ExtremeRavens

The Ravens (7-3) outlasted the Bengals (4-6) in another insane nail-biter that featured 34 combined points in the fourth quarter. Here are five things we learned from the game. The Ravens and Bengals play cuckoo bananas games, but we learned nothing new When did it become clear the Ravens would not go down to tidy defeat after the Bengals went up 21-7 on Ja’Marr Chase’s soul-destroying catch and run less than two minutes into the third quarter? Several players pointed to Marlon Humphrey punching a fumble loose midway through that quarter as the moment when they emerged from their torpor. Others pointed to oft-ignored Tylan Wallace breaking a tackle and tap dancing 84 yards down the sideline to pull them within a point early in the fourth quarter. Others said they simply never feel out of a game with Lamar Jackson leading an offense that revs hotter than any in the NFL. “Most complete offense I’ve ever been around in my time in the league,” left tackle Ronnie Stanley said. That offense hit a rare lull in the first half as Cincinnati hit Jackson with unexpectedly conservative defensive looks. He has carved up pressure so relentlessly that they tried another way. It worked. “We were kind of sleeping that whole first half,” the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player acknowledged. The Ravens roared back with 287 yards and 28 points after halftime, but that only scratches the surface of the wiled spectacle we witnessed Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium. What about Chase answering Jackson’s fusillade with 212 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the second half, even as the Ravens knew Joe Burrow would be looking for No. 1 on all the biggest downs? What about Justin Tucker hooking an extra point that could have tied the game at 21? Who imagined that 10 weeks into this season, some Ravens fans would be calling for a succession plan to replace the greatest kicker of all time? What about that fourth down on Cincinnati’s final drive, when the Ravens thought they had stopped wide receiver Andrei Iosivas an inch short and the officials ruled otherwise? What about that drive coming down to a 2-point attempt on which Burrow inexplicably looked away from Chase and the officials declined to call roughing after Travis Jones’ paw caught the Cincinnati quarterback in the face? What about the whole thing coming down to an onside kick — the Achilles heel for 2024 Ravens special teams? Coach John Harbaugh said his players showed “the hearts of lions in a game like that.” Even more so considering that five weeks earlier in Cincinnati, they came back from three 10-point deficits to win in overtime. Ravens wide receiver Tylan Wallace caught an 84-yard touchdown pass that sparked their offense in the final quarter against the Bengals. (Staff) Did we learn anything new from a wildly entertaining game that moved the Ravens to 7-3 and kept them pointed toward the playoffs? We already knew their offense could not be kept down for 60 minutes. We already knew they were wildly vulnerable to elite quarterbacks and wide receivers. We already knew they were equal parts likely to come back and likely to flirt with blowing a lead. We already knew Jackson was questing hard for another MVP. The Ravens churn drama, for the right reasons and the wrong ones. The Ravens’ inability to cover No. 1 receivers could be their undoing With the Baltimore defense “protecting” a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter, Chase sprinted straight upfield. Cornerback Brandon Stephens did little to slow his momentum. Safety Marcus Williams seemed to have his eyes fixed elsewhere and offered no deep support. Chase had to be priority No. 1, the human embodiment of a skull and crossbones, but there he went, blazing free to catch a 70-yard touchdown pass that tied tied the game. He even rubbed it in, stopping short of the goal line and dancing along it for several seconds to emphasize just how far he was from being covered. The Ravens can’t cover No. 1 wide receivers, folks. It’s what the numbers say, and it’s what we saw with our own eyes Thursday night as Chase made a mockery of their once-proud defense. There’s no way to sugarcoat it, no way to pretend it isn’t a problem that could cost them dearly come the playoffs. Humphrey seemed notably disturbed in the postgame locker room, referring to the defense as the team’s little brothers and reiterating that the players simply aren’t translating the good coaching they receive during the work into appropriate game day action. The Ravens’ secondary had no answers for Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who caught three touchdown passes Thursday in Baltimore. (Staff) “We’ve lost that standard,” he said. “What is missing there from how we’re practicing to how we’re playing in the game? It’s become clear that it’s something. I think each guy has got to look at themselves in the mirror and figure out, ‘Why are you not playing how you practice something?’” With the Bengals’ No. 2 wide receiver, Tee Higgins, sidelined by a quadriceps injury, there was really only one Cincinnati playmaker who could devastate the Ravens. And devastate them Chase did, catching 11 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns. Add that to his bounty from five weeks earlier, and he’s up to 21 catches for 457 yards and five touchdowns against Baltimore in 2024. That’s a good 17-game season for plenty of NFL wide receivers. This from a guy the Ravens largely shut down in 2023. They seemed at a loss for explanations as they sorted through the wreckage. They could only say that fixing a broken pass defense has to be a defining mission over their next eight games. “I mean, I do give [Ja’Marr Chase] credit. He’s a great player,” Harbaugh said. “I was looking for him after the game and couldn’t find him. Maybe that was appropriate. There you go. I couldn’t find him either. But we doubled him a bunch of times. Those plays we didn’t, we were in zone coverage there. He should have been covered. Those plays shouldn’t have happened. There’s no doubt about it. Those are not tough plays. Those are basic routes that should be covered in the coverages that we’re in, so that’s not the standard.” The Ravens cannot survive for long without Kyle Hamilton M&T Bank Stadium fell deathly silent after Hamilton collapsed to the field, untouched and unable to rise on his own power. Such an awkward injury invites fears that a great player’s season might be over, that his brilliant career might be altered. Hamilton mercifully escaped that fate. Harbaugh said after the game that Hamilton’s ankle injury isn’t serious, though it wasn’t yet clear how much time he might miss. Even on a night when they pulled out a nutty win, the Ravens could not have received better news. Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton left the win over the Bengals with a sprained right ankle. (Staff) Baltimore fans know there are only a few players without whom the Ravens are fundamentally diminished. Jackson is No. 1 on that list. Hamilton is probably No. 2. As skeptic might note that the Ravens came in 32nd in pass defense with the sport’s most versatile safety. True enough, but he’s more than their best option to cover tight ends and their most effective blitzer. He’s often their best run defender. Before he turned his ankle Thursday, Hamilton made four tackles, batted down two passes and earned the best coverage grade in the secondary. In other words, he was the best player on the defense, as he is almost every week. On the first play of the second half, with Hamilton nowhere to be seen, Chase slashed across the middle of the field to catch Burrow’s dart and ran away from four defenders for a 67-yard touchdown. Would the Pro Bowl safety have stopped it? Not necessarily. Chase is a great player who did the same thing to the Ravens with Hamilton on the field in Cincinnati. But the middle of the Baltimore secondary resembled the innards of a soft-boiled egg without No. 14 swooping to the ball. This time, the Ravens’ pass rush did not let them down For all the self-recrimination expressed by Humphrey and others, the Ravens’ defense actually kept them in the game while their offense inexplicably sputtered for the first 30 minutes. They hit Burrow 13 times, and Nnamdi Madubuike sacked him thrice (Jackson, by contrast took one quarterback hit and no sacks). After a week of hearing that they couldn’t get to the quarterback and of fans bemoaning general manager Eric DeCosta’s inability to land a pass rusher at the trade deadline, they at least made Burrow suffer for his 428 yards and four touchdowns. The Ravens gave us a pu pu platter of defensive disfunction at the end of the Bengals’ opening scoring drive. There was the blown challenge from Harbaugh that would have been worth all of 2 yards even if he had won it. There was the personnel confusion that forced the Ravens to waste another timeout. And to top it off, cornerback Stephens wiped out a seeming fourth-and-goal stop with defensive holding. The Ravens’ pass rush was one of just a few bright spots defensively in the 35-34 win over the Bengals. (Staff) Cincinnati faced two previous third downs on the drive. In each case, Burrow casually stepped away from pressure and found receivers open in the middle of Baltimore’s secondary for gains of 26 and 19 yards, respectively. It all felt like the blueprint for a Cincinnati offensive bonanza to follow up Burrow’s five-touchdown performance against the Ravens five weeks earlier. Not so, at least not until the second half. The final numbers might not show it, but the Ravens played one of their best defensive halves of the season, taking advantage of Cincinnati’s mobility-challenged left tackle, Cody Ford, who filled in for injured starter Orlando Brown Jr. They pressured Burrow 20 times in the first half, according to Pro Football Focus’ in-game charting, and held the Bengals to 4.6 yards per play, a yard below their season average. Of particular import was Madubuike’s big game. The Bengals seem to tap his inner fire more than any other opponent. He bellowed encouragement to teammates from pregame warmups right on through to that final stand. He backed it up by playing like the guy who earned a $98 million contract with his swarming rushes last season. “I believe I’m a big pulse on the defensive line. I’m a leader on the defensive line, and it starts with me and just my attitude and my focus,” he said. “I feel like guys feed off of me, and I take the initiative just to stay focused and [have] high energy just to get back there. It’s one thing to say it and it’s one thing to do it, so I try to do both and just encourage my teammates to do it as well.” The Ravens have so much to fix on their defense, but if they have that Madubuike for the next seven games, there’s one box checked off. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews has a touchdown reception in five consecutive games. (Staff) Mark Andrews’ football life came full circle The last time the Ravens hosted the Bengals in Baltimore — last November no less — Andrews’ career took an awful turn as a hip-drop tackle wrecked his ankle and sent him hobbling into uncertainty. He took every possible step, including hours spent in a hyperbaric chamber borrowed from his girlfriend’s family, to recover in time for the AFC championship game. But there was no way for him to regain his full powers without an offseason of rehabilitation. Andrews began this season with more uncertainty in the form of a terrifying car accident and five games without a touchdown catch. Skeptics wondered if he’d ever again become the force of nature he was before that hit against the Bengals. So it had to feel juicy sweet for him to catch six of the seven balls thrown his way Thursday, including an essential 18-yard touchdown off what Jackson described as a “crazy” improvisatory route. “Playground ball,” the quarterback and tight end have always called it, speaking to the wavelength only they share on such plays. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 35-34 win over Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens rally past Bengals for stunning 35-34 victory Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 35-34 win over Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton injures ankle in win over Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 35-34 win “I’m just thankful,” Andrews said of returning to such a point. He has five touchdown catches in his past five games. And then it was time for Cincinnati’s final onside kick, a potential bugaboo given the Ravens’ failure to recover two of them earlier in the season. Andrews stood on the front line of their “hands” team as Evan McPherson lined up his kick. Based on the formation, he knew the ball was likely to skitter his way. Did he want that responsibility? He grinned broadly when asked after the game. “I guess I’m the guy to get it,” he recalled thinking. “Luckily, it was a pretty easy one.” His hands were true. The game was over. He was back where he belonged. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Here’s how the Ravens (7-3) graded out at every position after a 35-34 win over the Bengals (4-6) on Thursday at M&T Bank Stadium: Quarterback This wasn’t one of Lamar Jackson’s better games, even though he had good statistics. He made several plays with his legs, but his timing was off for almost three quarters. However, he made plays at the end of the game, and that’s what mattered most. Jackson completed 25 of 33 passes for 290 yards and four touchdowns, but the 84-yarder on a short pass to Tylan Wallace was a great effort by the fourth-year receiver. Grade: B Running back The Ravens didn’t get this group involved for most of the game, even Derrick Henry on toss plays to the outside. Henry finished with 68 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown. Backup Justice Hill wasn’t involved much, recording minus-2 yards on two carries and two receptions. No. 3 running back Keaton Mitchell got into the game, his first since suffering a torn ACL in December, but was more of a return specialist, returning one kickoff for 30 yards. Grade: C Offensive line Turnovers and gambles on fourth down by the Bengals put the Ravens’ offense in good field position, but this group struggled most of the game with penalties. Left guard Patrick Mekari played hurt most of the second half and both right guard Daniel Faalele and left tackle Ronnie Stanley put the offense in poor position with either holding or false start penalties. The group did get better in the second half, though. Grade: C- Receivers Wallace had the play of the game, taking a short pass and turning it into a touchdown down the left sideline. Rashod Bateman (six catches for 54 yards) came up with clutch receptions, including the game-winner, and so did tight end Mark Andrews, who had six catches for 68 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. They came up with crucial receptions against a secondary that was as inept as the Ravens’. Grade: B Defensive line Tackle Nnamdi Madubuike had five tackles and three sacks, and he worked over Bengals guards Cordell Volson and Alex Cappa. The Bengals missed left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., out with a knee/fibula injury, and the Ravens consistently beat his replacement, Cody Ford. The Ravens shut down Cincinnati’s running game, which had only 49 yards on 16 attempts. Grade: A- While the Ravens’ secondary was dreadful, Odafe Oweh and the linebackers were better against the Bengals. (Staff) Linebackers Outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh kept consistent pressure on quarterback Joe Burrow, even though Burrow threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns. Oweh had four pressures and Van Noy had one, but he made Burrow move in the pocket. Middle linebacker Roquan Smith led the Ravens in tackles with 12 and weakside linebacker Trenton Simpson had seven. Grade: B- Secondary The Ravens don’t have a shutdown cornerback. They continue to give up the middle of the field and don’t have an enforcer at safety who makes receivers pay for catches over the middle. Safety Marcus Williams continues to take bad pursuit angles after receptions, and the Ravens played off receivers despite knowing Burrow was going to feast on short passes. Ja’Marr Chase had 11 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns, including a 70-yarder with 5:37 left in the game. If Cincinnati had receiver Tee Higgins, who was out with a quad injury, the Ravens might have lost. Grade: F Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens rally past Bengals for stunning 35-34 victory Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 35-34 win over Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton injures ankle in win over Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 35-34 win Special teams Justin Tucker didn’t attempt a field goal, but he missed an extra point attempt after Wallace’s 84-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter. That’s hard to believe. Tucker has missed several field goal attempts this year, and the extra point try was wide left. Jordan Stout averaged 46.2 yards on five punts and placed two inside the 20-yard line. The Ravens finally recovered an onside kick late in the game, an area they have surprisingly struggled in this season. Grade: B Coaching Coach John Harbaugh blew a challenge on a short pass early in the game and wasted another early timeout to prevent a penalty for 12 men on the field, which cost the Ravens a chance to score late in the first half. Offensively, the Ravens were out of sync for most of the first half. Defensively, they have struggled all season, and it was the same Thursday as the Bengals had nearly 500 yards of total offense. Whatever the Ravens have tried defensively, it’s not working, even though the personnel is similar to a year ago when the team had one of the best defenses in the NFL. Regardless of playing a divisional game on a short week, the outcome shouldn’t have been this close. Grade: C- Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

