Contact Kiersten Hacker at khackerbaltsun.com or @KierstenHacker on X. View the full article

Isaiah Likely says that he feels “refreshed.” Whether the Ravens tight end is on the field for Monday night’s showdown with the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium remains to be seen, though. Likely, who underwent surgery Aug. 1 to repair a broken bone in his right foot and has been limited in practice since returning to the field last Friday, said that it’s important to keep the big picture in mind. “Me limited isn’t helping anybody,” he said Friday afternoon in Owings Mills. “You guys wanna see me be me.” Baltimore’s offense has been explosive even in his absence. In Week 1, the Ravens scored 40 points on the road against the Bills before a fourth-quarter meltdown by the defense allowed Buffalo to rally from a 15-point deficit in the 41-40 defeat. Last week against the Browns, Baltimore rolled to a 41-17 victory in its home opener, spurred on by 31 second-half points. Tight ends have also not figured prominently in the offense thus far. Just under 10% of quarterback Lamar Jackson’s 48 pass attempts have been intended for tight ends. Mark Andrews leads the group with two catches on four targets for 7 yards, while Zaire Mitchell-Paden has zero catches on one target and Charlie Kolar has surprisingly yet to be targeted. Adding Likely to the fold should increase those numbers. Last season, Likely had career highs in catches (42), yards (477) and touchdowns (six). He appeared in 17 games for Baltimore, starting 13, and averaged 11.4 yards per catch as he has quickly become one of Jackson’s favorite targets. The 25-year-old in the final year of his rookie contract also adds another dynamic element to an offense that leads in the NFL in points per game (40.5) and is 11th in yards per game (337). Related Articles Girls’ flag football coming to Howard County through Ravens partnership Ravens injury report: CB Nate Wiggins returns; key defender still out Ravens vs. Lions scouting report for Week 3: Who has the edge? No learning curve: Ravens’ young defenders brace for Lions’ attack | COMMENTARY Ravens Week 2 high school football Coaches of the Week “He’s just such a versatile player that there’s a number of things you can do with him, in-line and flexed out,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said Friday. “So those are the things when you have versatile players that allow you to do a lot of things, play in a lot of modes with them. It’s certainly an advantage for us.” If Likely doesn’t play Monday night against Detroit, it would put him in line to return in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. “Taking it day by day right now,” he said. “Finally getting my feet back under me, so really just being out there I feel like me being just a presence out there is good for me right now. “You always look at the long game. In this league, it’s a turtle’s race.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Ravens tight end Isiah Likely, right, takes a break during practice at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens tight end Isiah Likely practices at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens tight end Isiah Likely practices at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens tight end coach George Godsey, left, watches Isiah Likely practice on Friday in Owings Mills. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr speaks with media after practice at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken speaks with media after practice at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens special teams coordinator Chris Horton speaks with media after practice at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens Special Teams Coordinator Chris Horton conducts practice at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens outside linebacker Tavius Robinson works out during practice at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens running back Derrick Henry takes a break during practice at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins works out during practice at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins, left, works out during practice at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens cornerbacks Nate Wiggins, right, and Chidobe Awuzie, left, during practice at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins practices at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Show Caption1 of 14Ravens tight end Isiah Likely, right, takes a break during practice at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Expand View the full article

The Ravens will be without one of their starters along the defensive line Monday night against the Detroit Lions. They might be without a second. Ravens sack leader Nnamdi Madubuike missed a second consecutive practice with a neck injury. His game status won’t be announced until Saturday because of the longer week, but with outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) already on the shelf, Baltimore could be thin in its pursuit of Lions quarterback Jared Goff. All six of Goff’s touchdown passes this season have come out of a clean pocket, according to Pro Football Focus. He has some mobile tendencies but by and large is one of the league’s last true pocket passers. Goff’s average time to throw (2.91 seconds) is only a shade less than Lamar Jackson’s (2.92), who can do a lot more with a lot less. If Madubuike’s neck injury extends through the weekend, rookie Aeneas Peebles and veteran John Jenkins are likely the two called on to backfill reps. On the bright side, sophomore cornerback Nate Wiggins returned to practice Friday after missing a day because of a groin injury. Harbaugh said Thursday that he was “generally OK.” Wiggins, who nearly returned a pick-six against Cleveland last week, suited up a day later, as his coach had hoped. Fullback Pat Ricard remains out with a calf injury that has sidelined him since mid-August. Running back Rasheen Ali (concussion) appeared to ditch the red noncontact jersey he wore on Thursday. And tight end Isaiah Likely continues to ramp up his practice participation, as he was seen working through individual drills for a second straight day. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Two of the three best scoring offenses in the NFL meet at M&T Bank Stadium on Monday evening, each hoping to avoid falling below .500. Ravens (1-1) versus Lions (1-1) is a matchup bubbling with offensive firepower. Neither roster closely resembles their lopsided meeting in 2023. Who will have the advantage this time around in a prime-time clash? Ravens passing game vs. Lions pass defense On Sunday, when Lamar Jackson threw four touchdown passes to three receivers, none of whom are considered his top-three pass-catching options, it underscored what it is that can be so effective about the Ravens’ passing attack. A play is never over, and if the top guys aren’t producing, there’s a deep bench behind them that the quarterback trusts. “That’s Lamar,” Harbaugh shrugged. “That’s the thing about Lamar that really just puts him on another level as a player.” Jackson owns the best passer rating in NFL history (102.648), inching past Aaron Rodgers this week. And through two games, he has yet to unleash Mark Andrews or Rashod Bateman. Not to mention Isaiah Likely, who could return from injury as soon as Monday night. Detroit’s secondary is a much improved group from the one that got dismantled by the Ravens in 2023. Safety Kerby Joseph blossomed into an All-Pro. At cornerback, there’s veteran D.J. Reed and his mentee whom he called an “All-Pro type of guy” in Terrion Arnold. As a whole, that group hasn’t been gangbuster against two offenses (Green Bay and Chicago) a tier or two below Baltimore’s. EDGE: Ravens Lions passing game vs. Ravens pass defense The Lions haven’t spent the past week flinging bulletin board material in hopes of riling someone up. While one Cleveland receiver insisted Baltimore’s secondary posed “no challenges,” Lions playmakers are keeping quiet. But they have more ground to stand on as a group capable of gashing a vulnerable secondary. Their Jared Goff-led offense has the second-highest touchdown efficiency rate (38.1%) this season, trailing only Baltimore (39.1%). Against an overmatched Bears team last week, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams combined for 223 receiving yards, flanked by three guys with at least 25. As Kyle Hamilton explained: “It is tough to defend when you have a guy like Amon-Ra who can do damage underneath, and then a guy like [Williams] who can do damage over the top.” Much of the calculus projecting how this matchup unfolds is dependent on who might be available. Pass rusher Kyle Van Noy suffered a hamstring injury against Cleveland and is expected to miss multiple weeks. That means more reps for rookie Mike Green. Marlon Humphrey exited early Sunday with a groin issue but practiced this week. Jaire Alexander was a healthy scratch and his status is still up in the air. Detroit will be a good test for this Ravens secondary, which frayed in Buffalo and bounced back versus Cleveland. EDGE: Lions Ravens running game vs. Lions run defense On Monday, Harbaugh conceded that the Browns silenced Derrick Henry to 23 yards on 11 carries because they were “blitzing the run.” The NFL’s best run defense packed the box and made someone else beat them. Detroit’s defensive front isn’t quite as formidable, but it boasts powerful rushers in defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport. Neither Davenport nor Lions tackles leader Jack Campbell practiced Thursday, putting their availability into question. Henry will be eager for a bounce-back game. Same goes for Justice Hill, who managed 18 yards on three catches out of the backfield. Monday might also be the season debut for Keaton Mitchell. Mitchell was a healthy scratch the first two weeks in favor of kick returner Rasheen Ali, but Ali’s concussion is likely to sideline him for at least one game. Whether that trio can help decide the game will largely hinge on the offensive line. Right tackle Roger Rosengarten acknowledged that there was a lot to clean up pre-snap from the Browns game, with lapses in communication and assignments. If the Lions can’t pack the box with all of their usual starters, it’ll be tough to contain Henry and company. EDGE: Ravens Ravens running back Derrick Henry, shown in Week 1, only had 23 rushing yards in Week 2. He looks to bounce back in Week 3 against the Lions. (Adrian Kraus/AP) Lions running game vs. Ravens run defense Sonic and Knuckles could be game wreckers in Baltimore. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have combined for 195 rushing yards through two games. They have Detroit top six in 20- and 40-plus-yard runs (three total). While the Ravens have allowed only one long rush this season, they haven’t matched up with a duo like Detroit’s. The Ravens’ run defense, which led the league last year, hasn’t looked like world beaters thus far; allowing 4.2 yards per carry and 223 total yards through two games are both middle-of-the-road figures. Cleveland rookie Quinshon Judkins had the best individual performance (10 carries for 61 yards). As Hamilton said, more broadly about Baltimore’s defense, “people were talking crazy about us after Week 1, and now they want to sing our praises after Week 2.” Containing Gibbs and Montgomery would make a statement in Week 3. EDGE: Lions Ravens special teams vs. Lions special teams Tyler Loop has the slight edge here over Jake Bates in terms of production thus far. Loop is 4-for-4 with a 52-yard make. Bates is 3-for-4 with an errant 50-plus-yard try. Both bring powerful legs. Loop showed his with a 61-yarder in the preseason. But Bates, whom the Lions discovered in 2024 amidst his first year working as a brick salesman in Houston, once drilled a 64-yard game-winning field goal in the United Football League. Perhaps one of these guys will flirt with the NFL record Monday night. Loop said that it could happen within the first five weeks of the season. EDGE: Ravens Related Articles No learning curve: Ravens’ young defenders brace for Lions’ attack | COMMENTARY Ravens Week 2 high school football Coaches of the Week Ravens QB Lamar Jackson explains his dominance on Monday nights Ravens injury report: TE Likely practices; 3 defensive starters absent READERS RESPOND: Most Ravens fans give the team ‘B’ grade after 2 games Ravens intangibles vs. Lions intangibles Is history allowed to influence this game? Both these teams have potent offenses and respectable defenses. They both should be playing into late January. They’ve both put on at least one offensive masterclass this season. Still, it’s hard to pick against the Ravens, in part because of how good they are in prime-time games, at home, wearing their black jerseys, against NFC teams. Since 2008, Harbaugh-coached teams are 22-3 in prime-time at M&T Bank Stadium. Lamar Jackson is 10-1 in such contests, with 30 total touchdowns, and he holds the best record of any QB against teams from the opposing conference: 24-2. The list goes on. Baltimore’s five consecutive “Monday Night Football” wins is an NFL best. The same team that has bludgeoned itself into a reputation for unraveling in crunch time — a trait that doesn’t favor oppositional talent level — has had no issue when the sun goes down on Russell Street. This could be a high-scoring affair reminiscent of both Bengals games in 2024, the Buccaneers game in October, or the Bills game earlier this month. But Baltimore doesn’t let these slip often. EDGE: Ravens Prediction Maybe it’s the extra day of rest or the surplus of time to study film, Jackson hypothesized. Either way, he swatted away a question about how good he has been in his career on Monday nights. “I’m trying to keep it going if I am playing well,” he said. Whether Campbell and Davenport are active can certainly sway how this unfolds, but this is shaping up to be a shootout. The offenses will control the flow. After beating Cleveland thanks to some unlikely heroics, expect Jackson and Henry to steer this one. Ravens 31, Lions 28. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Forget the learning curve. The Ravens spent the offseason hearing about their vulnerability against the pass and built a roster meant to answer the call. They doubled down on youth, trusting a first-round safety in Malaki Starks and a second-round outside linebacker in Mike Green. The Ravens’ young defenders are already impacting games, and the schedule is about to test how quickly they can build on it. Monday night’s game against Detroit brings last season’s highest-scoring offense to M&T Bank Stadium. Injuries have only sped up the timetable. With Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) sidelined and Marlon Humphrey nursing a groin injury, the young guys are no longer just depth pieces. They are the plan. Against Cleveland, that plan delivered. Nate Wiggins, 22, jumped a route for a momentum-changing interception (Wiggins suffered an apparent groin injury while celebrating the defense’s first takeaway of the season and missed practice Thursday). Third-year player Tavius Robinson, 26, strip-sacked Joe Flacco to set up Roquan Smith’s touchdown. Starks, 21, has flashed the kind of range and anticipation, alongside recently minted $100 million safety Kyle Hamilton, that allows coordinator Zach Orr to disguise his coverage looks and stay aggressive in the secondary. Meanwhile, Green, 22, is still chasing career sack No. 1, but he recorded his first quarterback hit and earned praise from his teammates for the way he has approached the job. “Mike has been, since Day 1, he’s been a dawg here,” Robinson said. “I’ve been so impressed with how he studies the game and he just knows what plays are coming. His physicality, all of that. The way he’s in there watching extra film with us. He’s been impressive since he got here.” It’s one thing to look good against Cleveland. But a real test is coming to town. The Lions, fresh off a 52-point eruption, are not the Browns. Detroit’s offense, led by four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Jared Goff, will test every seam and punish every missed tackle. Detroit will move top wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown across the formation and challenge the secondary’s communication and patience. Tight end Sam LaPorta, who earned All-Pro recognition as a rookie in 2023, will push rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan’s range and instincts. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, an elite duo that combined for 3,045 total yards and 32 touchdowns in 2024, are home run threats out of the backfield on any given snap. “The Lions do a lot of communicating at the line,” coach John Harbaugh said Thursday. “They do a lot of communicating on offense. They try to get in the right play, try to move you around and things like that. Our defense is going to have to cope with that.” The Ravens’ pass defense, led by senior secondary coach Chuck Pagano, is determined to prove last year’s mid-season leaks are entirely in the past. A stage like Monday night, featuring a pair of Super Bowl favorites, is what the Ravens have been building toward. Ravens safety Malaki Starks, hauls in a pass during an August practice. Starks, a rookie, will face a major test Monday against the Lions' high-powered offense. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) After leading the league in scoring (33.2 points per game) last year, the Lions currently rank third (32.5) behind only the Ravens (40.5) and Bills (35.5) through the season’s first two weeks. Detroit’s high-powered offense also ranks fifth in the NFL in total yards (378.5 per game) and passing yards (267). Many pundits predict a high-scoring affair under the M&T Bank Stadium lights. It’s the perfect time for Baltimore to prove it can force a different result. Pagano himself said three weeks ago that he’s never coached a better secondary than this group. If the Ravens keep Detroit’s passing game at bay, it won’t just be a signature September win against an NFC heavyweight, but also proof that the secondary is capable of standing toe-to-toe with the league’s best. This youth movement, of course, isn’t an accident of roster construction. General manager Eric DeCosta and the front office have long invested in waves of defensive depth, trusting that development will meet opportunity. Related Articles Ravens vs. Lions scouting report for Week 3: Who has the edge? Ravens Week 2 high school football Coaches of the Week Ravens QB Lamar Jackson explains his dominance on Monday nights Ravens injury report: TE Likely practices; 3 defensive starters absent READERS RESPOND: Most Ravens fans give the team ‘B’ grade after 2 games “Play Like A Raven,” is inscribed throughout the team’s headquarters in Owings Mills, serving as a daily reminder to the up-and-comers of the lineage of dominant defenders that defines the franchise’s first three decades. For years, Baltimore has trusted its draft room and development pipeline to keep the defense among the NFL’s elite. Still, no one inside The Castle will confuse a decisive win over Cleveland for a finished product. The Lions present a much different animal. The Ravens’ rookies and young core are about to find out what it means to be targeted by a team that smells weakness. The lights will be bright and the throws will come fast. By the end of Monday evening, we’ll know a little more about whether Baltimore’s promising youth movement is simply holding the line or starting to carve out its place in a season filled with mighty expectations. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article