The NFL’s best offense and its two-time and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player could only be contained for so long. It took more than a half of football, but the Ravens and Lamar Jackson finally woke up Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium. Faced with a 14-point third-quarter deficit — their largest of the season — Jackson put together four straight touchdown drives to lead Baltimore to a wild 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in a key AFC North showdown. That included what ended up being the game-winner with 1:56 remaining, as Jackson connected with wide receiver Rashod Bateman on a 5-yard touchdown pass to cap an 11-play, 70-yard drive and lift Baltimore to its seventh victory in its last eight games and a season sweep of the Bengals. Jackson finished 25-for-33 for 290 yards and four touchdown passes, giving him 24 on the season and tying him with Burrow for the most in the NFL. Even with that performance, though, it took Baltimore’s bend-but-don’t-break defense hanging on by the narrowest of margins in the end. Down seven inside the final two minutes, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (34-for-56 passing, 428 yards, four touchdowns) drove Cincinnati 70 yards in nine plays with Ja’Marr Chase making a leaping 5-yard touchdown grab in the back corner of the end zone with 42 seconds left to pull the Bengals within one. Cincinnati opted to go for a 2-point conversion to take the lead, but Burrow’s pass — during which he took a questionable hit to the helmet — to tight end Tanner Hudson was too high, and Baltimore recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal it. The victory improves the Ravens to 7-3 and keeps them within reach of the first-place 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Bengals fall to 4-6 and face a long road to making the playoffs. For a while, though, it looked like Baltimore’s offense had finally run out of momentum. With the Ravens down 21-7 after Burrow hit Chase on a 67-yard touchdown early in the third quarter, cornerback Marlon Humphrey stripped running back Chase Brown on the Bengals’ next possession, linebacker Roquan Smith recovered and the Ravens took over at Cincinnati’s 31-yard line. The defensive stand energized the crowd, which was booing the poor offensive performance earlier in the game, and the offense came back to life. Jackson hit Bateman for 8 yards, Henry shot through the defense for 11 and then Jackson does what he does better than any quarterback in the league. On a second-and-9 from the 11, he waited and waited for someone to come open. No one did. He was chased out of the pocket, backtracked to the 32-yard line, then juked, weaved and tip-toed to the 1-yard line, setting up a Henry plunge to cut the deficit to 21-14 midway through the third quarter. Baltimore took even less time to score on its next possession. After stopping the Bengals on third down to force a punt, the Ravens got the ball on their own 8 early in the fourth quarter and needed just three plays to go 92 yards, with Tylan Wallace covering 84 of them after catching a short pass from Jackson, narrowly staying in bounds while avoiding several tackles and then racing down the left sideline for the longest touchdown pass of Jackson’s career. The only problem? Justin Tucker, who entered the game 498-for-504 on extra point attempts, missed the ensuing kick, leaving Baltimore trailing 21-20. It was only a momentary blip. Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman catches the game-winning touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter. (Staff) On the Ravens’ next series, Jackson drove Baltimore 65 yards in seven plays, capping the series with a short pass to Andrews for an 18-yard touchdown. Then Jackson raced around the left side of the line and into the end zone on a 2-point conversion, putting the Ravens up 28-21 with less than six minutes remaining. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 35-34 win over Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton injures ankle in 35-34 win over Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 35-34 win Baltimore Ravens | Ravens activate RB Keaton Mitchell ahead of game vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals staff picks: Who will win Thursday’s game in Baltimore? The Bengals shot right back, with Chase again getting behind the defense on a 70-yard bomb to tie the game. Chase finished the game with 11 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns. Chase finished with 457 receiving yards against Baltimore in their two meetings, the most by any wide receiver against one team in a single season. But the Ravens answered right back with Jackson’s touchdown to Bateman. It was a momentous turnaround from a first half in which Jackson threw for just 71 yards and a touchdown. The rushing attack also never got going, with Derrick Henry getting just six carries for 22 yards in the opening 30 minutes. But Henry finished with 16 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown, giving him at least one score in all 10 games as a Raven. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh pressures Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during the first quarter Thursday night. (Staff) View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Thursday night’s Week 10 game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: C.J. Doon, editor: Leave it to Lamar Jackson to pull this team out of the fire. Or maybe we should credit Marlon Humphrey first? With the Ravens trailing by two touchdowns at home for the first time in three years, the veteran cornerback harkened back to his old “Fruit Punch” days and ripped the ball from running back Chase Brown’s hands to give the Ravens possession. Four plays later, Jackson pulled another Houdini act in the backfield, escaping a crowd of defenders and tight-roping down the sideline to set up Derrick Henry for a 1-yard touchdown plunge. It was reminiscent of his wild TD pass to Isaiah Likely against these same Bengals earlier this season, when he dropped the ball before putting Sam Hubbard on a poster with a pair of stiff arms. Who else in the NFL can do what he does? Not to be outdone, Jackson connected with Tylan Wallace for a ridiculous 84-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter that included 78 yards after the catch — 77 more than expected given the location of the defenders on the field, per Next Gen Stats. It was, surprisingly, the longest pass of Jackson’s career, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Shades of Wallace’s game-winning punt return touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams last year on that play, too. And how about Jackson going back to Bateman for the game-winning touchdown after a missed connection in the end zone on the previous play? That’s a level of trust that should put some chemistry concerns to bed, at least for a little while. That’s the thing about these Ravens: They are maddeningly inconsistent, capable of stunning heroics and stunning mistakes. We can’t ignore how poorly they played at times. The offense looked out of sorts early, committing several penalties that put them behind the sticks, and the defense failed to cover the middle of the field all night. Safety Marcus Williams got cooked on not one but two long touchdowns by Ja’Marr Chase, raising more concerns about his play entering the second half of the season — especially if Kyle Hamilton is out for an extended period with his ankle injury. (Chase has 457 receiving yards against the Ravens this season, the most by any player in a season against any team in NFL history.) The Ravens’ defense struggling is nothing new, but the offense having trouble finding any rhythm is a bit of a shock. This is an offense that, through nine games, was on par with the 2007 Patriots and 2018 Chiefs in terms of efficiency, according to DVOA. And yet we heard boo birds from the M&T Bank Stadium crowd in the second half after another failed series ended with a declined penalty. That’s pretty remarkable. Of course, such consternation was premature. Leave it to Jackson to make more than defenders look silly. Tim Schwartz, editor: Thursday night games tend to be a bit of a mess. This one was for all kinds of reasons, but it turned into one of the most entertaining games of the year. A defensive slugfest in the first half gave way to an offensive shootout in the second with Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, perhaps the NFL’s two best quarterbacks right now, putting on clinics. The defenses? Woof. Tylan Wallace took a short throw 84 yards to the house for the longest touchdown pass of Jackson’s career. Ja’Marr Chase got behind every Ravens defender twice for long scoring catches. But Jackson simply never blinked in this one. Down 14 in the second half, he took advantage of a key turnover with a much-needed touchdown drive, then got a play from an unlikely hero. With the game tied late, Jackson calmly put together the game-winning drive, capping it with a 5-yard score to Rashod Bateman. This offense is dominant right now. If the defense (and, uh, special teams) can be even league average, this is going to be a tough team to beat. But their ceiling is so high because this defense was the league’s best last year. Something needs to change in the defensive backfield, but they have Superman at the top of his game playing quarterback. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens rally past Bengals for stunning 35-34 victory Baltimore Ravens | Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton injures ankle in 35-34 win over Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 35-34 win Baltimore Ravens | Ravens activate RB Keaton Mitchell ahead of game vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals staff picks: Who will win Thursday’s game in Baltimore? Bennett Conlin, editor: It’s a shame these teams only play twice each season because Joe Burrow vs. Lamar Jackson is appointment viewing. The Ravens’ offense woke up in the fourth quarter after a sluggish start. Lamar Jackson hit Tylan Wallace — among the unlikeliest of targets in an offense filled with an endless array of offensive weapons — for an 84-yard touchdown to open the quarter. Wallace made several tacklers miss on the sideline, turning a short throw into the longest pass of Jackson’s career. Baltimore desperately needed its offense to come to life because Joe Burrow and the Bengals found plenty of passing success. The Ravens have been unable to slow teams down when they’re passing over the middle, and Thursday was no different. Burrow took checkdowns when he had them, and he found guys like Ja’Marr Chase all over the place. Chase had a 67-yard touchdown reception and later a 70-yard touchdown catch, finishing with 264 receiving yards and three scores. Still, Jackson and the Ravens answered every time. The two-time MVP quarterback got lucky when a near-interception hit the turf on the team’s game-winning drive, but even the greatest players benefit from luck sometimes. Jackson did what was needed to win the game. With Baltimore’s defense, a lot was needed. Jackson delivered. John Harbaugh’s team still has major defensive woes. An injury to Kyle Hamilton depletes the weak secondary — the Ravens need him back healthy as quickly as possible. Until the pass defense improves, Baltimore will rely on its offense to win games. Through 10 games, that strategy seems good enough to at least contend for the AFC North. View the full article

Ravens star safety Kyle Hamilton was ruled out of Thursday night’s prime-time game against the visiting Bengals after he suffered a right ankle injury late in the first half. Hamilton appeared to step awkwardly on tight end Mike Gesicki’s foot as he dropped back in coverage. He wasn’t down long before limping off the field under his own power. The defensive leader and 2023 All-Pro went directly into the medical tent and then the locker room, and Prime Video sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung reported that Hamilton went to the X-ray room. Cincinnati scored five plays later to take a 14-7 lead into the break. In the second half, Hamilton returned to the sideline in street clothes while wearing a boot on his right foot. With 67 total tackles and five pass deflections, Hamilton has been one of the most productive Ravens defenders. He dropped a would-be game-winning interception against Cleveland but in the two games since, has batted down two passes and rebounded fairly well, including a 10-tackle outing against the Denver Broncos. He had four tackles and two passes defended before exiting Thursday night. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals live updates: Baltimore gets 84-yard TD, trails 21-20 in 4th quarter Baltimore Ravens | Ravens activate RB Keaton Mitchell ahead of game vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals staff picks: Who will win Thursday’s game in Baltimore? Baltimore Ravens | Roquan Smith has struggled this season. The Ravens aren’t concerned. Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals Week 10 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore’s defense, which ranks last in the NFL in pass coverage, has had a rotating cast of safeties start next to Hamilton this season. Marcus Williams was benched for Ar’Darius Washington against Cleveland but returned a week later, making Eddie Jackson a healthy scratch. Against Cincinnati, Jackson appeared to be back in the mix. The Ravens will have to rely on the uncertainty of that rotation with Hamilton sidelined for at least the remainder of the night. His loss was evident early in the second half, however, as Ja’Marr Chase caught a pass over the middle and raced 67 yards past Williams and the rest of the secondary for a touchdown to give the Bengals a 21-7 lead. Hamilton said on Tuesday about playing on a short week: “I think it’s a physical thing, obviously, but it’s a big mental thing as well — trying to get the game plan as tight as possible before Thursday. The team [that] brings the most energy usually wins these games.” This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