Each week during the high school football season, The Baltimore Sun and the Baltimore Ravens will select one tackle football and one girls flag football Coach of the Week. Here are the winners for Week 2: Tackle football Paul Thompson, Dulaney: Thompson has the Lions off to their best start in 20 years after knocking off Catonsville, 34-0, in Week 2. Dulaney is averaging 40 points per game and has allowed only one defensive touchdown in two weeks. Girls flag football Dennis Stubbs II, Northern-Calvert: Stubbs is leading Northern-Calvert in its first season, and the program is off to a hot start. The Patriots are 4-0 and sit atop the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference standings. Northern-Calvert has tallied 116 points through four games and given up just one score defensively this season. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. Related Articles Ravens vs. Lions scouting report for Week 3: Who has the edge? No learning curve: Ravens’ young defenders brace for Lions’ attack | COMMENTARY Ravens QB Lamar Jackson explains his dominance on Monday nights Ravens injury report: TE Likely practices; 3 defensive starters absent READERS RESPOND: Most Ravens fans give the team ‘B’ grade after 2 games View the full article

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson says that he doesn’t really pay attention to stats. “I’m trying to win,” he said Thursday afternoon in Owings Mills. Whether he notices them or not, the numbers continue to pile up, particularly on Monday nights. For his career, Baltimore is 7-2 on “Monday Night Football” with Jackson at the helm. In those nine games, he has thrown 22 touchdown passes and zero interceptions — the longest MNF streak without a pick in league history — while completing 69% of his attempts for 1,949 yards with a 124.3 passer rating. He has also rushed for 644 yards and three scores. So why is he so good on Monday night? “Probably that extra rest day,” Jackson said. “Probably the extra rest day [and getting to watch] extra film. [You have extra time to] get a good feel for who we are playing against and go from there.” The Ravens will play the Detroit Lions on Monday night at M&T Bank Stadium. It’s a rematch of their 2023 meeting, also in Baltimore, that the Ravens won in a rout, 38-6. It’s also, curiously, the Ravens’ first Monday night game at home since October 2021 when they beat the Indianapolis Colts, 31-25. In that game, Jackson threw for a career-high 442 yards along with four touchdowns. Since then, the Ravens have played four games on Monday night, all on the road, and won them all. That included two last season against the Los Angeles Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But even before the Ravens drafted Jackson in 2018, Baltimore proved a tough out for visitors under the lights. Under coach John Harbaugh, who was hired in 2008, the Ravens are 43-19 in prime-time games, the best record of any coach in that span. Jackson of course has factored significantly in those contests in recent years. Related Articles Ravens injury report: TE Likely practices; 3 defensive starters absent READERS RESPOND: Most Ravens fans give the team ‘B’ grade after 2 games Former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker sells Owings Mills home for $2.8M Staff picks for Week 3 of 2025 NFL season: Rams vs. Eagles, Raiders vs. Commanders and more Inside Ravens LB Teddye Buchanan’s rise from 2-star recruit to NFL starter The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player has also taken his overall play to another level this season. Currently, Jackson is the NFL’s career leader in passer rating with a mark of 102.6, nudging ahead of Aaron Rodgers after the Ravens star’s Week 2 performance against the Cleveland Browns. Jackson completed 19 of 29 passes for 225 yards and four touchdowns to lead Baltimore to the 41-17 victory. Jackson also became the first player to throw at least 45 touchdown passes with three or fewer interceptions over any 17-game period in league history. Next closest is seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, who threw 49 touchdown passes and five interceptions over 17 games between 2006 and 2007. This season, Jackson also leads the league in touchdown passes (six) and passer rating (136.6). He also has zero interceptions. “He’s a smart player,” Harbaugh said of Jackson having not thrown an interception. “He sees the field really well. I think he’s a disciplined player in the sense that he just doesn’t throw the ball blindly into areas. He wants to see what he’s got. “He doesn’t get fooled too often. He’s not throwing it right into people too often. That’s tough. That happens all the time, but you don’t see it happen too often with Lamar.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely returned to practice Thursday in what should be a good sign that he might be available Monday night against the Detroit Lions. Likely missed a majority of training camp and the first two weeks of the season after suffering a broken foot on July 29 and undergoing surgery. After a few days going through individual workouts last week, he was suited up for Friday’s practice, but listed as a limited participant. Thursday was the first time that he fully rejoined his teammates. Coach John Harbaugh said earlier this month that Likely had been “ahead of schedule” in his recovery, and “I think he’s been good. He’s probably going to start getting antsy here pretty soon, though.” The fourth-year tight end who is playing in the final year of his rookie contract still figures to be a prominent part of the Ravens’ offensive plans. Last year, the 25-year-old Likely set career highs in receptions (42), yards (477) and touchdowns (six). So far, neither tight end Mark Andrews nor Charlie Kolar has made much of a dent in the Ravens’ passing attack. Andrews has only two catches for 7 yards, while Kolar is still without a target. But Baltimore’s offense has shown in a two-game sample that it has its pick at a full buffet of pass catchers on any given day. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. Related Articles READERS RESPOND: Most Ravens fans give the team ‘B’ grade after 2 games Former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker sells Owings Mills home for $2.8M Staff picks for Week 3 of 2025 NFL season: Rams vs. Eagles, Raiders vs. Commanders and more Inside Ravens LB Teddye Buchanan’s rise from 2-star recruit to NFL starter NFL kickers are pushing limits. Could Ravens’ Tyler Loop make history? View the full article

We asked readers how they would grade the Ravens after their first two games of the season. In Week 1, Baltimore collapsed in the fourth quarter in a 41-40 loss to the Bills. In Week 2, the Ravens dominated the Browns, 41-17. The Ravens (1-1) host the Detroit Lions (1-1) in Week 3 on “Monday Night Football.” Here are the results from our online poll: B — 59% (183 votes) C — 33% (103 votes) A — 4% (13 votes) D — 2% (7 votes) F — 1% (2 votes) Here’s what some fans have told us about the team’s first two games (answers have been edited for clarity and grammar): Don’t let Sunday’s game fool you. The Ravens’ defense still isn’t that good, and unless they find a way to pressure the quarterback more, this team might be in trouble. They did a better job in pressure, but Joe Flacco is a 40-year-old quarterback with no mobility. This was a 10-3 game at halftime, and despite Lamar throwing four touchdowns, he wasn’t very accurate at all. He should have thrown at least two interceptions. A win is a win, but the jury is still out on this team. — Bob Lancione All we have learned over the first two games of the season is that the Ravens’ defense is not elite. And the Ravens’ offense struggled in the first half against the Cleveland defense. We will find out a lot more over the next four games, all against opponents who were in the playoffs last year. — Robert The score from the Browns game was deceiving. The offense sputtered for much of the game against a less-than-stellar Browns defense. In the Bills game, the defense completely collapsed, blowing a 15-point lead with four minutes to go. This is not what “Super Bowl contenders” look like. On the bright side, the defense turned it around in the second half of the season last year. Let’s hope it doesn’t take that long this year. — John Devine They’re still not using the weapons available. Spread the joy and keep everyone happy. The Game plans and play calling are not as crisp as in previous seasons. Poor utilization of tight ends. — Ross B-minus, I love the Ravens but they need to start off strong and finish strong. — Debbie Muir I’ll give them a B. Most points scored in the NFL thus far but there are still plenty of facets of the game to work on. The Ravens should have beaten the Bills, to be honest. — Kevin Peters Related Articles Ravens injury report: TE Isaiah Likely returns to practice Former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker sells Owings Mills home for $2.8M Staff picks for Week 3 of 2025 NFL season: Rams vs. Eagles, Raiders vs. Commanders and more Inside Ravens LB Teddye Buchanan’s rise from 2-star recruit to NFL starter NFL kickers are pushing limits. Could Ravens’ Tyler Loop make history? Good minus the last four minutes of the Bills game. They have put up 81 points in the first two games. — Adam Sweitzer With Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow out and Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh, we’ll definitely be winning the division. Playoffs?! Playoffs?! That’s the big question! — Gary Holtman Jr. B-minus, the Ravens are a playoff-caliber team that will fall short of a championship. — Michael 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

Former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker’s Owings Mills home sold last Friday for $2.8 million, according to a real estate listing. The 6,000-plus-square-foot brick and stone colonial features five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, an open floor plan, large windows, an exercise room and a three-car garage. Outside, the property includes a grilling area, pool with multiple seating areas and a converted patio with an outdoor fireplace. Annual homeowners association fees are $1,874, and property taxes are $18,152, according to the listing. The house was purchased in 2019 for $1.8 million by a limited liability company whose resident agent is David Miller, founder and principal of Owings Mills-based Terrain Title & Escrow Company. The residence was originally listed at $3.2 million, according to the listing. Listing agent Jeremy Batoff of Baltimore-based The Batoff Group did not respond to a request for comment. Tucker, who spent 13 years as the Ravens’ kicker, was released by the team in May and suspended for 10 games by the NFL in July for violating the league’s personal conduct policy after more than a dozen Baltimore-area massage therapists accused him of sexual misconduct. Tucker, 35, has denied the allegations and has not been charged criminally or named in civil litigation. He remains an NFL free agent and is eligible for reinstatement on Nov. 11. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@baltsun.com or x.com/ToddKarpovich. Related Articles NFL suspends former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker for 10 weeks Justin Tucker’s ‘lack of accountability’ draws criticism from attorneys representing massage therapists Mike Preston: We might not have seen the last of Justin Tucker | COMMENTARY Former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker’s Maryland mansion to hit market Massage therapists respond to Ravens cutting Justin Tucker: ‘Not just about him’ Will former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker ever play football again? Justin Tucker timeline: The events leading to Ravens kicker’s release View the full article

Baltimore Sun staff writers and FOX45’s Patrice Sanders pick every game of the NFL season. Here’s who they have winning in Week 3: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (Thursday, 8:15 p.m.) Brian Wacker (12-4 last week, 24-8 overall): Bills Sam Cohn (14-2 last week, 26-6 overall): Bills Mike Preston (11-5 last week, 23-9 overall): Bills Josh Tolentino (12-4 last week, 23-9 overall): Bills C.J. Doon (12-4 last week, 22-10 overall): Bills Bennett Conlin (11-5 last week, 24-8 overall): Bills Tim Schwartz (12-4 last week, 23-9 overall): Bills Patrice Sanders (12-4 last week, 22-10 overall): Bills Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Falcons Cohn: Panthers Preston: Falcons Tolentino: Panthers Doon: Falcons Conlin: Falcons Schwartz: Falcons Sanders: Falcons Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Packers Cohn: Packers Preston: Packers Tolentino: Packers Doon: Packers Conlin: Packers Schwartz: Packers Sanders: Packers Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Texans Cohn: Texans Preston: Jaguars Tolentino: Jaguars Doon: Texans Conlin: Texans Schwartz: Texans Sanders: Texans Cincinnati Bengals at Minnesota Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Vikings Cohn: Vikings Preston: Vikings Tolentino: Vikings Doon: Bengals Conlin: Vikings Schwartz: Bengals Sanders: Vikings Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Steelers Cohn: Steelers Preston: Steelers Tolentino: Steelers Doon: Steelers Conlin: Steelers Schwartz: Patriots Sanders: Steelers Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Eagles Cohn: Eagles Preston: Eagles Tolentino: Eagles Doon: Eagles Conlin: Rams Schwartz: Eagles Sanders: Eagles New York Jets at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Buccaneers Cohn: Buccaneers Preston: Buccaneers Tolentino: Buccaneers Doon: Buccaneers Conlin: Buccaneers Schwartz: Buccaneers Sanders: Buccaneers Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Colts Cohn: Colts Preston: Colts Tolentino: Colts Doon: Colts Conlin: Titans Schwartz: Colts Sanders: Colts Las Vegas Raiders at Washington Commanders (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Commanders Cohn: Commanders Preston: Commanders Tolentino: Raiders Doon: Raiders Conlin: Commanders Schwartz: Commanders Sanders: Commanders Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday, 4:05 p.m.) Wacker: Broncos Cohn: Broncos Preston: Chargers Tolentino: Chargers Doon: Chargers Conlin: Chargers Schwartz: Broncos Sanders: Chargers New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks (Sunday, 4:05 p.m.) Wacker: Seahawks Cohn: Seahawks Preston: Seahawks Tolentino: Seahawks Doon: Seahawks Conlin: Seahawks Schwartz: Seahawks Sanders: Seahawks Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Wacker: Cowboys Cohn: Cowboys Preston: Cowboys Tolentino: Bears Doon: Cowboys Conlin: Cowboys Schwartz: Cowboys Sanders: Cowboys Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Wacker: 49ers Cohn: Cardinals Preston: 49ers Tolentino: 49ers Doon: 49ers Conlin: Cardinals Schwartz: 49ers Sanders: Cardinals Kansas City Chiefs at New York Giants (Sunday, 8:20 p.m.) Wacker: Chiefs Cohn: Chiefs Preston: Chiefs Tolentino: Chiefs Doon: Chiefs Conlin: Chiefs Schwartz: Chiefs Sanders: Chiefs Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Pathways to an NFL field can be anything but linear. Ravens linebacker Teddye Buchanan knows this as well as anyone because if not for a broken thumb in high school, he might not even be in Baltimore. It was the fall of 2018 and Buchanan, then a junior and the starting quarterback for St. Ignatius in San Francisco, placed a harrowing and tearful call to his father, Arron Smith, to explain that he’d just broken the thumb on his throwing hand. “It broke my heart,” Smith told The Baltimore Sun. “I wanted him to be my quarterback.” Unrated and with no scholarship offers, Buchanan thought that his season and possibly his football career were over before it had started. But he beseeched his parents and doctors to continue to play, and eventually they agreed on letting him return as an outside linebacker, which he could play with a cast on his arm. It also marked the turning point of his football journey. Just a two-star recruit with only two initial scholarship offers from Colorado State and San José State, Buchanan instead chose FCS school UC Davis, where he put together four impressive seasons. But even though he led the team in tackles as a sophomore, was named a captain his junior year and selected to the All-Big Sky second team his senior season, he once again wasn’t sure what his future held. The NFL seemed like an elusive fantasy. “I never got that external validation from other people,” he told The Baltimore Sun. “I ended up at UC Davis — don’t get me wrong, I loved Davis — but that kept me humble and wanting to improve. “That kind of stuck with me and shaped the work ethic I have.” That work, along with encouragement from his father to enter the transfer portal, led him to California, where in 2024 he led the Bears in tackles (114) and tackles for loss (12). Among them were a game-high 11 tackles, including three for loss, and a forced fumble in a 21-14 win at Auburn last September. That performance percolated among NFL scouts. Then his scouting combine performance in Indianapolis, where he posted elite vertical and broad jump numbers to help compile a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.41 out of 10 that ranked 189th out of 3,204 linebackers since 1987, only further cemented his future as a pro football player. All of which led to the Ravens selecting him in the fourth round of the NFL draft in April. Still, with All-Pro Roquan Smith and third-year incumbent Trenton Simpson occupying the middle of Baltimore’s linebacking corps, it looked as if Buchanan might have to wait. He didn’t have to wait long. Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is chased by Ravens linebacker Teddye Buchanan. The rookie linebacker has earned the team's starting position at weakside linebacker. (Terrance Williams/AP) In Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, the one-time quarterback who says having experience playing that position helps him process faster, essentially split time with Simpson, 29 snaps to 26. But amid the crushing 41-40 defeat in which the Ravens’ defense allowed nearly 500 yards, it was evident that Simpson, who was benched late last season, hadn’t progressed as well as coaches had hoped. In Week 2, Buchanan got the start, logged 60 defensive snaps to just 15 for Simpson, and finished with six tackles. Though coach John Harbaugh was noncommittal about whether that would be the order going forward, it didn’t take much reading between the lines. “He’s just playing really solid football,” Harbaugh said of Buchanan. “He is in the right place doing the right things, [with] specific things that we were doing in this game. I just thought Teddye played another really good game. Again, [there are] things he can work on and get better at, but [he] played a really good game for us. “You just never know what direction it’s going to go, but when guys play well, they continue to play, and there’s nobody not playing well. So, if there’s someone that we need to take out, we would, but that’s kind of just how it works.” Though Buchanan was surprised to get the start — he called his father last Tuesday with the stunned news — it was less of a surprise to those close to the UC Davis design major who is a chiseled 240 pounds and the oldest of Smith’s three sons. “That dude had abs when he was 2,” he said, adding that he himself was a workout warrior and had his son doing push-ups since age 5 and weightlifting since 11. “He’s very intentional about how he lives, how he eats and how he trains.” Football isn’t any different. Former Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne is tackled by former California linebacker and current Ravens starter Teddye Buchanan in 2024. (Butch Dill/AP file) “The way he approaches meetings, walk-throughs and practice, he’s just a total professional,” California coach Justin Wilcox said after last year’s game against Auburn. “There’s not much he’s not prepared for. He’s gonna be in the right places and play really hard.” That was evident to Roquan Smith as soon as the two were on the field together during OTAs and training camp. Related Articles Former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker sells Owings Mills home for $2.8M Staff picks for Week 3 of 2025 NFL season: Rams vs. Eagles, Raiders vs. Commanders and more NFL kickers are pushing limits. Could Ravens’ Tyler Loop make history? Mike Preston: Ravens’ young WRs