The Ravens (6-3) and the Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) face off on “Thursday Night Football” in a pivotal matchup between AFC North rivals at M&T Bank Stadium. Led by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, Baltimore has won six of its past five games to keep pace with the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers. After an 0-3 start, the Bengals have won four of their past six to stay in playoff contention. The 8:15 p.m. game will be broadcast on Prime Video but will also be on television locally on ABC. Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit will be on the call with Kaylee Hartung as the sideline reporter. Follow along here for live coverage and analysis. View the full article

Keaton Mitchell is back. The Ravens are expected to activate the explosive second-year running back from the physically unable to perform list on Thursday afternoon, hours ahead of their prime-time game against the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium, according to a source with direct knowledge of the move. Mitchell hasn’t played since last December when he suffered a torn ACL in a game against the Jaguars in Jacksonville. He returned to practice Oct. 23 and Baltimore had 21 days to add him to the roster or he would have reverted to season-ending injured reserve. An undrafted free agent out of East Carolina who rushed for 396 yards and two touchdowns on 47 carries and caught nine passes for 93 yards in eight games last season before getting injured, Mitchell was wearing a brace on his surgically repaired left knee when he initially returned but quickly shed the apparatus and has looked good in practice, according to teammates. “It’s great to have him back out there,” quarterback Lamar Jackson said last week. “I told him earlier; he caught a little small pass, he took off. I’m like, ‘You’re starting to look like last year’s Keaton.’” Mitchell’s return also adds another dimension to what is already the NFL’s top rushing attack. Running back Derrick Henry leads the league in rushing yards (1,052) and rushing touchdowns (11). Jackson’s 505 yards on the ground also lead all quarterbacks, and Baltimore’s 1,727 rushing yards are 252 more than the next closest team, the Commanders. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals staff picks: Who will win Thursday’s game in Baltimore? Baltimore Ravens | Roquan Smith has struggled this season. The Ravens aren’t concerned. Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals Week 10 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ready to go, TE Isaiah Likely out vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals scouting report for Week 10: Who has the edge? How much and how the Ravens plan to use the 5-foot-9, 181-pound Mitchell, however, remains to be seen. They also have Justice Hill (119 rushing yards, 272 receiving), who has been a dependable third-down change-of-pace back. It’s possible they could also look to use Mitchell on kick returns. The Ravens also waived veteran outside linebacker Yannick Ngakoue earlier Thursday, clearing a spot on the roster for Mitchell, though they hope to re-sign the 29-year-old former Terps star to their practice squad should he clear waivers. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Thursday night’s Week 10 game between the Ravens (6-3) and Bengals (4-5) at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: C.J. Doon, editor Ravens 31, Bengals 22: This is a fascinating inflection point on the Ravens’ schedule. Win this game, and the AFC North title remains well within reach for Baltimore while forcing Cincinnati to go 5-2 or better down the stretch to have a shot at competing for a playoff berth. Lose, and the division race gets even tighter while dropping the Ravens into a potentially crowded field of wild-card contenders. Those are the stakes you hope for entering every prime-time game. While the Bengals are a scary matchup with the way Joe Burrow is playing, the likely absence of wide receiver Tee Higgins makes this game a lot more manageable for the Ravens’ defense. Tight end Mike Gesicki has emerged of late and the addition of running back Khalil Herbert from the Bears is a nice complement to impressive second-year back Chase Brown, but the Ravens will have a healthy secondary and trade deadline acquisition Tre’Davious White to help out in coverage. Even if Burrow stays hot, it’s going to be difficult for the Bengals and their poor defense (25th in DVOA) to outscore Lamar Jackson and company. Could this be the game Diontae Johnson makes an impact? Zay Flowers’ emergence could draw more attention from the Bengals’ defense, and the absence of tight end Isaiah Likely could open up opportunities in the passing game if the Ravens prefer to go with more three- and four-wide receiver sets. Running back Keaton Mitchell is also an interesting wrinkle if he’s deemed healthy enough to make his season debut. The Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase connection is good enough to keep the Bengals in it, but Baltimore simply has too much firepower and should handle business at home. Tim Schwartz, editor Ravens 38, Bengals 34: Another high-scoring game, you say? Of course. That’s the Baltimore way. The Ravens have flipped their script, becoming the league’s offensive juggernaut while their defense has largely flopped. But the NFL’s best defense from a year ago has an opportunity to show Sunday’s positive performance against the Broncos is the start of their turnaround by facing the Bengals and Joe Burrow for a second time. Burrow has lit up Baltimore’s defense throughout his career, including a five-touchdown performance a month ago, but it looks like there’s a good chance he’ll be without Tee Higgins in this one. We know Lamar Jackson will make plays in the passing game, but the key for me is Derrick Henry. If the Ravens can get him going early and play a balanced game, control some clock and prevent Burrow and company from dominating the time of possession, I like their chances at improving to 7-3 and all but ending Cincinnati’s hopes of winning the AFC North. Bennett Conlin, editor Ravens 34, Bengals 28: For NFL fans, this is a dream “Thursday Night Football” matchup. Two of the best quarterbacks square off after playing a high-scoring thriller in Cincinnati a few weeks ago, with the Ravens winning that game, 41-38, in overtime. Joe Burrow threw five touchdown passes, while Lamar Jackson threw four and eclipsed 400 total yards. Can either middling defense stop the other superstar quarterback this time? I’m not banking on it. While I don’t see the teams combining to score 79 points this time, it’ll be hard for either defense to consistently get the other off the field. The Ravens won the first matchup, and home-field advantage should add a slight edge for Baltimore in the second meeting between division rivals. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Four days before the Ravens’ blowout win over the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, Baltimore’s defensive maharishi and All-Pro inside linebacker Roquan Smith noted that the group was keeping “receipts” on all the “outside noise.” “We’re going to be perfectly fine,” he continued with the assembled media. “We’ll look back at this interview pretty soon, and you’ll be like, ‘You were right.’” Maybe. Maybe not. While the Ravens cruised to a 41-10 win over the Broncos, it hardly signaled the revival of a defense that has been one of the NFL’s worst after just a season ago being historically dominant. For one, Denver’s record had been forged in large part because of its stout defense that also benefitted from playing the second-easiest schedule in the NFL, according to defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA). For another, defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s unit still surrendered large chunks of turf all over the field to the Broncos and has consistently been one of the worst against the pass all season. In the first half Sunday, rookie quarterback Bo Nix had completions of 19, 26, 33, and 34 yards and juked out Smith on a 15-yard scamper up the middle. Down 31-10 after the Ravens scored on the opening series of the second half, however, Denver was forced into more predictable passing situations and only managed two long plays through the air. Notably, though, Smith again struggled, particularly against the pass with a 49 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, marking the fifth time this season he has failed to crack a rating of at least 50 in a game. After performing at an All-Pro level each of the past two seasons, Smith, whom the Ravens acquired in a trade with the Chicago Bears midway through the 2022 season and later signed to a five-year, $100 million deal to make him the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the NFL, hasn’t come close to achieving the same level — or even being particularly good. On the surface, his 85 tackles are the fifth-most in the NFL, but digging just only a little deeper, the numbers have been head-scratching and his play concerning. Through the first nine games of this season, Smith is ranked 59th overall out of 83 qualifying linebackers, according to PFF, is surrendering 9.4 yards per target and allowing the most expected points added among linebackers, per TruMedia. While Smith’s run defense has mostly been strong, he ranks 67th in coverage and has allowed the third-most yards receiving among linebackers at 343, with 229 of those coming after the catch. So, what gives? “We’ve had a lot of conversations,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We talk all of the time every day. We talk about plays, specifically — and I’m talking about plays in practice — we talk in the meeting room, we talk about how we’re handling a coverage or a rush, or how we’re handling a play. Those are all of the little detailed conversations that you have all of the time. “You also have some big-picture conversations, too, about how can we get better. What do we need to do? What are we missing? What are we doing well? With your leaders, you have those conversations.” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith hasn’t played to his usual elite standards through the first nine games of the season. (Staff) So far, there haven’t been a lot of clear answers for the Ravens’ on-field play caller. Against the Broncos, Smith had just three tackles, which was three fewer than his previous season low. For the year, he’s giving up just over 2 yards per completion and 1.3 yards per target compared with a year ago. Part of the reason could be scheme. When Baltimore has been in a Cover 2 look, Smith and fellow inside linebacker Trenton Simpson have often dropped well back into a soft zone, thus limiting their speed and aggressiveness to the ball in a bend-but-don’t-break approach. Other times, though, like on Nix’s scramble on third-and-5 from the Ravens’ 36-yard line in the second quarter, Smith bit badly on a pump fake and was left in the quarterback’s wake, nary getting a hand on him as he made one cut and ran by him. The game against Denver marked the fifth time this season that Smith finished with fewer than 10 tackles in a game. One consistent issue has been communication. But how are the Ravens fixing it? “As a team and as having Ro as our leader, we’ve spent more time on the back seven watching more film together with just players,” Simpson said. “We got all the talent and coaching staff putting the game plans into place, but just as players and teammates we have to be on the same accord and on the same page.” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith, left, is confident the defense can fix its issues in the second half of the season. (Staff file) The same issues — along with execution — have echoed throughout the secondary as well, all of it interconnected. “We’ve been searching,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “It’s bad when what you’re being coached. … If you don’t have it to the T, that’s what’s kind of hurting us. “We’ve talked about doing your 1-of-11. So many times this year, just one guy is not exactly where he’s supposed to be, and that’s where it’s been hit.” Often, where it has hit has been in the middle of the field, or where Smith roams. That will likely be the case again on Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium against the AFC North rival Bengals. When the teams met last month in Cincinnati, the Ravens won a wild 41-38 shootout in overtime. A similar consequence could emerge if Baltimore can’t protect the middle and shallow areas of the field, an area where the Bengals excel. Quarterback Joe Burrow has been stellar on throws inside 10 yards, completing 122 of 145 for 948 yards and 10 touchdowns with one interception. Over the middle in that range, he is 70-for-85 for 567 yards with five touchdown passes, and between 10 to 20 yards in the middle is 17-for-28 for 362 yards and two scores. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals Week 10 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ready to go, TE Isaiah Likely out vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals scouting report for Week 10: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Is Zay Flowers officially the No. 1 wide receiver the Ravens have longed for? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens acquire CB Tre’Davious White in trade with Rams to bolster secondary Put another way, pressure will again be put on Smith. Not that anyone — including the man who delivers the team’s fiery pregame speech after warmups every game, nor the team’s coach — seems to be worried. “It’s a process through the whole season to get better at everything,” Harbaugh said. “It seems to be an expectation that you’re going to be perfect at everything — every aspect of your game — from the first game to the last game to the end. … It’s just not reality. “We understand that we can get better. We work hard to get better every single day at every single thing we do. … You face challenges, [and] you face circumstances, and you meet them as you find them; you meet them where they’re at. You meet your circumstances where they’re at.” For the Ravens, in many ways, that begins and ends with Smith. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

When the Ravens and Bengals met earlier this season, they played an overtime thriller. Defense was optional. But Baltimore prevailed, 41-38, in part because its defense showed up in the final moments. Marlon Humphrey’s interception of Joe Burrow helped force overtime and propelled the Ravens to a divisional victory. Thursday night’s game once again pits Burrow vs. Lamar Jackson, and the two quarterbacks are among the hottest in the NFL. Jackson is coming off posting a perfect passer rating — going 16 of 19 for 280 yards and three touchdowns against the Denver Broncos — while Burrow threw for for 251 yards and five touchdowns in a 41-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. With each team’s defense struggling, it’s no surprise betting oddsmakers list the over/under total above 50 points. Baltimore, playing at home and sitting above Cincinnati in every relevant power ranking, is the clear betting favorite. What are the odds? The Ravens are favored for the ninth consecutive game, as they’ve only been an underdog in the season opener against the undefeated Chiefs. Spread: Ravens -6 1/2 points (FanDuel) Total: 53.5 points Moneyline: Ravens -255, Bengals +210 Baltimore is 5-3-1 against the spread this season, and eight of the team’s nine games have gone over the projected point total. The Bengals are 5-4 against the spread, and six of their nine games have gone over the total. Cincinnati has performed well away from home, going 4-0 against the spread in road games. Detroit (4-0) and Atlanta (3-0) are the only other teams undefeated against the spread in road games this year. Points, points and more points? The first meeting between these teams featured 79 combined points. While matching that total feels challenging, the over is my favorite bet of the week. Baltimore ranks first in offensive DVOA, as the Ravens have one of the best offenses in franchise history. They’ve yet to score fewer than 20 points in a game this season, reaching 30 or more in five of their nine games and eclipsing 40 points three times. Cincinnati boasts a dangerous offense, too, ranking 10th in offensive DVOA and scoring 30 points in four of nine games. Burrow threw for 392 yards and five touchdowns in the first meeting, with the Ravens having no answers for wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins (who is doubtful to play Thursday with a quadriceps injury). I’m skeptical the Ravens’ defense will find those answers this week, although Ravens coach John Harbaugh is holding out hope this game might follow a different script. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ready to go, TE Isaiah Likely out vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals scouting report for Week 10: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Is Zay Flowers officially the No. 1 wide receiver the Ravens have longed for? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens acquire CB Tre’Davious White in trade with Rams to bolster secondary Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from practice Tuesday but will play Thursday vs. Bengals “You never how it’s gonna play out,” Harbaugh said Tuesday. “I’m excited for all three phases of our team to play their best, play their hardest.” Jackson tallied 403 total yards and four touchdowns in the Ravens’ win. Will Cincinnati’s defense slow down Jackson, Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers? Most defenses haven’t come close. “We already know we’ve just got to score points,” Jackson said Tuesday. “That’s our job, and that’s been the conversation all season long. We have to score points. With warm weather and minimal winds expected, can anyone slow down these two star quarterbacks? Best bet: Over 53 points (BetMGM) Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is ready to face the Cincinnati Bengals despite continuing to nurse a knee injury, while tight end Isaiah Likely will miss Thursday night’s AFC North showdown because of a hamstring injury. The Bengals, meanwhile, will likely be without No. 2 wide receiver Tee Higgins, who caught nine passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns when the division rivals met Oct. 6 in Cincinnati. Higgins, listed as doubtful on Wednesday’s injury report, is dealing with a quadriceps injury. Two other key starters, defensive tackle B.J. Hill (rib) and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (knee/fibula), are questionable to face the Ravens. Returner Charlie Jones is doubtful with a groin injury. Jackson did not practice Tuesday but was listed with no injury designation for the Bengals game. Coach John Harbaugh had already said he would start. Jackson also missed two practices last week because of knee and back injuries but finished with a perfect passer rating in Sunday’s 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos. He has said he’s simply trying to rest his body as he navigates a grueling season in which he’s a leading candidate to win a third NFL Most Valuable Player award. He will miss one of his favorite red zone targets in Likely, who caught two touchdown passes in the Ravens’ previous win over the Bengals. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals Week 10 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bengals scouting report for Week 10: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Is Zay Flowers officially the No. 1 wide receiver the Ravens have longed for? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens acquire CB Tre’Davious White in trade with Rams to bolster secondary Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from practice Tuesday but will play Thursday vs. Bengals Defensive end Brent Urban (concussion) was also listed as out on the final injury report of the week. The Ravens will likely elevate defensive end Chris Wormley and possibly nose tackle Josh Tupou to cover for Urban’s absence and that of defensive tackle Michael Pierce, who’s on injured reserve. In good news for the defensive line, Travis Jones (ankle) was upgraded to a full participant on Wednesday’s estimated injury report and does not carry an injury designation for the Bengals game. Cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis is doubtful for Thursday’s game after being limited in practice all week by a knee injury. Running back Rasheen Ali, an option to return kickoffs after the Ravens released Chris Collier, was listed as questionable with an ankle injury but participated fully in practice Tuesday and Wednesday. Running back Keaton Mitchell was also listed as questionable as he prepares to return from the knee injury that cut short his 2023 season. Mitchell was a full practice participant all week, but the Ravens have until 4 p.m. Thursday to add him to their 53-man roster. If they don’t, he would likely be added next week, ahead of their Nov. 17 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

The Ravens ran away from the Broncos, 41-10. The Bengals blew out the Raiders, 41-24. Which of these AFC North rivals will have the edge when they meet Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium? Ravens passing game vs. Bengals pass defense Lamar Jackson finished with a perfect passer rating for the fourth time in his career against the Broncos, adding to a brilliant season in which he’s leading the league in passer rating, yards per attempt and ESPN’s QBR metric for all-around performance. He has taken just 13 sacks and thrown two interceptions in nine games, signs of how on-point he is even as he looks downfield more than almost any other elite quarterback. The Bengals tried to crowd the box on him in Cincinnati, and Jackson threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns, keeping the Ravens in the game as their defense flailed against a red-hot Joe Burrow. Wide receiver Zay Flowers, who caught seven passes for 111 yards in that 41-38 win, has emerged as a clear No. 1 target for Jackson in his second season. He surpassed 100 yards for the fourth time in five games against Denver and made the play of the game on a 53-yard catch-and-run touchdown just before halftime. Jackson torched the blitz-happy Broncos without even looking to tight end Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, who caught two passes between them. They combined for 10 catches in the previous matchup with Cincinnati, so look for them to play a significant role Thursday night, though Likely could be sidelined by a hamstring injury. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman dropped another pass in the win over Denver, while Diontae Johnson played a minimal role in his first game as a Raven. The Baltimore offensive line stabilized against the Broncos after a rough game in Cleveland and will need to keep Bengals edge rushers Trey Hendrickson (11 sacks, 22 quarterback hits) and Sam Hubbard (nine tackles and a sack against the Ravens in Week 5) out of Jackson’s face. Cincinnati blitzes on a modest 23.2% of dropbacks. How aggressive will defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo be after Jackson carved up his pressure looks in the previous meeting? The Bengals secondary, with Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner II at the corners and former Raven Geno Stone on the back end, is ripe for attack. Cincinnati ranks 26th in third-down defense and 27th in preventing touchdowns in the red zone. EDGE: Ravens Bengals passing game vs. Ravens pass defense Burrow lit the Ravens up for 392 yards and five touchdowns and is coming off another five-touchdown game against the Raiders. He’s right behind Jackson near the top of most passing metrics. His worst games have come against teams that put heat on him such as the Philadelphia Eagles and the Browns. But the Ravens have struggled to generate pressure with their four-man rush, especially since defensive tackle Travis Jones hurt his ankle. In the earlier matchup, Baltimore defensive coordinator Zach Orr could not tap into his predecessor Mike Macdonald’s formula for keeping Burrow off-balance, and the Ravens could not cover or tackle Ja’Marr Chase, who finished with 10 catches on 12 targets for 193 yards and two scores. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey did step in front of Chase for a crucial interception late in that game. The Bengals are dealing with a pair of significant injuries. Burrow’s No. 2 target, Tee Higgins, missed the Raiders game with a quadriceps injury. He caught nine passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns against the Ravens in Week 5, so his absence — the Bengals might have kept him out against Las Vegas to save him for Baltimore — would be significant. Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. also missed the Raiders game with a knee injury. If Brown can’t go against his former team, the Ravens would attack backup Cody Ford. The Ravens defended well on third and fourth down and in the red zone against Denver, though rookie quarterback Bo Nix missed throws that Burrow likely would have made. Orr is still searching for an optimal lineup. Safety Marcus Williams was back to playing almost every defensive snap against the Broncos after his one-week hiatus in Cleveland. Safety Eddie Jackson was inactive, and safety Ar’Darius Washington played well in an expended role. The Ravens need to squeeze more production from pass rushers Nnamdi Madubuike and Odafe Oweh. Madubuike had his best game of the season in Cincinnati with four tackles and a key late-game sack. They also need better work from cornerback Brandon Stephens, who had one of the worst games of his career against the Broncos. EDGE: Bengals Ravens running game vs. Bengals run defense The Bengals emphasized stopping Derrick Henry and did a good job of it until he broke a 51-yard run in overtime. Of course, that’s what makes Henry so dangerous; the job against the NFL’s leading rusher (1,052 yards, 6.3 per carry, 11 touchdowns) is never complete until the final whistle. Jackson carried a season-low three times for a season-low four yards against Denver after he missed two practices resting knee and back injuries. He seemed less inclined to take off than usual but didn’t need to risk it with the pass game clicking so efficiently. He carried 12 times for 55 yards in Cincinnati and remains the deadliest running quarterback in the league, averaging six yards per attempt. Ravens running-back Derrick Henry, center, runs against the Broncos in the third quarter. The Ravens defeated the Broncos 41-10 at M&T Bank Stadium. (Staff) The Bengals put eight or nine defenders in the box to keep the Ravens from running over them in Week 5, and they did hold the league’s top ground game below its usual per-game and per-carry averages. Cincinnati has limited opponents to 4.2 yards per carry, sixth-best in the league. Linebackers Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt are good run defenders as are Hendrickson and Hubbard on the edges, where Henry likes to work. But the Bengals’ worst defensive performances have come against teams — the Ravens, Eagles and Washington Commanders — that attacked them on the ground with multiple threats. EDGE: Ravens Bengals running game vs. Ravens run defense The Bengals don’t run often (26th in attempts) or well (24th in yards per carry). They gained just 71 yards on 23 carries against the Raves, and why did they need to run when Burrow was filling the sky with fireworks? Second-year running back Chase Brown (479 yards, 4.6 per attempt) has supplanted Zack Moss as the top option, and he did gouge the Raiders for 120 yards on 27 carries. Perhaps Bengals coach Zac Taylor will surprise by going right at the Ravens’ injury-depleted defensive front, which missed Jones (ankle), Brent Urban (concussion) and Michael Pierce (injured reserve) against the Broncos. Denver carried 30 times for 122 yards against the league’s top run defense. Defensive tackle Chris Wormley did a nice job filling in and will likely have to play against the Bengals given the quick turnaround. Linebacker Roquan Smith still leads the Ravens in tackles, but safety Kyle Hamilton has arguably surpassed him as the team’s most impactful run defender in recent weeks. Second-year linebacker Trenton Simpson played his best game of the season against Denver with nine tackles, two for loss. If the Bengals do try to attack on the ground rather than though the air, the Ravens would feel just fine about that. Ravens linebacker Trenton Simpson is improving as a rookie, with his best statistical game of the season coming last week against the Broncos. (Staff) EDGE: Ravens Ravens special teams vs. Bengals special teams Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Is Zay Flowers officially the No. 1 wide receiver the Ravens have longed for? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens acquire CB Tre’Davious White in trade with Rams to bolster secondary Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from practice Tuesday but will play Thursday vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 9: Ravens’ Lamar Jackson is speed running his G.O.A.T. case Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson the passer no longer needs Lamar Jackson the runner to dominate The Ravens avoided special teams follies against the Broncos, though kicker Justin Tucker ricocheted an extra point off the upright and through. Tucker made a clutch 56-yard field goal in Cincinnati to send the game to overtime but has not been himself this season, with four misses in 19 field goal attempts. The Ravens have also made too many mistakes in the return game, though they moved up to 19th in special teams DVOA with that solid performance in the win over Denver. Cincinnati ranks behind them at 21st in DVOA because of kicker Evan McPherson’s subpar performance (13-of-17 on field goals) and because of scant production on put returns. Rookie Ryan Rehkow is punting at a Pro Bowl level. EDGE: Even Ravens intangibles vs. Bengals intangibles Coach John Harbaugh’s Ravens have won three straight against the Bengals after Cincinnati owned them in 2021. Jackson’s availability is the real key; he’s 9-1 against the Bengals as a starter. The four-day turnaround to a Thursday night game is never fun, but at least the Ravens get to stay home and face an opponent they know well. They’re banged up on the defensive line but otherwise reasonably healthy at the midpoint of the season, and they’re coming off what Harbaugh called their best all-phases performance. The Bengals will come to Baltimore needing a win to stay near the playoff pack in the AFC. If they get it, they might even be back in the hunt for an AFC North title despite their 0-3 start. Burrow will certainly be confident he can move the ball against a Ravens pass defense that’s still trying to find its footing. Taylor’s teams have traditionally closed strong, so it’s no surprise the Bengals have won three of their last four, albeit against poor competition. EDGE: Ravens Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Inside the final 30 seconds of the first half on Sunday, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson dropped back in the pocket and flung a pass toward one of his trustiest receivers. Zay Flowers caught it, turned back, sidestepped and the whirling dervish sped up the sideline, pointing one finger toward the crowd as he coasted into the end zone. Jackson figured a Denver Broncos defender would pull Flowers right down. And NextGenStats expected Flowers to get maybe 4 yards after the catch. Instead, he managed 31 for his second touchdown in a 41-10 victory. Coach John Harbaugh gushed after the win about what it must be like to be so elusive. Within what they call a “pick-your-poison” offense, for an organization that had once been pining for a clear top receiver, Flowers looks primed to be a long-term WR1. “He’s one of a kind,” Jackson said. “He’s just that type of player — getting open, making guys miss after he catches the ball, scoring from anywhere on the field — that’s just him.” Despite a breakout 2023 season setting franchise rookie records in receptions and receiving yards, pundits pegged Flowers would perform outside of the top 30 receivers this year. NFL.com’s Adam Rank wrote him into his fifth tier at the position in July. And an anonymous ESPN preseason poll of executives, coaches and scouts forecasting the league’s top players at the position did not include Flowers. Now through nine weeks, the sophomore speedster is fifth in receiving yards behind some of the sport’s biggest stars: Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Garrett Wilson and CeeDee Lamb. That’s two All-Pros, two former rookies of the year and Baltimore’s nascent star, who Pro Football Focus has graded the league’s 10th-best receiver. Diontae Johnson, who joined Baltimore’s receiver room last week in a trade with the Carolina Panthers, was quickly impressed by Flowers’ versatility. “How he runs his routes kind of reminds me a little bit of me,” the former Pro Bowl wideout said. It’s little ticks and route-running nuances that Johnson said are a Florida thing. “His talent is unique,” Johnson said. “Not a lot of guys can do what he do. Just being able to see what everybody [has] been talking about is crazy ’cause you see the work he puts in.” Zay Flowers has surpassed 100 receiving yards in four of the Ravens’ past five games. (Staff) Flowers has four games this season with more than 100 receiving yards, and they have each come in the past five weeks. One more and he’ll tie Mark Andrews for the franchise record in a single season. Six more in a Ravens jersey and he’ll tie Andrews for the career record. In those five weeks, he leads the NFL in receiving yards (496) and yards after catch (232). Such production is a far cry from 2022 when Ravens receivers combined for a league-low 1,517 yards. Flowers is not alone in flipping the narrative. But he’s certainly the front-runner. According to football data scientist Sam Hoppen, the Ravens rank 20th in the NFL in combined target share of the top three players on each team. Flowers is handily leading among Jackson’s options, getting 27.3% of targets. As Jackson put it, “God blessed him with the ability to make guys miss.” Baltimore has drafted 12 receivers in the past decade. Nine of them are gone, namely Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who requested a trade after a 1,000-yard season in 2021 and netted the Ravens a first-round draft pick from the Arizona Cardinals. Meanwhile, Tylan Wallace has been a solid special teams returner but not much more. And Rashod Bateman, also a first-round draft pick, dealt with injuries his first two seasons but has cemented his place in the lineup with more consistent play. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens acquire CB Tre’Davious White in trade with Rams to bolster secondary Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from practice Tuesday but will play Thursday vs. Bengals Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 9: Ravens’ Lamar Jackson is speed running his G.O.A.T. case Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson the passer no longer needs Lamar Jackson the runner to dominate Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos The night Flowers was drafted with the 22nd pick, while wearing an all-black suit with sparkles christening the sleeves and gold-tinted glasses, he bowed his head trying to hear general manager Eric DeCosta through the phone. “I can’t think of a player that I’ve drafted that I feel as strongly about as you,” DeCosta told him. And Harbaugh added, “You’re our kinda guy.” It’s taken less than two full seasons for Flowers to vindicate such draft-night anticipation. “He’s just a product of maximizing his opportunities,” veteran receiver Nelson Agholor said. “Every time he touches it, he tries to make a big play.” Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