add new dimension to offense | COMMENTARY Watch ‘Overtime’ of Ep. 4 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law “He’s well advanced for a rookie,” he said in July. “Just the way he processes things, even throughout the springtime. … Just the way things clicked for him mentally, and then with ‘Tucc’ [inside linebackers coach Tyler Santucci] coaching, the way he is breaking things down, I think it’s very special, and I think he’s going to be a really good player in this league.” Time will tell. Against the Bills, Buchanan surrendered a 29-yard completion from quarterback and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Josh Allen to rookie tight end Jackson Hawes down to Baltimore’s 1-yard line that set up a critical touchdown with two minutes remaining. In an apparent mix-up in coverage before the snap, Buchanan got a tongue-lashing from Smith on the field after the play. It was a learning moment that could be chalked up to being thrust into the deep end of the pool. Smith has also been one of his biggest supporters, Buchanan says, “going out of his way” with the two talking and texting daily. It was also Smith who organized a dinner for the defense in Baltimore after the defeat, and Buchanan says that he has tried to squeeze whatever knowledge he can from his fellow inside linebacker. The next time Buchanan takes the field, Monday night at M&T Bank Stadium against the Lions, he’ll also carry out a familiar ritual. In Buchanan’s mind, the lights will dim, the crowd will blur and the noise will fade. He’ll gaze toward the stands, point at the sky in remembrance of his late grandmother who died when he was in high school, and take a moment for himself. “I think about how far I’ve come,” he told The Sun. “After that, it’s ball.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Tyler Loop took a moment to gather all the details in his head. It was Week 4. His Arizona team was playing at Utah, a temperate September Saturday in Salt Lake City last fall; around 87 degrees at kickoff, with an 8 mph wind at his back; in a stadium roughly 4,600 feet above sea level. The conditions were perfect, Loop said, a smile ripping across his face. So he started messing around in warmups. “I hit an 83-yarder,” he laughed. That won’t happen in a game anytime soon, by Loop or any other kicker. But that kind of drive through the ball is the reason Baltimore drafted a kicker for the first time in the organization’s history. And it’s why his name won’t get lost in the early season discourse of this brave new world for NFL kickers. In each of the first two weeks, teams have combined to make five kicks from at least 55 yards. Those marks are tied for the second most in a single week out of 431 weeks since 2000, according to TruMedia. Through all of last season, there were only two weeks in which kickers made five tries from longer than 55 yards. Kickers have inched back a yard at a time over the last quarter-century. In 1970, Tom Dempsey, a placekicker born without toes on his right foot who booted the ball straight-toe style, set what was thought to be an unbreakable record. His 63-yard make stood for over 40 years. Then in 2013, Matt Prater — with the same leg that delivered a knockout blow to Baltimore two weeks ago — sank a 64-yarder. Embattled former Raven Justin Tucker holds the league record, having fit a ball through the uprights from 66 yards in 2021 against the Detroit Lions. The Dallas Cowboys’ Brandon Aubrey drilled one from 65 yards in 2024 and 64 last week to force overtime in a win against the New York Giants. The horsepower in legs around the league, like Aubrey’s flirtation with history and Cam Little, who hit from 70 in a preseason game, coupled with the collective uptick in distance kicking to begin this season, leads one to believe that we’re on the precipice of a record-breaking effort. “I think it’s coming,” Loop said. “I wouldn’t be surprised. You get a good day, probably in the first four or five weeks of the season, outdoors on some good grass. Good breeze. Good wind. It could happen.” That’s thanks to a new NFL rule that allows specialists to better tailor a football to their liking. They’re called “K-balls.” In principle, they’re similar to the way quarterbacks muddy up a football to their liking. The Ravens were one of seven teams that introduced this resolution to the league and were responsible for the change. For years, specialists ripped open a fresh box of footballs on Sundays and were granted only 30 minutes to break the ball in. That prep time increased to an hour in 2020, the year before Tucker’s record-setting boot. Christmas comes early now. Teams received a big box of 60 footballs before training camp with ample time to massage it to their liking. Such maniacal thinking about the texture of a leather ball has helped Loop find success in the dawn of his NFL career. He’s landed all four of his field goal attempts thus far, the longest try being from 52 yards — his professional debut swing. The rookie’s only miss came on an extra point try that backfired in Baltimore’s one-point loss to Buffalo. Before that, Loop made a 61-yarder during the preseason. Stout said that he’s seen the Trackman clock as far as 78 in practice. Loop pointed out that the difference between the broken-in ball and one from their practice bag is maybe 2-to-3 yards. A bit of wiggle room plus the adrenaline of game day and perhaps Loop could push a ball 67 yards. “If the opportunity is there,” Stout said, “I’d love to see him break the record.” Related Articles Former Ravens kicker Justin Tucker sells Owings Mills home for $2.8M Staff picks for Week 3 of 2025 NFL season: Rams vs. Eagles, Raiders vs. Commanders and more Inside Ravens LB Teddye Buchanan’s rise from 2-star recruit to NFL starter Mike Preston: Ravens’ young WRs add new dimension to offense | COMMENTARY Watch ‘Overtime’ of Ep. 4 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law The odds of Ravens coach John Harbaugh sending out Loop for a 65-plus-yard field goal are slim. If it’s earlier in the game, he’d likely opt to punt and avoid giving up such favorable field position. Harbaugh is also working with an offense that boasts the fourth-most yards per play (9.0) through two games. Other teams around the league might soften their third-down play calling knowing that they can rely on a longer kick. For Loop and the Ravens, it would take the right conditions. But would Harbaugh consider it? “As it gets to be more of a meaningful number,” he said, “as you get later in the game where you need the points, heck yes. You could put [Loop] back there.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

The list of failed receivers taken by the Ravens in the first and second rounds is a long one. There was Patrick Johnson in 1998 and Travis Taylor two years later. We can’t forget about Mark Clayton in 2005 and Breshad Perriman 10 years after. And then there was Marquise Brown, nicknamed “Hollywood,” the big bust in 2019. Now, fast forward to 2025. The Ravens have their best receiving corps in their 30-year history. But it’s not only because of prominent players such as Rashod Bateman, Zay Flowers, DeAndre Hopkins and tight end Mark Andrews. The Ravens have strong depth with young players like fifth-year pro Tylan Wallace and 2024 draft pick Devontez Walker. Wallace scored on a 15-yard reception in the second quarter of the Ravens’ 41-17 beatdown of Cleveland on Sunday, and Walker added a pair of touchdown catches in the third and fourth quarters. So, what has transpired from the previous failures? The college game has changed, limiting the amount of possible failures. Most of the top teams have adequate to strong passing games including Ohio State, Penn State, LSU, Miami, Georgia and Oregon. It’s all about the transition. There are a lot of current college offensive linemen who have to be retrained and even taught how to come out of a three-point stance. With receivers, they all know how to run the nine routes in the passing tree. So, it’s game on. In two games, the Ravens have used various receiver combinations. Hopkins might be the No. 4 receiver in some sets, the No. 2 in others. “You need a whole team,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “Everybody is on the team for a reason, because you need them. You want the guys on your team to contribute. And if you’re a guy that’s fighting for that playing time, you want to contribute and make plays. If you get out there on a punt rush, you want to go block a punt if you can. If you get your shot at wide receiver, you want to go catch a pass or a touchdown pass when you can. “Guys want to win, first and foremost, but they also want to contribute just as much, because that’s what they work hard for.” Wallace (two catches for 25 yards, one touchdown) can return punts or kickoffs and has been used as a gunner on the punt team. He isn’t exceptionally fast, but has good, strong hands. Walker (2 catches for 26 yards, 2 TDs) played well throughout the various offseason camps and has good speed. If something happened to Flowers (14 catches for 218 yards, 1 TD), he might be the perfect replacement as a slot receiver. Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, left, talks with offensive coordinator Todd Monken during a preseason practice. Flowers has over 200 receiving yards across the Ravens' first two games of the season. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP) Both are complements to Bateman (4 catches for 25 yards) who might be the best route runner on the team as well as Hopkins (4 catches for 99 yads, 2 TDs), who has become the home run hitter. Meanwhile, Flowers can do it all on the outside or inside or underneath or over the top. “I think in some games, it might be one way or another, but we have a lot of guys that can play and do different things,” Harbaugh said. “So, it’s not a bad thing to do it that way, but I’m sure that every player wants to be on the field as much as they can. So, the more DeAndre is on the field, I’m happy about that.” Added Harbaugh: “You can put ‘Tez’ out there, and he does some things, and he changes it up on the defense. That’s a nice thing, too. And Tylan is the same way. Of course, you’ve already got ‘Bate’ and Zay. They’re going to play a lot of snaps, and you want to get the ball to the tight ends.” Tight ends might be the forgotten position, at least for now. In two games this season, the Ravens have thrown to Andrews only twice for 7 yards. But Andrews started slowly last season before finishing with 55 receptions for 673 yards and 11 touchdowns. Related Articles Watch ‘Overtime’ of Ep. 4 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law Lamar Jackson unlocks Ravens’ deep passing game with DeAndre Hopkins’ help Watch Episode 4 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law When will Ravens CB Jaire Alexander play again? ‘Sooner rather than later’. 5 key numbers from the Ravens’ blowout win over Browns | COMMENTARY Meanwhile, the Ravens expect to have No. 2 tight end Isaiah Likely back soon as he recovers from a foot injury. He can line up both inside or outside and has as much speed as some receivers. As the season rolls on, Harbaugh expects there to be problems with receivers not getting enough touches. But as long as the Ravens keep putting points on the board and adding victories, a potentially big problem might be a small one. “They are going to be a big part of what we’re doing,” Harbaugh said of the tight ends. “If we start going four or five weeks, and you don’t see the tight ends getting targets, I’ll probably be asking ‘Monk’ and Lamar and the guys, ‘What do you think?’ But, the ball goes where it goes based on the reads. That’s where the ball goes based on Lamar’s reads, and that’s what quarterbacks do. “So, that’s kind of a blessing, but it’s also a dilemma, and we’re working through it, but hopefully it’s a tiny dilemma that puts a lot of points on the board. That’s what we’re hoping for.” Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Watch the “Overtime” segment of the third episode of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law. The longtime sports columnist answers reader questions from Baltimore Sun subscribers after the Ravens’ 41-17 win over the Browns. The Ravens return to action Monday night against the Detroit Lions. Missed the fourth episode of the pod? Watch here. Have a question for Preston about the Ravens? Message us at sports@baltsun.com. You can watch the BMore Football Podcast weekly, posting every Tuesday during the NFL season on YouTube and The Baltimore Sun, and listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and iHeart. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Lamar Jackson dropped back to pass, and within two seconds, the Cleveland Browns’ pass rush was upon him. So he did what he always seems to and evaded defenders with the nimbleness of Baryshnikov and escapability of Houdini, first backpedaling from the pressure then deftly moving forward and flinging the ball 55.9 yards through the air to the front left corner of the end zone. From the television camera’s perspective, there was a moment when the only visible target was Browns cornerback Cameron Mitchell. In the next frame, though, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins emerges like a magic trick and hauls in the pass as he tumbles spectacularly to the M&T Bank Stadium grass. “It’s funny, I was watching the tape this morning very early, and I just thought that the young corner was covering DeAndre as well as he could,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “He couldn’t cover him any better, and yet, Lamar puts the ball in a great spot, and DeAndre makes a great catch. Why is he as good as he is? That’s a question for the Lord. He gave him that talent, and he’s just great at making plays.” The early third-quarter play with Baltimore up just 10-3 — in what to that point was a slog — was initially ruled a touchdown before being overturned by replay assist and marked down at the 1-yard line. Yet, it didn’t diminish the achievement and only exacerbated Harbaugh’s point: Jackson has become an elite deep-ball passer, and the addition of Hopkins, even at age 33 — a time when wide receivers are often left to look for another line of work — has further unlocked another dimension and level to the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player’s game. Through the first two weeks of the season, Jackson has thrown a league-leading four touchdown passes over 20 yards, already nearly half as many as all of last year when he had nine. In Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, Jackson had scoring throws of 23 and 29 yards to Zay Flowers and Hopkins, respectively. Sunday, he added two more, from 24 and 23 yards to Devontez Walker and Hopkins, respectively. None have been more jaw-dropping and efficient than the ones to Hopkins, though. In the loss to the Bills, the three-time All-Pro was targeted just twice, but caught them both. That included one for a 29-yard score late in the third quarter in which he warded off talented cornerback Christian Benford with his left arm while snatching the ball with his extended right hand as safety Taylor Rapp closed in. Against the Browns, he produced a similar stat line with two catches on two targets for 64 yards, including a 23-yard score in which he got the better of Mitchell again, hauling in the lofted pass with the third-year cornerback draped over him like a wet towel. As Hopkins picked himself up off the ground, he looked toward the crowd and offered a Michael Jordan-John Michael Wozniak shrug. Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins reacts after making a touchdown reception against the Browns. Hopkins has four catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns since joining the Ravens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) “It’s not a technical process, it’s just muscle memory from doing it for a while, trying to make a play however you can,” Hopkins said about what goes into his 13 years of making the contested catch look easy. It starts, he said, with being a player Jackson can trust. Part of that is knowing the offense and understanding the nuances within it. And while it’s possible Baltimore might end up being the last dance for Hopkins, who signed a one-year deal in the offseason, he can perhaps help elevate Jackson’s game to even greater heights. “A guy who can be covered and still make plays? I feel like we have that, but he’s different,” Jackson said of Hopkins’ playmaking. “He’s a vet, and he has seen it all at the cornerback position. The guy has huge hands to catch the ball — one hand, two fingers — it doesn’t really matter.” It’s also just the latest example of Jackson’s expansion as a downfield thrower, something that began to take flight in earnest last season. In 2024, Jackson ranked seventh with 67 attempts of 20-plus yards and sixth with 26 completions for 840 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. His nine touchdown passes of at least 20 yards were behind only the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert and then-Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold’s 10. It wasn’t just that Jackson was chucking it downfield; it’s that he is doing so with precision. Last year, he ranked fifth in PFF’s “big-time throws” — a metric that tracks passes with excellent ball location and timing downfield and/or into a tight window — and his receivers consequently only had two drops on on-target deep balls. This season, Jackson, who is completing a career-high 68.8% of all his throws with four touchdowns and zero interceptions, has already attempted 10 passes of at least 20 yards through the air, according to PFF, which puts him on pace to surpass last year’s total. It’s a frustrating trait for opposing defenses that also have to account for his ability to run at a moment’s notice. Add backfield-mate and future Hall of Famer Derrick Henry, who rushed for 1,921 yards last season, and the problem multiplies. “The chunk throws have been good,” Harbaugh said earlier this week. “That’s been big. People are playing man against us, and we’ve taken advantage of that. “When people load the box up, you hope that’s what happens.” It helps, too, to have an arsenal of options at Jackson’s disposal. Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, shown in Week 1 against the Bills, has compiled over 200 receiving yards across the Ravens' first two games. (Gene J. Puskar/AP) Though Flowers’ 14 catches for 218 yards through two games lead the team by a wide margin, seven others have caught at least one pass. That includes four by Hopkins, Rashod Bateman and running back Justice Hill. Three of those players — Hopkins, Flowers and Walker — have longs of at least 24 yards. “I feel like everybody in our receiver room has something that we need,” Flowers said. ‘Ty’ [Tylan Wallace] can do everything. ‘Tez’ [Walker] can run; ‘Tez’ is super fast. ‘Bate’ and I can do everything. You never know what’s going to happen.” That was the case on Sunday, when Walker hauled in a pair of touchdown catches, including a 24-yarder, to give the second-year wideout three career catches for three scores, dating back to late last season. Among Wallace’s two catches against the Browns was a 15-yard scoring strike. But perhaps no one has impressed the way Hopkins has, particularly given his limited snaps thus far. Through two games, he has only been on the field for 28 plays on offense. Related Articles Watch Episode 4 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law When will Ravens CB Jaire Alexander play again? ‘Sooner rather than later’. 5 key numbers from the Ravens’ blowout win over Browns | COMMENTARY Cowboys sign veteran pass rusher and former Ravens DE Jadeveon Clowney Ravens injury updates: Kyle Van Noy to miss time with hamstring injury That’s something that could change going forward, though perhaps not that much once injured tight end Isaiah Likely returns in the coming weeks to provide Jackson with another set of hands to feed. Still, there’s little arguing Hopkins’ impact, at least so far, and no questioning Jackson’s growth into one of the game’s best deep ball throwers. “I seen it his whole career,” Jackson said of Hopkins. “Even when I wasn’t in the league, I’ve been watching ‘D-Hop’ make spectacular catches and when he was on other teams as well. … I believe people called him ‘washed’ and stuff like that, but he’s showing otherwise.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Episode 4 of the BMore Football Podcast with The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston and Jerry Coleman presented by Rice Law is here. Preston and Coleman break down the Ravens’ 41-17 win over the Browns and preview the team’s upcoming primetime game with the Detroit Lions. The two hosts were joined this week by special guest Jonathan Ogden, a former Ravens offensive tackle and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You can watch it weekly, posting every Tuesday during the NFL season on YouTube and The Baltimore Sun, and listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and iHeart. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