The Ravens’ NFL-worst pass defense got a little help Tuesday. Baltimore acquired cornerback Tre’Davious White, along with a 2027 seventh-round draft pick, from the Rams on Tuesday in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick, according to a source with direct knowledge of the move. The trade came just ahead of the NFL’s 4 p.m. deadline. White spent his first seven seasons in the league with the Buffalo Bills, was an All-Pro in 2019 and twice was selected to the Pro Bowl. After being released by the Bills in the offseason, he signed with the Rams. The 29-year-old former first-round pick out of LSU has played four games this season but was a healthy scratch the past three games. He has 12 tackles and two passes defended this season. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was absent from practice Tuesday after missing two practices last week. Jackson was not listed on an estimated injury report for the team’s walk-through Monday and gave no indication he was dealing with an illness or injury when he spoke to reporters afterward. He spoke as if he would start Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. When asked if he could get used to practicing just once a week, he said: “No. My guys are out there working, so I don’t [have a] problem with working. But you know, if that’s going [to] help me recover faster, yes, I’d be cool with it.” Jackson was listed with back and knee injuries last week but said he had been resting his body after he practiced on Friday in preparation for the Denver Broncos. He then played brilliantly in the game, completing 16 of 19 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-10 win. As a runner, Jackson carried a season-low three times for a season-low 4 yards, and he was asked Monday if he was protecting his body. “No I just didn’t feel like I had to,” he said. “Things were working in our favor. … Everything was just going our way, and I really didn’t have to run. [I had] only, I think, one scramble — I had to though — nobody was open, so that’s all.” Coach John Harbaugh has said Jackson might receive periodic rest days as the season goes on, though he also gave no indication Monday that Jackson might miss Tuesday’s practice. Harbaugh is scheduled to speak with reporters after practice Tuesday. Tight end Isaiah Likely also did not practice Tuesday because of a hamstring injury, increasing the likelihood that he won’t be ready to face the Bengals. Likely played just 17 offensive snaps and was targeted once Sunday. He was listed as a non-participant on the estimated injury report for the team’s Monday walk-through. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens acquire CB Tre’Davious White in trade with Rams to bolster secondary Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 9: Ravens’ Lamar Jackson is speed running his G.O.A.T. case Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson the passer no longer needs Lamar Jackson the runner to dominate Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ defense finds its ‘swagger,’ bounces back in win over Broncos “It’s something he’s dealing with,” Harbaugh said. “With the short week, we’ll just have to see how it works out here in the next couple of days.” Likely has caught 24 passes for 271 yards and scored two touchdowns in the Ravens’ Oct. 6 win in Cincinnati. if he’s out, Charlie Kolar, who had his best game of the season against the Bengals, could be in for a bigger role. Defensive end Brent Urban remains out after he suffered a concussion in the team’s Oct. 27 loss to the Cleveland Browns, while defensive tackle Travis Jones was still limited Monday by the ankle injury that kept him from playing any defensive snaps against Denver. With Michael Pierce on injured reserve, the Ravens might again need to elevate defensive end Chris Wormley and nose tackle Josh Tupou from the practice squad to fortify their defensive front against the Bengals. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Each week of the NFL season, The Baltimore Sun will recap the best and worst from around the league. Here are our winners and losers from Week 9: Winner: Lamar Jackson Greatest of all time? It’s not crazy. Yes, the Ravens’ star quarterback still hasn’t won a Super Bowl title. Tom Brady won seven in his 23 seasons, and Patrick Mahomes has already won three in his first eight. In this era of sports culture, rings will always matter most. But consider what Jackson has already accomplished at just 27 years old. He’s a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and the betting favorite to win a second straight MVP Award and third overall. He’s just 346 rushing yards away from passing Michael Vick for the most by a quarterback (6,109) in league history. He has a chance to pass for 4,500 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season, something no NFL quarterback — not even Jackson in his brilliant 2019 campaign — has ever come close to doing. In Sunday’s 41-10 win over the Broncos, Jackson threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns to record a perfect passer rating of 158.3 for the fourth time in his career. According to Pro Football Reference, that ties him with Otto Graham, Craig Morton, Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger for the most in their database. But, as noted by CBS, Jackson is the only player to do it four times with at least 15 passing attempts. What’s even more staggering is that Jackson accomplished the feat in his 86th career start. Manning (265), Roethlisberger (247), Tom Brady (333) and Kurt Warner (116) needed at least 100 starts to do it three times with at least 15 attempts. Jackson’s eventual G.O.A.T. case could be decided by MVP voting. Manning is the only five-time winner of the NFL MVP Award, claiming it for the final time in 2013 at age 37. He won his third at 32. Aaron Rodgers, a four-time winner, secured his third at 37. Tom Brady was 40, and Johnny Unitas was 34 when they won their third. Brett Favre won his third straight at 28, but he never finished higher than second in voting for the rest of his career. If Jackson continues on this pace, he’ll win a third MVP Award just after his 28th birthday on Jan. 7. There’s no telling how many more he might win over the next 10 years — if he chooses to play that long. At least on Sunday, he proved that he doesn’t need to run to be effective, rushing for just 4 yards on three carries. Given good health, a good team around him, a little luck and a few big postseason performances, Jackson could go down as the best ever. Of course, it wouldn’t surprise (perhaps prophetic) coach John Harbaugh. “The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson is going to become and be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the National Football League,” Harbaugh said in July. “That’s the vision. It’s going to happen by Lamar, his work ethic and his brilliant talent, by all of us pouring into that effort together as a team, and by the grace of God and God’s goodwill. That’s how it’s going to happen. And I believe it like we’ve already seen it.” He might be right. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, bottom, will miss several weeks with a hamstring injury. (Todd Kirkland/Getty) Loser: Dallas Cowboys Things are not going well in Jerry World. The weekend started with the Cowboys leaving Ezekiel Elliott at home as punishment for “habitual tardiness,” continuing what has been a disappointing reunion with the former star running back. On Sunday, Dallas fell to the Atlanta Falcons, 27-21, in a game that only looks close because of a garbage time touchdown drive led by backup quarterback Cooper Rush. Coach Mike McCarthy was seen on the sideline slamming a tablet after a botched coverage allowed Darnell Mooney to score an easy 36-yard touchdown. The Cowboys went 3-for-13 on third down and 1-for-5 on fourth down, including a failed fake punt and an end-around to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb that went nowhere. Now quarterback Dak Prescott is reportedly expected to miss several weeks with a hamstring injury he suffered Sunday, essentially removing all hope of Dallas competing for a playoff spot. With three straight losses, their longest streak since a four-game skid in 2020, the Cowboys are 3-5 heading into matchups against the Eagles, Texans and Commanders. “We have five losses and so we clearly understand where that puts us as far as what it will take,” McCarthy said. “We’ve got to get to winning.” No matter how this season ends, this is probably the end of McCarthy’s tenure in Dallas. While enjoying consistent regular-season success, including three straight 12-5 seasons, the Cowboys have failed to advance past the divisional round and have twice lost in the wild-card round under McCarthy. Now, with the roster in need of a rebuild, owner Jerry Jones no longer has any Super Bowl dreams to cling to. With Prescott and Lamb signed to big extensions and pass rusher Micah Parsons the next in line to get paid, a top-heavy roster has few avenues to improve. A high draft pick might be the only thing to look forward to. Near the end of Sunday’s game, TV cameras caught Prescott clearly mouthing the words “We [expletive] suck.” It’s a perfect encapsulation of a lost season for a team that generates more attention than its play on the field has ever deserved. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs and the Lions are on a roll. (Morry Gash/AP) Winner: Detroit Lions Next stop, New Orleans? The Lions look like the class of the NFC and the potential Super Bowl favorites after a 24-14 win over the division rival Green Bay Packers on Sunday. In its first outdoor game of the season, Detroit did not seem shaken by the sloppy conditions at Lambeau Field as quarterback Jared Goff completed 18 of 22 passes and David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 138 rushing yards — including a 15-yard touchdown run by Gibbs on fourth-and-1 to take a 24-3 lead in the third quarter. The Lions’ defense also overcame the second-quarter ejection of star safety Brian Branch for an illegal hit to the head, getting a 27-yard pick-six from safety Kerby Joseph and holding Green Bay to 3-for-12 on third down and a ghastly 1-for-4 in the red zone. Jordan Love threw for 273 yards and Josh Jacobs rushed for 95, but Green Bay’s 411-261 advantage in total yards didn’t translate to more points. While Detroit lost its biggest star in pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, its defense still has plenty of talent. Just look at Joseph, a 2022 third-round draft pick who has intercepted a pass in five of the past six games to tie Green Bay’s Xavier McKinney for the NFL lead at six. According to The Associated Press, Joseph became the first safety to intercept at least 14 passes through his first three seasons since Hall of Famer Ed Reed did it from 2002 to 2004. The Lions are now 7-1 for the first time since 1956, putting them in the driver’s seat for the top seed in the NFC, a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. But no matter the path, coach Dan Campbell said his team is “built to win.” “We’re supposed to be the dome team who can’t play outside,” Goff said. “We’re supposed to be the team that can only win one way. I think we’ve shown a handful of times we can win in multiple ways. We’re chameleons.” The Colts’ decision to start quarterback Joe Flacco, right, over Anthony Richardson did not provide a spark on Sunday night. (Stacy Bengs/AP) Loser: Indianapolis Colts Maybe Joe Flacco isn’t the answer after all. After a controversial decision to bench second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson and make Flacco the starter, the Colts’ offense was just as disappointing in a 21-13 loss to the Vikings on Sunday night. Flacco completed 16 of 27 passes for 167 yards with an interception, resulting in a 14.6 QBR that ranks worse than any number Richardson posted in his first six games this season. Coach Shane Steichen said Flacco “gives us the best chance to win right now” when he made the call last week, but that wasn’t the case Sunday as the Colts (4-5) produced season lows in offensive points (six), yards (227) and first downs (13). Minnesota boasts one of the league’s top defenses, but Flacco’s inability to evade pressure and his tendency to force throws into tight coverage against Brian Flores’ aggressive scheme did not help the offense stay ahead of the sticks. According to ESPN’s Mina Kimes, Indianapolis averaged minus-0.35 expected points added per play Sunday, their worst mark of the season. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson the passer no longer needs Lamar Jackson the runner to dominate Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ defense finds its ‘swagger,’ bounces back in win over Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Derrick Henry, setting records at age 30, is defying Father Time Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 41-10 win over Broncos There’s also the matter of what Richardson provides in the running game as a dual threat. It’s a small sample size, but Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has been much more effective with Richardson in the game than Flacco, and that was evident when Taylor rushed for just 48 yards on 13 carries against Minnesota. Richardson also throws downfield at a much higher rate, preventing defenses from crowding the line of scrimmage. If the Colts just wanted to sit Richardson for a game or two to give him a break — which might have been necessary after his strange decision to take himself out a Week 8 game against the Texans because he was tired — that’s understandable. His league-low 44.4% completion rate and seven interceptions were ugly. But Steichen seems committed to Flacco for the foreseeable future, perhaps to his detriment. While the 39-year-old veteran might end up keeping the Colts in the playoff race, it comes at the cost of valuable playing experience for a 22-year-old quarterback who has made a combined 23 starts thus far in college and the NFL. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Colts have a 37.2% chance to make the playoffs and a 9.7% chance to win the AFC South. Are those odds worth chasing with Flacco? The Colts need to know sooner than later whether their investment in Richardson with the fourth pick of the 2023 draft was worth it. They won’t learn anything with him on the bench. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

Amid all the shiny numbers that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson put up in Sunday’s blowout win over the Denver Broncos, one stood out for what he didn’t do. Jackson had just three carries for 4 yards. Only one of them came on a designed run. It was his second-lowest rushing total in 92 combined regular-season and playoff starts. He also came into the game having only practiced once during the week because of soreness in his back and legs and perhaps wasn’t looking to venture into harm’s way, especially after a physical loss to the Cleveland Browns the week before. But Jackson explained Monday evening that it was even simpler than that. “I just didn’t feel like I had to [run],” he said following the Ravens’ walk-through practice three days before a critical Thursday night showdown against the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. “Things were working in our favor.” Jackson finished 16 of 19 passing for 280 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, adding up to a perfect 158.3 passer rating and a 41-10 rout. It was another dominant performance by the reigning and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player that has him poised to win the award for a third time. It was also a microcosm of his season through the first nine games. Jackson is first in the NFL in passer rating (120.7), tied for second in passing touchdowns (20), tied for first in touchdown to interception ratio (10 to 1), second in passing yards (2,379), first in passing yards per attempt (9.3), first in touchdown rate (7.8%) and tops in first downs per pass attempt (44.7%). He also leads the league in expected points added per drop-back (0.35), per pass attempt (0.40) and per play (0.31) as well as pass completions longer than 15 yards. Consequently, Baltimore has the second-best EPA (expected points added) per game over the first nine games of a season since 2019, when Jackson took over as a starter, behind only the 2022 Kansas City Chiefs, who went on to win the Super Bowl. And, of course, Jackson is first in rushing yards (505) among quarterbacks, despite easily his lowest total of the season to date on Sunday. “Guys were getting open,” he said. “Guys were catching the ball. Line was protecting. Running backs were catching the ball; tight ends were. Everything was just going our way, and I didn’t really have to run.” Jackson is on pace for a career-high 4,494 passing yards. As a runner, he’s on pace for 954. If the latter sees an uptick, he could become the first player to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season. Lamar Jackson is having the best passing season of his career. (Staff) One big reason is big plays. For example, eight of Jackson’s 19 passes against the Broncos gained more than 15 yards. “Sometimes it’s a result of the play design,” coach John Harbaugh said. “Sometimes it’s Lamar extending the play and making stuff happen.” It’s unquestionably helped that this is the most potent collection of talent he’s ever had around him, from the NFL’s leading rusher Derrick Henry to wide receiver Zay Flowers, whose 654 yards are the fifth-most in the league, to tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely to one of the league’s top separators in receiver Rashod Bateman to speedy third-down back Justice Hill. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 9: Ravens’ Lamar Jackson is speed running his G.O.A.T. case Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ defense finds its ‘swagger,’ bounces back in win over Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Derrick Henry, setting records at age 30, is defying Father Time Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 41-10 win over Broncos “The game slowing down and me just me watching film [and] seeing a lot of blitzes and seeing different schemes of how a team [is] holding blitzes and trying to disguise stuff from me,” Jackson said. “With me just studying the bad plays as well [and] just studying and memorizing everything what I’m seeing [is] helping the process of the game for me. Everything’s just slowing down.” And with it, the Ravens are speeding by opponents, averaging the second-most points per game (31.4). They’ve also won six of their past seven. Now comes a rematch with the Bengals. When the two teams met in Cincinnati last month, Jackson threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns and the Ravens won a wild shootout in overtime, 41-38. They’ll likely need another similar performance — to the one he had then or the one he had this past Sunday. “He’s quarterbacking better than anybody in the league,” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said. “MVP, for sure.” Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. Week 10 Bengals at Ravens Thursday, 8:15 p.m. TV/Stream: ABC, Prime Video Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM Line: Ravens by 6 1/2 View the full article

The Orioles have five players who are free agents and three times as many who are eligible for arbitration. Ahead of free agency beginning Monday, tell us your thoughts on what this winter should look like for Baltimore. After you vote, tell us what you think by clicking the comments button and we might publish 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

Lamar Jackson played masterfully against the league’s No. 3 defense as the Ravens blew out the Denver Broncos, 41-10, to reassert their place near the top of the AFC. Here are five things we learned from the game: The Ravens made it known that they’re still in the AFC’s elite tier Last year, they made their emphatic, brutal statement in Week 7 against up-and-coming Detroit. The Lions came to Baltimore thinking their defense was pretty special and left on the wrong end of 503 yards, 38 points and a near-perfect performance by Lamar Jackson. The Ravens needed an extra two weeks, and an unexpected kick in the pants in Cleveland, to get to a similar moment in 2024. The Broncos did not come to town on quite as buzzy a roll as the 2023 Lions, but they are a team on the rise, led by a rapidly evolving rookie quarterback and a defense devoid of obvious weaknesses. This was a prove-it game for them to show they belong in the AFC’s upper class. Instead, they scuttled back to the Rocky Mountains nursing wounds to pride and person after the Ravens hung 41 points and 396 yards on the NFL’s No. 3 defense. We couldn’t call it a flawless performance. The Broncos moved the ball a little too freely in the first half when the result was still in question. But it was a game that helped sort the AFC’s pecking order at halftime of the 2024 season. The Ravens, for all their defensive and special teams foibles and their goofy losses to the Browns and Las Vegas Raiders, belong near the top. “We played our best, most complete game of the season so far,” coach John Harbaugh said. Executing their formula — Jackson’s precision passing against pressure, Zay Flowers’ brilliantly slippery playmaking, enough defensive stops on third down and in the red zone, Derrick Henry as second-half gavel — against the Broncos is not the same as doing it against the Kansas City Chiefs. That ultimate test still awaits the Ravens in the distant chill of January. They had little time to enjoy the laugher, turning their attention to a Thursday night matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals before the last game ball from Sunday’s win was handed out. They needed multiple miracles to get out of Cincinnati victorious in Week 5. AFC North opponents never seem to yield without a fracas. But they proved they could dictate the script against a quality opponent, and they kept the crowd at M&T Bank Stadium from having to cope with even a moment of real apprehension. Add this one to their thorough beatdown of the Buffalo Bills and their offensive explosion against Tampa Bay, and the Ravens can compete with anyone when it comes to big-time performances. Lamar Jackson looked like the MVP in putting a hot defense on ice Jackson introduced mystery to the week when he did not trot onto the practice field Wednesday or Thursday. Harbaugh said he was resting. The injury report said his knee and back hurt coming off 21 pressures in that vexing loss to the Browns. Jackson said all was well, that it was no more than a well-timed rest midway through a grueling season. But he gave us reason to wonder if he would be somehow diminished against one of the league’s top pressure defenses. Well, he carried a season-low three times for a season-low 4 yards on an afternoon when the Ravens did not need him to be a runner. Otherwise, he added more pristine stokes to a season that’s rapidly becoming his passing masterpiece. “Lamar’s on fire,” Harbaugh marveled into his headset at some point during the first half. What else to say when your quarterback came in with the league’s best passer rating and improved on it with the fourth perfect (158.3) game of his career? Jackson explained it all simply: “I knew what the assignment was.” “I was just taking advantage of what they were giving me.” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was nearly flawless Sunday against the Broncos. (Staff) That must be how it feels when you’re on top of your craft. He sidestepped defenders when necessary. Seemed to know exactly where his receivers would pop open. Dropped the ball to them perfectly with easy flicks of his wrist. Jackson had run for his life a week earlier in Cleveland, desperately seeking safe ground from which he could throw his team back into the game. His 11-for-12 first half against Denver felt almost casual by comparison. We’re seeing him in this mode more often in 2024. His feel for moving in space is as breathtaking as ever, but it’s in service of hyper-efficient passing that was not always part of his game when he burst on the NFL scene. “He didn’t have to,” Henry said of Jackson not running to beat Denver. “If you want to take away him running the ball, [he’ll] go over your head and throw it. If he has to run it, he’ll do that as well. Hats off to him. He’s the engine that makes this thing go.” “Lamar’s on fire,” was Harbaugh’s comment on one impeccable half, but it holds up just as well as a descriptor of the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player’s season to date. Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Joe Montana and Jim Brown are the only players to win back-to-back MVPs. We’re watching a sixth man make a powerful case to join their club. The Ravens’ offensive line regained its footing The Baltimore defense took most of the heat for that loss in Cleveland, but the Ravens’ offensive line also found itself back in the crosshairs after Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith rampaged for four quarters. It would be no easy feat to put that disappointment in the rearview against a Denver defense that came in with the second-highest blitz rate and second-most sacks in the league. The outlook felt bleaker still when Denver defensive end John Franklin-Myers overpowered rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten and sacked Jackson to knock the Ravens out of field goal range on their first drive. “I was just giving up ground a little quicker than I wanted to,” Rosengarten said. “That’s football for you. I gave up that play, and then it’s next-play mentality. You can’t let it carry over.” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson looks to pass as right tackle Roger Rosengarten blocks during Sunday’s win. (Staff) The same could be said for his entire unit coming off its collective step back against the Browns. But Rosengarten and his linemates did not continue giving ground. They steadied themselves and gave Jackson — who took just that one hit all afternoon — the time he needed to weave his magic. “[Denver has] a very good pass rushing group across the board,” Harbaugh said. “There was a challenge with the twist and the games and the picks that our interior guys had to handle. The speed rush outside guys — our tackles did a good job. I thought they did a really good job.” Because the Ravens’ offensive line became such a pleasant surprise after a wobbly first two weeks, it was easy to forget Rosengarten and right guard Daniel Faalele are major works in progress. They were inevitably going to have to work past hiccups, and that’s what we saw against Denver. “You can’t dwell on last week at all,” Rosengarten said. “I remember we got in the locker room last week, and we were like, ‘We’re all in on the Broncos.'” Before he left the stadium Sunday, the rookie was already talking about the mistakes he’ll clean up over the next eight games. The Ravens’ missing pass rush remains worrying The Ravens had the Broncos where they wanted them: third-and-10 on the Denver 30-yard line. With a stop, they’d take the ball back and be in position to build a commanding halftime lead. The home crowd begged for heat on rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Instead, Nix dropped back and looked, and looked some more, remaining unhurried and untouched until his favorite target, Courtland Sutton, burst free between layers of the Baltimore zone. Their 33-yard connection led to a field goal. Jackson rendered those points less relevant when he answered with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Flowers, but the Ravens’ inability to make an opposing quarterback uncomfortable on a key down was familiar and telling. They talk during the week about how pressure and coverage must work hand in glove. Then, the next game arrives, and their four-man rush fails to disrupt the opponent’s rhythms. Ravens outside linebacker Tavius Robinson, left, celebrates his sack with defensive end Broderick Washington above Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. (Staff) Nix left at least seven points on the field in the first half. His first pass of the game tipped off wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey’s hand and into the arms of Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington. He overshot a wide-open receiver in the end zone when Denver went for it on fourth-and-4 to start the second quarter. If he had been more opportunistic, this game could have been a shootout rather than a blowout. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta will try to put the finishing touches on a championship roster before Tuesday afternoon’s trade deadline, and nothing he saw against Denver should dissuade him from trying to add an impactful defender or two. Though their sack total for the season is healthy, the Ravens have not replaced Jadeveon Clowney’s snap-to-snap impact from the edge. Their interior line is banged up, and Nnamdi Madubuike has just two sacks and eight quarterback hits coming off his breakout 2023. Harbaugh was proud of his team’s stands in the red zone and on third and fourth down. He felt the defensive front kept Nix from scrambling to create scores. The Ravens got to the rookie more frequently once the game was out of hand. But Denver’s point total did not tell the complete story. The Ravens are winning because their offense might be historically great. They still have a long way to go on the other side of the ball. Zay Flowers’ touchdown just before halftime was as good as it gets In the euphoria of his postgame news conference, Harbaugh started listing the Ravens he’d like to be for just a day. He concluded with Flowers. “Could you imagine being able to catch it and run like that? To be that quick?” he said. “I can’t even imagine what that’s like.” He acknowledged that sometimes, he quietly pulls for Flowers to catch the ball and simply turn upfield for a few good, hard yards. Then, he sees his second-year wide receiver put a crackle in the air as he did against Denver, when he caught Jackson’s pass in the middle of the field, stopped dead in his tracks, stiff-armed safety Devon Key at the same time he backed out of his grasp and then looped around the rest of the Denver defense to score his longest touchdown of the season. It was an improvisation no coach could diagram. Only a player of uncommon imagination would attempt such a thing. When Flowers pulled it off, Harbaugh and every player on the Baltimore sideline basked in the sheer beauty of his gift. “The throw, the catch and then the little stop-and-stutter,” Harbaugh said. “Zay is thinking about scoring every time, so that was just a phenomenal football play.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: Should the Orioles re-sign Anthony Santander and/or Corbin Burnes? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ defense finds its ‘swagger,’ bounces back in win over Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Derrick Henry, setting records at age 30, is defying Father Time Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 41-10 win over Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson perfect, Ravens’ offense keeps rolling in 41-10 win over Broncos “God blessed him with the ability to make guys miss,” said Jackson, who knows the feeling. “It’s always been him. Going back to Broward County, back in youth football, he’s always been that player. Him catching a post pattern, making guys miss, and getting extra yards for a touchdown, that’s just him playing ball.” Flowers scored twice and cleared 100 yards for the fourth time in five games. He’s becoming the No. 1 receiver Jackson lacked over his first five seasons. But those are just digits. What he did on that 53-yard touchdown, bending time and space to the bewilderment of world-class defenders, was pure inspiration. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