In what sounded like a move somewhere between gamesmanship and expectation tempering, Ravens coach John Harbaugh alluded to Jaire Alexander’s potential return for their Week 3 prime-time matchup against the Detroit Lions. “It’ll be much sooner rather than later. Can’t wait until he’s out there,” Harbaugh said at his Monday news conference. “Maybe it’ll be this week.” The big-name cornerback who was lured to Baltimore in the offseason hasn’t made the immediate splash many had anticipated. After a dismal debut in Buffalo in which he allowed three catches for 100 yards, Alexander was a healthy scratch Sunday against Cleveland. Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Zach Orr cited the three weeks of practice Alexander missed in August and September that left him unprepared for the Bills. He’s healthy, they said, having recovered from right knee surgery in January. He’s just not yet in football shape. “But it’s going to be when he feels, and when you can see, that he’s right to go out there and just play like top-level Jaire,” Harbaugh said. “I don’t want to put him in a situation where he’s got to try to overcome not quite being as right as he can be, especially if we’ve got guys that can play well.” Thus was the case against an overmatched Cleveland. It might not be so simple heading into Monday night with a potent Lions offense in town. All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey suffered a groin injury early in the fourth quarter on Sunday. Harbaugh declined to comment on his status, revealing only that it will not put him out for the season. If he can’t go, the Ravens likely run with Nate Wiggins, who nearly had a pick six on an errant throw from the 40-year-old Joe Flacco, and Chidobe Awuzie. Then their options are Alexander, if they can trust him, and T.J. Tampa, an inexperienced sophomore who made a nice fourth-down pass breakup against the Browns. If Alexander needs another week, expect Baltimore to get funky in how the back end shuffles against the fourth most productive passing offense in the NFL through two weeks. Perhaps undrafted rookie Keyon Martin sees reps after his one defensive snap at Buffalo then 22 in a blowout against Cleveland. All-Pro Swiss Army knife Kyle Hamilton could also drop down toward the line of scrimmage while Sanoussi Kane or Reuben Lowery, another UDFA, backfill. Baltimore entered the season touting its five first-round picks in the secondary. Should Humphrey and Alexander miss Monday night’s game, that number drops to a slightly less-impressive three, rounded out by inexperience. Meanwhile, the Lions have five pass catchers averaging double-digit yards per reception. Three eclipsed 100 combined yards through the air over two games, paced by Amon-Ra St. Brown’s 160 on 13 catches. Related Articles 5 key numbers from the Ravens’ blowout win over Browns | COMMENTARY Cowboys sign veteran pass rusher and former Ravens DE Jadeveon Clowney Ravens OLB Kyle Van Noy to miss time with hamstring injury READER POLL: How would you grade the Ravens through two games? Bengals QB Joe Burrow ‘looks like’ he needs toe surgery, head coach Zac Taylor says A healthy Alexander, “playing like top-level Jaire,” as Harbaugh said, could be a much-needed boost. But that decision likely won’t arrive until the end of the week. The longtime coach never likes to show his hand. “I wish it was really black and white,” Harbaugh said. “I think he’ll be out there soon.” That decision won’t fall solely on the coach’s read of how Alexander looks in practice. Harbaugh noted there will be some shared dialogue about his timeline. Those comments came less than 24 hours after Harbaugh shared that he was the one who decided to scratch Alexander, even after the cornerback pushed back some. “He wasn’t quite there yet,” Harbaugh said. “It’s good now, though. I don’t know, we’ll just see him in practice, he and I will talk about it, and we’ll get him out there just as soon as we can. But I think it’s going to be real soon.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

The Ravens needed a response after the collapse in Buffalo. They delivered it Sunday with a convincing 41-17 win over the Browns that showcased a defense on the attack and an offense that rebounded from a slow start and turned explosive when it mattered most. These five stats help explain how Baltimore evened its record (1-1) and reclaimed its early season identity. 102.648 The league has never seen a quarterback blend efficiency and explosiveness quite like Lamar Jackson. His turnover-free afternoon helped Jackson push his career passer rating to 102.648, nudging him past Aaron Rodgers for the best mark in NFL history. Jackson’s rise on the passer rating leaderboard is a testament to how he’s evolved from a dazzling scrambler into a fully formed, elite passer. While Jackson had a couple misfires earlier in the game that he’ll want back, he dug deep and picked up Baltimore’s offense to effectively secure victory No. 1. Against a Jim Schwartz-led Browns defense built to bait mistakes, Jackson played within himself, taking what was available and finding a different set of playmakers outside of his go-to weapons. He also flashed his trademark brilliance, uncorking a scrambling heave to veteran wideout DeAndre Hopkins, who impressively tracked the football down the left sideline, just shy of the end zone. “I’ve seen it [Hopkins’] whole career,” Jackson said. “Even when I wasn’t in the league, I’ve been watching ‘D-Hop’ make spectacular catches and when he was on other teams as well. But just seeing him at camp, just building chemistry there, and I feel like everyone called him — I believe people called him ‘washed’ and stuff like that, but he’s showing otherwise.” Baltimore’s Super Bowl hopes rest on that balance of brilliance and restraint. Sunday was the latest proof that Jackson (19-for-29, 225 passing yards, four touchdowns) can adjust and still distribute the ball effectively even when the offense isn’t humming. All four of Jackson’s touchdown completions targeted a receiver more than 10 yards downfield. Since the start of the 2024 season, Jackson has thrown 32 such touchdowns, according to Next Gen Stats, which ranks first in the NFL and 10 more than the next closest quarterback (Joe Burrow, 22). 2 Following a week — actually a summer — of questions about whether the Ravens’ defense had lost its opportunistic edge, Zach Orr’s group delivered a booming response. The defense’s two takeaways, Nate Wiggins’ interception and Roquan Smith’s fumble return for a touchdown after Tavius Robinson’s strip sack, were not just the season’s first takeaways, but also momentum swings that uplifted the home sideline. Wiggins’ pick halted a promising Cleveland drive, and Smith’s touchdown cemented the result. Baltimore produced only 17 takeaways all of last season, so producing a multi-takeaway outing is the sort of statement this unit needed to make. It was a loud rebuttal to the chatter that this defense could no longer win games on its own. “At the end of the day, it’s only about the guys inside of our locker room and the guys that we’re going to war with,” said linebacker Roquan Smith, who recorded a game-high 15 tackles. “So, all the noise, honestly, I don’t really hear it, nor do I care about others’ opinions. It’s more about the guys who I’m going to war with. …[We] got that sour taste out of our mouth. Left a couple of plays out there today, but it’s just more so about being who we are for the rest of the season, not having any let ups and playing four-quarter football.” Ravens outside linebacker Tavius Robinson sacks Browns quarterback Joe Flacco and forces a fumble. Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith returned the fumble 63 yards for a touchdown, taking advantage of a Ravens pass rush that showed improvement in Week 2. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) 38 One week after struggling to breathe on Josh Allen, the Ravens’ pass rush roared back. Cleveland quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel were pressured on 38% of their dropbacks as Baltimore’s pass rushers were frequent visitors in the pocket. Despite playing from behind throughout, Cleveland never registered a down-field passing game. Orr mixed occasional blitzes with four-man rushes, keeping protection calls off balance and letting the secondary tighten its coverage. A couple of key adjustments to the lineup resulted in nine quarterback hits, hurried throws, forced errors and, ultimately, those two takeaways. 45 One week after getting his feet wet in Buffalo, outside linebacker Mike Green, 22, went from rookie cameo to near full-timer against Cleveland. The second-round draft pick out of Marshall logged 45 defensive snaps, almost doubling the 26 he played in his NFL debut and matching his jersey number. Green also added 21 snaps on special teams. With 2024 sack leader and veteran Kyle Van Noy sidelined for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury, Green suddenly looks like a key piece of the Ravens’ edge rotation. He’s still chasing his first career sack, but Sunday brought his first tangible impact. Green registered his first career quarterback hit on Joe Flacco that forced an incompletion and helped stall the Browns. Ravens rookie linebacker Mike Green, shown practicing in early September, could take on an important role in the coming weeks with Kyle Van Noy injured. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) For Green, 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, who led college football with 17 sacks last season, it marked the type of incremental step that the coaching staff and front office hoped to see. Expecting immediate dominance from a rookie is unfair, but Green does arrive in Baltimore with sack pedigree. His workload should only grow as he mixes in with main edge pieces Tavius Robinson and Odafe Oweh during a brutal early season stretch that features four playoff teams before the Week 7 bye. Consider the next month as a prime opportunity for Green to grow into a consistent difference-maker. “It’s tough knowing [Van Noy] won’t be out there with us, but he was talking to me, making sure I stay on top of my get-off,” Green told The Sun. “That was the big emphasis from him…making sure I’m getting off the ball and disrupting the quarterback.” 2.1 This was the cold splash of reality in an otherwise convincing win. Cleveland’s front seven stacked the box and repeatedly beat Baltimore’s offensive line and run blockers to the punch, holding Derrick Henry to a mere 23 rushing yards across 11 carries, finishing with a lowly 2.1 average. It was Henry’s worst outing in a Ravens uniform. Henry’s previous single-game low average as a Raven was 3.5 yards per carry in the team’s Week 1 loss to Kansas City in 2024. Related Articles Cowboys sign veteran pass rusher and former Ravens DE Jadeveon Clowney Ravens OLB Kyle Van Noy to miss time with hamstring injury READER POLL: How would you grade the Ravens through two games? Bengals QB Joe Burrow ‘looks like’ he needs toe surgery, head coach Zac Taylor says 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 41-17 win over the Browns For a veteran tailback who has built his career on wearing down defenses, there was no late-game surge nor a series of punishing runs to close it out. The Ravens finished with just 45 total rushing yards, their lowest total in a Lamar Jackson start since 2018. “They were triggering the run right away,” coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “They were blitzing the run. It wasn’t a blitz call, but it was a blitz reaction to the run. Those guys were coming downhill immediately. That was the plan for them. They weren’t going to get beat by the run. That’s smart football. They did a great job with it.” It was a rare Sunday when the Ravens survived without their trademark power run. But for this offense to reach January at full throttle, Henry will have to turn a quiet outing like this into an exception. The Ravens showed they can adjust on a day when the run game stalled, but their ceiling still depends on Henry eventually imposing the kind of will that has defined his storied career. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys have signed Jadeveon Clowney a little more than two weeks after trading star pass rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay, team owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Sunday. Jones told reporters after a thrilling 40-37 overtime victory over the New York Giants the club would add the veteran defensive end who visited the Cowboys this past week. The 32-year-old Clowney joins a group that was already young and got younger when Dallas ended a long contract stalemate with Parsons by sending the 26-year-old in his prime to the Packers in a stunner. Clowney had 5 1/2 sacks for Carolina last season after tying his career high of 9 1/2 in 2023 with Baltimore. The 2014 No. 1 overall pick out of South Carolina has 58 sacks in 140 games over 11 years. Clowney’s signing with Dallas takes a potential pass rushing addition off the market for the Ravens. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who had 12 1/2 sacks in 2024, is expected to miss some time with a hamstring injury suffered in Baltimore’s Week 2 win over the Browns. In Van Noy’s absence, the Ravens are expected to give increased time to pass rushers Tavius Robinson and rookie Mike Green. Robinson recorded a sack in Sunday’s victory, forcing a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Roquan Smith and returned for a touchdown. While the Ravens have been hesitant to give specifics about Van Noy’s health, his injury is not considered a season-ending ailment. Coach John Harbaugh said Monday that he’s confident in the team’s current depth behind Van Noy. The Baltimore Sun sports staff contributed to this article. View the full article

The Ravens won their first game of the season on Sunday, but it came at a cost. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter of Baltimore’s blowout of the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium and did not return, will miss at least some time, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Baltimore Sun. It’s not yet clear how long his absence will be. He was also not the only player injured in the game. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey (groin) left early in the fourth quarter and running back Rasheen Ali (concussion) in the first. On Monday, coach John Harbaugh declined to provide an update on how long Van Noy and the others could be out. “There’s nothing season-ending or long, long-term,” he said. “Everything else is either day to day, something might stretch week to week. There’s really no advantage for us in sharing that information today for our opponent.” That next opponent features one of the most high-powered offenses in the league. The Ravens will host the Lions on Monday night. Detroit is coming off a 52-21 rout of the Chicago Bears on Sunday and ranks third in the NFL in points per game (32.5), first in completion percentage (80.6) and sixth in passing yards per game (267). Being without Van Noy, 34, for any length of time also leaves the Ravens thin at outside linebacker. Last year, Van Noy led Baltimore with 12 1/2 sacks and was named to his first Pro Bowl. Baltimore still has Odafe Oweh, who had a career-high 10 sacks in 2024, but lacks sack production beyond that. Outside linebacker Tavius Robinson is better suited against the run, rookie second-round pick Mike Green is still developing and David Ojabo has been a healthy scratch each of the first two games. With Van Noy out, Green, who led college football with 17 sacks for Marshall last season, saw a big uptick in snaps (45) against the Browns, and that could continue. “He made another step in this game,” Harbaugh said of Green. “He tightened up a little bit with some of his angles on his pass rushes and his run defense. Very physical off the edge in both of those, yet like rookies, there’s a ways to go. “I’m happy with the way Mike’s playing. He’s playing good football for us.” Ravens outside linebacker Mike Green practices during training camp. Green is expected to play an increased role in Week 3 with Kyle Van Noy nursing a hamstring injury. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Another potential option on the outside, Harbaugh said, could be to deploy inside linebacker Trenton Simpson as a strong-side linebacker. Simpson, now in his third season, has struggled to maintain his spot inside and on Sunday was widely outsnapped by rookie inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan. “He’s in the right place doing the right thing,” Harbaugh said of Buchanan. “I thought he played another really good game.” Being without Humphrey against the Lions could also be problematic, particularly for a secondary already dealing with the absence of cornerback Jaire Alexander, who has been slowed by a knee injury and was not active Sunday against the Browns after struggling in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills. If Humphrey and Alexander can’t go against the Lions, that would mean an increased role for Chidobe Awuzie, T.J. Tampa and undrafted rookie free agent Keyon Martin. Related Articles 5 key numbers from the Ravens’ blowout win over Browns | COMMENTARY Cowboys sign veteran pass rusher and former Ravens DE Jadeveon Clowney READER POLL: How would you grade the Ravens through two games? Bengals QB Joe Burrow ‘looks like’ he needs toe surgery, head coach Zac Taylor says 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 41-17 win over the Browns Meanwhile, one player the Ravens expected to already have back is fullback Patrick Ricard. However, the 31-year-old All-Pro has been plagued by a nagging calf injury that has kept him sidelined since mid-August. When he’ll be back, Harbaugh also couldn’t say. “It hasn’t been as quick as we thought,” he said. “I’m disappointed, but Pat’s more disappointed than anybody. “It’s been slower than we hoped for sure. We’re kind of in that week-to-week mode with Pat.” Last year, the Ravens were the healthiest team in the NFL by a wide margin in terms of adjusted games lost, but the injuries have started to pile up. They have also come at an inopportune time, with four straight games against 2024 playoff teams over the next month. After facing the Lions, they’ll play at the Kansas City Chiefs and then at home against the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams before a bye in Week 7. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Ravens fans can finally relax — at least a little bit. After a crushing Week 1 collapse against the Bills, Baltimore got back on track and dominated old friend Joe Flacco and the Browns in a 41-17 victory in its home opener for its first win of the year. It’s been an up-and-down first two games, though. How would you grade the Ravens after a 1-1 start to the season? We want to hear from you. After you vote, leave a comment and we might use your take 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