The Ravens call it progress. Despite struggling at times and allowing 319 yards of total offense to rookie quarterback Bo Nix, the Ravens played better than a week ago when they surrendered 401 yards of offense to the Cleveland Browns. And then there is this little matter of the score. The Ravens were embarrassed in a 29-24 loss to Cleveland but routed the visiting Denver Broncos, 41-10, on Sunday before a crowd of 71,051 at M&T Bank Stadium. At this point, an inch of progress is important. A blowout win is even more vital. There was a difference in how the Ravens approached and played the Broncos on Sunday. Despite having a defensive line decimated by injuries, the Ravens were physical up front with both Chris Wormley and Josh Tupou, both activated from the practice squad for the game at the start of the week. As the game wore on, Nix became more frustrated and less effective. The former Oregon and Auburn standout and 2023 Heisman Trophy finalist completed 19 of 33 passes for 223 yards and finished with a passer rating of 65.6. The Ravens have had their struggles this season, but they didn’t have much trouble with Nix after early in the second quarter. “Well, you have to give the guys that we had available credit,” Ravens defensive lineman Broderick Washington said. “For us to come in here and play that good of an offense, it was tough, but we have the guys to get it done. Once we get it rolling, we’re tough to beat. “We prepare really well. We try our best to ignore the noise, but it got to us a little bit. We took that personally, so the result of the game speaks to that.” The Ravens did things differently compared with last week’s loss to the Browns. They were more aggressive in mixing and matching coverages. They inverted and rotated safeties and cornerbacks in an attempt to confuse Nix. They sometimes had seven players around the line of scrimmage, mixing in both zone and man-to-man coverage but also dropping one or two safeties. Free safety Marcus Williams, who was benched a week ago, was more aggressive near the line of scrimmage and finished with three tackles. It doesn’t sound like much, but it was his most aggressive showing of the 2024 season. Strong safety Kyle Hamilton finished with 10 tackles to lead the Ravens. Denver was 1 of 4 in the red zone, and the Broncos had to use an end around on a 2-yard pass to Nix to score on fourth down midway through the second quarter. Nix did miss a wide-open Troy Franklin in the end zone in the first half as the rookie wideout beat cornerback Arthur Maulet on a fourth-and-4 from the Baltimore 33. The Ravens weren’t perfect and had lapses, but it never burned them Sunday. “I thought the red-zone defense was amazing,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “I thought they did a great job in coverage. I thought our coverage did a great job the whole game. Bo is a really dangerous quarterback, as you all saw. He’s really hard to get down in the pocket. He was running around doing some things, and I thought our pass rush did a really nice job, especially in the red zone, of not letting them run out of there and score [on their] scrambling. “Kudos to the defense. Kudos to [defensive coordinator] Zach [Orr]. Kudos to all the coaches and the players. But you know what – Thursday night is right around the corner.” Ravens linebacker Trenton Simpson reacts after sacking Broncos quarterback Bo Nix in the fourth quarter Sunday. (Staff) The Ravens also had two of their regular cornerbacks available with Marlon Humphrey and rookie Nate Wiggins returning from injury. Humphrey is a veteran who matches up well with No. 3 receivers and tight ends. Wiggins has great speed and is strong and aggressive in press coverage. But the Ravens also saw strong efforts from two young players Sunday, both outside linebackers. Tavius Robinson had three tackles, two of those sacks. Trenton Simpson fished with nine tackles, including two for losses. He also knocked down a pass and had one quarterback pressure. “I think we finished strong,” Hamilton said. “We had a couple of opportunities to [allow] them to score down in the low red [zone]. We are kind of scarred by our past right now, and we’re not trying to give up anything at this point, so everybody had that mindset today. We did it for the most part.” Maybe the game will serve as a turning point for the Ravens. The players have heard the criticism of the defense in recent weeks. Going into Sunday’s game, the Ravens were ranked 25th in total defense, allowing 361.3 yards per game, and last in pass defense, allowing 291.4. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Derrick Henry, setting records at age 30, is defying Father Time Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 41-10 win over Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson perfect, Ravens’ offense keeps rolling in 41-10 win over Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 41-10 win over Denver Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos, November 3, 2024 | PHOTOS “We had swagger today,” Simpson said. “I feel like everybody celebrated. You saw when Ar’Darius [Washington] had the interception, everybody was excited. This is a team, and as a defense, I feel like just everybody coming together and being excited for each other allows it to be more contagious. When everybody makes a play, everybody is excited. I feel like today was a great display of what the future looks like this season for this team — offense, defense and special teams.” The Ravens have another challenge Thursday night in Baltimore when Cincinnati visits with quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The Bengals scored 38 points and put up 371 passing yards in the first meeting this season, which Baltimore won, 41-38, in overtime. “I’d say just attacking this week at practice, starting tomorrow,” Simpson said. “[We’ll] go home, get some rest tonight, ice up and wake up tomorrow getting ready to attack the Bengals [with a] focused mindset, put this game behind us and continue to get better.” Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

The massive jumbotrons behind either end zone at M&T Bank Stadium flashed to a tranquil Derrick Henry. Sitting on the bench having just come off the field, he raised his right hand toward the home crowd but didn’t so much as smirk as a graphic displayed beside him acknowledged his double-milestone day. He eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the seventh straight season, tying the second-longest streak in NFL history. He reached triple-digit career rushing touchdowns, now at 101, good for sole possession of eighth on the all-time list. “I give the credit to the guys who are blocking to make my job easier,” the always bashful Henry said after the Ravens trounced the Denver Broncos, 41-10. “All I have to do is just make my reads, get north to south and make the most out of the play.” Henry — who leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,052), rushing touchdowns (11) and rushing attempts (168) — is chasing more than his contemporaries. He’s quite possibly tracking toward the greatest season of any running back on the wrong side of 30 years old. Curtis Martin holds that particular single-season record, having rushed for 1,697 yards at age 31. Tiki Barber, Walter Payton and Thomas Jones were all 31 when they rushed for more than 1,400 yards. After nine weeks, Henry is on pace for a would-be-record 1,987. John Riggins leads the pack in single-season rushing touchdowns for 30-somethings. The former Washington star had 24 touchdowns on the ground in 1983, his age-34 season (Priest Holmes turned 30 in October 2003 and rushed for 27 touchdowns). Raheem Mostert is next in line, rushing for a league-leading 18 scores at age 31 last season. Henry is already at 11 just past the halfway mark of the season. As for career totals, he’s nine rushing touchdowns from tying Walter Payton for fifth on the all-time list — a number possibly attainable this calendar year. Twenty-two more and he could tie Marcus Allen for third. Emmitt Smith has the record with 164. Against Denver on Sunday, Henry logged 106 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns. Coach John Harbaugh later stood at the lectern adjacent to the home locker room and tried to put this in perspective. Their ability to run the ball has been a staple of Ravens football since the dawn of the organization nearly 30 years ago. “But he is different,” Harbaugh said, now in his 16th year coaching in Baltimore. “He is adding a dimension that we have not had before. I don’t know, you go back to Jamal Lewis, maybe. Maybe. This is different.” Ravens running back Derrick Henry scores a touchdown in the third quarter Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. (Staff) When it was Henry’s turn to field questions about his own prowess, one reporter noted his reaching a league-high 13 total touchdowns on the year. Lamar Jackson was sitting off to the side waiting his turn. The quarterback’s forehead was buried in his hands. He heard “13,” lifted his eyebrows and whispered, “damn.” Then it was noted Henry’s 100th career rushing touchdown passed Hall of Famer Barry Sanders. Jackson perked back up with a toothy smile. Henry called Sanders a “running back superhero.” Henry is looking more like a superhero himself. His outstretched arms crossed the goal line in the first quarter despite a Broncos defender grasping his legs. Then in the third, Henry nearly tripped over a crashing defender and outran two more to put the Ravens up, 31-10. CBS broadcast cameras panned to a fan sign that read, “22 is gonna run through you!” Each Ravens win this season is accompanied coaches and teammates racking their brains for new ways to describe Jackson’s dazzling performances as he seeks a third NFL Most Valuable Player Award. They talk about Henry with the same reverence as he evades Father Time’s edict for aging running backs. “I grew up watching him when I was in high school and college,” rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten said. “Now I get to play with him and block for him.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 41-10 win over Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson perfect, Ravens’ offense keeps rolling in 41-10 win over Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 41-10 win over Denver Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos, November 3, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens safety Marcus Williams starts vs. Broncos; Eddie Jackson a healthy scratch “It never gets old when you see him break the gap and chug along,” left tackle Ronnie Stanley added. And fullback Pat Ricard called blocking for him “a dream.” Henry turns 31 on Jan. 4, the day before Baltimore’s regular-season finale. His contract holds him in Baltimore through next season, and he shows no sign of slowing down. The greatest running back after passing 30 was longtime San Francisco 49ers star Frank Gore. He sealed his Hall of Fame candidacy by rushing for 7,161 yards between that milestone birthday and his last NFL carry at age 37. Alongside Payton, Sanders and Martin, Gore is on the short list of players with nine 1,000-yard rushing seasons. These are all figures that could again accompany a stoic Henry on the jumbotron. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

Here’s how the Ravens (6-3) graded out at every position after a 41-10 win over the Broncos (5-4) on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. Quarterback This was basically an unscripted seven-on-seven passing drill for Lamar Jackson. Even when he didn’t have time to throw, he still moved around and found open receivers. Maybe the best part of his game was selling fakes to set up screens, providing time for his receivers to get open. Jackson completed 16 of 19 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns. He finished with a perfect 158.3 passer rating, which ties him with former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the most all-time with four. Grade: A Running backs Derrick Henry rushed 23 times for 106 yards and two touchdowns, and he controlled the game with both inside and outside runs. As the game continued, Denver had trouble containing Henry on pitches or handoffs off the edge. Backup Justice Hill had five rushes for 15 yards and had success with some tough inside runs. Hill also had three catches for 43 yards, and both he and Henry were successful in completing screens and catching flares into the flat. Grade: A- Offensive line The Ravens struggled early in the game with pass protection, but once the running game started clicking, the Broncos were stymied by the play-action passing game as well as the run-pass option plays. Center Tyler Linderbaum had a strong game getting movement off the snap of the ball. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley was dominant and left guard Patrick Mekari had some good seal blocks. Right guard Daniel Faalele was strong in short-yardage situations. Grade: A- Receivers Second-year player Zay Flowers was the star of the game, recording five catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Flowers has learned that regardless of the situation, the play isn’t over until the whistle sounds and Jackson can no longer move. He is good at finding soft spots in zones, especially in the middle, and few teams can handle him in the slot playing man-to-man with a No. 3 cornerback or safety. At the midpoint of the season, the other receivers complement Flowers with Rashod Bateman (three catches for 25 yards) and Nelson Agholor (one for 29) on the outside and tight end Mark Andrews (two for 26) patrolling the middle. The Ravens averaged 17.5 yards per reception. Grade: B+ Zay Flowers caught a pair of touchdown passes in the Ravens’ blowout win over the Broncos. (Staff) Defensive line If the Ravens were going to win the game, they had to control Denver’s rushing offense. The Broncos had 122 yards on 30 carries, but 36 yards came from rookie quarterback Bo Nix. The Broncos had some success early, but not to the point in which they had the Ravens’ defense second-guessing. Broderick Washington finished with six tackles and Chris Wormley, up from the practice squad, had four. The Ravens had four sacks and five quarterback hurries. Grade: C+ Linebackers The Ravens are still having trouble with their drops, and in the early part of the game, they had trouble getting off blocks. Kyle Van Noy (three tackles) was the only outside linebacker to get some sort of pressure, and the Ravens didn’t get much from Odafe Oweh. Outside linebacker Tavius Robinson was credited with two sacks, but those were mostly because of coverage in the secondary. Outside linebacker Malik Harrison had four tackles. Weakside linebacker and second-year player Trenton Simpson might have had his best game as a pro, finishing with nine tackles, including one sack. He also had several tackles in the open field. Grade: C+ The Ravens’ defense played a decent game against the Broncos, holding them to just 4.7 yards per play. (Staff) Secondary If Nix had hit several of his passes early, this game might have had a different outcome. The Ravens had trouble shutting down Denver wide receivers in the middle of the field. Cornerback Arthur Maulet was beaten by several yards by rookie Troy Franklin on a fourth-and-4 play early in the second quarter, but Nix overthrew him. The Ravens, though, were more aggressive in their approach with safety Marcus Williams playing more near the line of scrimmage. He finished with three tackles, and fellow safety Kyle Hamilton had 10. The Ravens, though, were still confused far too often. Grade: C Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson perfect, Ravens’ offense keeps rolling in 41-10 win over Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 41-10 win over Denver Broncos Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos, November 3, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens safety Marcus Williams starts vs. Broncos; Eddie Jackson a healthy scratch Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 41-10 win Special teams Jordan Stout averaged 49 yards on two punts and Justin Tucker converted on field goals of 33 and 37 yards, but they were far from perfect. Tucker also hit the upright on a successful extra-point attempt. Tylan Wallace had one punt return of 21 yards and Chris Collier also had a kickoff return of 30 yards. Safety Ar’Darius Washington led the team in special teams tackles with two. Grade: B Coaching A week ago, the Ravens were physically manhandled on both sides of the ball, which is unusual for a John Harbaugh-coached team. They were more disciplined Sunday. The Ravens were also more physical in their approach as far as running and passing the ball offensively, and the defense was solid even though it had several injuries on a decimated line. The Ravens showed a lot of pride after being embarrassed by the Browns. Grade: B Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

The Broncos came into M&T Bank Stadium with one of the NFL’s best defenses and riding high with wins in five of their past six games. They also hadn’t seen an offense as potent as the Ravens’. Lamar Jackson torched Denver’s secondary, completing 16 of 19 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Ravens to a 41-10 blowout victory in front of 71,051 fans Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium. Jackson, the early favorite to win a second straight and third overall NFL Most Valuable Player Award, recorded the fourth perfect passer rating of his career to tie former Pittsburgh Steelers star Ben Roethlisberger for the most such games in league history. The victory improves the Ravens to 6-3 and importantly keeps them within a half-game of first place in the AFC North behind the Steelers, who are on a bye and will host Baltimore later this month. It also made a statement: The Ravens proved once again they have the best offense in the NFL. Baltimore scored on four of its first five possessions, including going 70 yards in just two plays with 58 seconds left in the second quarter as wide receiver Zay Flowers found a wide-open patch of grass in the middle of the field, caught Jackson’s perfectly thrown pass, cut back and raced 53 yards for a touchdown that put the Ravens up 24-10 at the half. Then the Ravens leaned on their NFL-best rushing attack and continued to pour it on. Baltimore drove 70 yards in 10 plays on the opening series of the third quarter, with Derrick Henry (23 carries, 106 yards, 2 TDs) chewing up 42 of them on the ground, including a 6-yard scoring run. It was the 21st time that Henry had 100 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns in a game, tying him for third-most in NFL history, according to ESPN stats and information. The only running backs with more are Jim Brown (25) and LaDainian Tomlinson (25). After Denver went three-and-out on its next possession, the Ravens marched 79 more yards in 10 plays, beginning with a screen pass to Henry that went for 27 yards and ending with an easy 3-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to fullback Pat Ricard, who hauled in his first catch of the season for the score to extend the lead to 38-10. Then Justin Tucker, who had knocked in a 33-yard field goal in the second quarter, tacked on one from 37 yards early in the fourth. But for as good as the Ravens’ offense was, their troubled defense had its share of struggles, especially early. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix, facing little in the way of pressure, completed 7 of 9 passes for 86 yards in the opening quarter as Broncos receivers were routinely open, and he even caught a touchdown pass from receiver Courtland Sutton on a fake reverse on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line to cut the deficit to 10-7 midway through the second quarter. The play had a completion probability of just 21.9%, according to Next Gen Stats, and was the most improbable reception by a quarterback since 2018. But Denver’s defense couldn’t contain Jackson and his playmakers, and its offense couldn’t keep pace. Ravens running back Derrick Henry, right, drags a defender into the end zone for a touchdown run in the first quarter Sunday against the Broncos. (Staff) On the Ravens’ next possession, Jackson rove them 63 yards in seven plays, hitting Flowers (5 catches, 127 yards, 2 TDs) for 23 yards and Justice Hill on a wheel route that went for 24 more. His first incompletion didn’t come until the 3:59 mark of the second quarter, but he quickly got back on track. Jackson hit Flowers on the next play in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown and a 17-7 lead. Denver had come into the game having given up the third-fewest points per game (15), fourth-fewest passing yards (176.3) and fewest yards per pass (5.9). But it took all of two quarters for Baltimore to race by most of those numbers. And this time, the Ravens’ defense didn’t allow the Broncos to climb back in it. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos, November 3, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens safety Marcus Williams starts vs. Broncos; Eddie Jackson a healthy scratch Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos live updates: Baltimore leads 41-10 in fourth quarter Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell not activated vs. Broncos; 2 defensive linemen promoted Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s game in Baltimore? Nix finished 19 of 33 for 223 yards and was sacked four times while running back Javonte Williams was held to 42 rushing yards on 12 carries. Baltimore also improved to 25-3 at home against rookie quarterbacks, the best mark of any team since 1950. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. Week 10 Bengals at Ravens Thursday, 8:15 p.m. Stream: Prime Video Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, left, gets past Broncos safety Devon Key for his second touchdown catch on Sunday. (Staff) View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Sunday’s Week 9 game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: C.J. Doon, editor: This game felt a lot like last year’s blowout wins over the Seahawks and Lions. Those teams entered with winning records and some early buzz as playoff contenders, only to leave Baltimore with their tail between their legs. Lamar Jackson will do that to you. But that Ravens team didn’t have Derrick Henry, and he and Jackson once again looked completely unstoppable Sunday. Their ruthless efficiency was even more pronounced with an electric performance from Zay Flowers, who’s shaping up to be the No. 1 wide receiver fans have been clamoring for since … well, the team moved to Baltimore in 1996. We’ve seen flashes of brilliance from Marquise Brown and Torrey Smith, late-career magic from Derrick Mason, Steve Smith Sr. and Anquan Boldin and some seriously good receiving tight ends in Todd Heap, Dennis Pitta and Mark Andrews, but nothing like Flowers. His ability to make people miss in the open field is as good as any player in the NFL, regardless of position. He’ll likely be top 10 in the league in receiving yards after the week is over, which is cause for celebration around these parts. What’s left to say about Jackson? He’s never looked more comfortable, and teams are helpless to stop him. The Broncos tried to keep him in the pocket, and all he did was throw for 280 yards and three touchdowns while finishing with a perfect passer rating for the fourth time in his NFL career. He has all the answers to the tests now, and when you combine that with his impressive touch and ability to extend plays both inside and outside the pocket, there’s not much even a good defense like Denver’s can do. We didn’t even see a catch from newly acquired wideout Diontae Johnson, and the Ravens still put up more than 40 points. That’s scary. But we knew the offense was elite. What we didn’t know is whether the defense had a performance like this in them. It looked shaky early, especially after rookie quarterback Bo Nix boxed out safety Marcus Williams for a touchdown catch to make it 10-7. The lack of a pass rush was glaring at times, especially in the first half. But Williams and Ar’Darius Washington set the tone with an early tackle and interception, respectively, linebacker Trenton Simpson broke out with two tackles for loss and a sack and Tavius Robinson flashed his potential with two sacks of his own. Even with Michael Pierce and Brent Urban sidelined, the defensive line held Denver to just 3.5 yards per carry before some late garbage time runs. It came against a rookie quarterback, but this performance was exactly what the Ravens’ defense needed to get back on track before a short week of preparation for “Thursday Night Football.” They’ll need to be locked in against Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ passing attack that dominated the Raiders on Sunday and is fighting to save its season. Tim Schwartz, editor: The Ravens seemed almost due for a performance like this, and the Broncos were exactly what they needed. Bo Nix was no match for Baltimore, which inexplicably struggled to stop Jameis Winston and his who’s-who of wideouts in Cleveland last week but bounced back in a big way against a rookie quarterback who has no No. 1 wide receiver and little depth behind Courtland Sutton. And it was clear from the first two plays of the game — a Marcus Williams tackle and Ar’Darius Washington interception — that the Ravens’ defense was ready to put last weekend’s disaster behind them. Offensively, Lamar Jackson has never looked more comfortable and Zay Flowers is proving to be one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers. This is the type of beatdown the Ravens needed. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the start of another winning streak. Bennett Conlin, editor: How do you stop this Ravens offense? Between Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers, Denver’s top-tier defense had no answers for Todd Monken’s attack. Even Justice Hill and Patrick Ricard impacted the game, as Baltimore spread the ball to several playmakers and kept Denver off-balance. Jackson is well on his way to a third NFL Most Valuable Player Award, while Henry and Flowers both scored multiple touchdowns. With players like Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman and the newly added Diontae Johnson also in the mix, it’s hard to point to a better offense in the NFL. Could the unit be good enough to carry the Ravens to a Super Bowl? It’s possible. The bounce-back win moves Baltimore to 6-3 on the season, keeping them firmly in the mix in the AFC North — the 6-2 Steelers are off this week. The defense even showed signs of promise. Some of that was good fortune, as Denver quarterback Bo Nix missed a wide-open Troy Franklin on fourth down in the first half on a pass that should have gone for a touchdown. Another failed fourth-down attempt kept Denver from scoring on a promising first-half drive, and yet another drive stalled in the red zone before halftime. The Ravens deserve some credit for those stops, while others were because of Denver’s failures. Denver didn’t have a first down in the third quarter, though, as the Ravens’ defense clearly contributed to Sunday’s win rather than just coming along for the ride like it did against Cincinnati and Tampa Bay. It’s hard to pick many nits in a blowout win over an opponent with a winning record. View the full article

Ravens’ Justin Tucker kicks a field goal during the game against the Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium. (Staff photo) Ravens running back Derrick Henry stretches dragging Broncos’ Brandon Jones for a touchdown in the first quarter of the game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Staff photo) Ravens’ Derrick Henry scores a touchdown during the Broncos game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Staff photo) Ravens’ Patrick Ricard celebrates Derrick Henry’s touchdown run against the Broncos during game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Staff photo) Ravens’ Lamar Jackson is sacked taking Ravens out of field position during the Broncos game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Staff photo) Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor catches and runs for long gain during scoring drive against the Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium. (Staff photo) Ravens newly acquired wide receiver Diontae Johnson warms up before the Broncos game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Staff photo) Ravens newly acquired wide receiver Diontae Johnson warms up before the Broncos game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Staff photo) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson warms up before the Broncos game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Staff photo) Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers warms up before the Broncos game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Staff photo) Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith sprays his face during NFL football in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun/Staff) Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix warms up during NFL football in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun/Staff) Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton during NFL football in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson warms up during NFL football in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson warms up during NFL football in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun/Staff) Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith cools off with a spray of water during NFL football in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun/Staff) View the full article