ExtremeRavens

Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 8 game between the Ravens (5-3) and Denver Broncos (5-3) at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: Brian Wacker, reporter Ravens 24, Broncos 20: The Broncos’ defense is daunting when digesting the numbers, but Denver has also played the 31st easiest schedule per defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA), with only the Chicago Bears having an easier slate. Baltimore also has a 27-7 record against rookie quarterbacks during coach John Harbaugh’s tenure, though at 24 years old with five years of college experience, Bo Nix is an atypical first-year quarterback. Still, the Ravens’ pass defense has been among the worst in the league, and coach Sean Payton has Denver on a roll with victories in five of its past six. Like most Ravens games this year, expect this one to be another nail-biter. Childs Walker, reporter Ravens 27, Broncos 23: What looked like a sure win when the schedule came out feels like anything but for the Ravens given Denver’s all-around defensive strength and Bo Nix’s rapid improvement at quarterback. The Ravens have made almost every opposing quarterback look good, and they can’t just count on their offense to light it up against the league’s No. 3 scoring defense. That said, they’re easily the best team the Broncos have played, and they’ll come out with some urgency after losing in Cleveland. Sometimes, it really is just about which team has the better quarterback. Lamar Jackson will be the difference late in a rugged matchup. Mike Preston, columnist Ravens 28, Broncos 21: Denver appears to be one of the few teams in the AFC that can match up with the Ravens physically, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Broncos are ranked No. 3 in total defense, No. 7 in run defense and No. 4 in pass defense. Offensively, Denver wants to pound the ball with a strong running game, which is producing 121.4 yards per game. But the Ravens have something to prove, especially after losing to Cleveland last week. Maybe the setback to the Browns was a wake-up call. This game will probably come down to quarterback play. Denver rookie Bo Nix has a similar scrambling ability to the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, but Jackson has more experience and can provide more big plays. It will be interesting to see whether the Broncos crowd the line of scrimmage like the Browns did a week ago. C.J. Doon, editor Ravens 20, Broncos 17: Lamar Jackson dealing with knee and back injuries right before facing one of the league’s best defenses is a recipe for disaster. The Broncos rank second in the NFL in sacks (30), fourth in pressure rate (28.6%) and second in blitz rate (36.5%), meaning Jackson better be feeling close to 100% to escape the onslaught coming his way. It sounds like he is, and maybe that extra rest will help over the long run. This is also a big test for receivers Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Diontae Johnson against the lockdown cornerback pairing of Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss, not to mention solid slot defender Ja’Quan McMillian. Courtland Sutton can take advantage of the Ravens’ woeful secondary, Bo Nix is mobile enough to mitigate what little pressure Baltimore can throw at him and the Broncos just might be able to run the ball effectively against a depleted Ravens front behind what’s been an outstanding offensive line. All of that said, it’s so hard to pick against a Ravens team coming off a bad loss and playing against a rookie quarterback. With Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins returning and a motivated Marcus Williams expected to be back on the field, the defense should deliver a bounce-back performance. If it doesn’t, it’s time to sound the alarm bells. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson returns to practice, will start vs. Broncos: ‘Just resting my body’ Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Answering questions about Zach Orr’s defense and more | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | How far has the Ravens’ defense fallen? The numbers paint a scary picture. Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens’ defense hit a new low in Cleveland. Can it be fixed? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens S Marcus Williams speaks for first time since being benched Tim Schwartz, editor Ravens 31, Broncos 24: The Ravens’ defense is in disarray, there’s little question about that. The unit is allowing 361.3 yards per game and an NFL-worst 291.4 passing yards per game. That’s a steep drop-off for a defense that was simply dominant a year ago. Fortunately for Baltimore, its offense has become a juggernaut. Lamar Jackson is playing at an MVP level again, and his playmakers have started to step up, too. Zay Flowers is 12th in the league with 527 yards and 41 receptions, and even Rashod Bateman is top-20 in receiving yards. The addition of Diontae Johnson, who could also help on special teams as a returner, will add another explosive element to an offense that leads the league in total yards per game (452.1) by a fairly wide margin. But Denver’s defense is no joke, ranking third in yards allowed per game (282.6) and is allowing only 15 points per game. But that’s largely been against some of the NFL’s worst offenses. In comes Bo Nix, a rookie quarterback who has found his stride as of late, was recently named Offensive Rookie of the Month for October and is coming off a four-touchdown performance against the Panthers. As bad as the Ravens’ defense has been, they have faced most of the league’s best quarterbacks through eight games, and I’ll take John Harbaugh’s track record against rookie signal-callers and pick the Ravens to win another high-scoring game. Bennett Conlin, editor Ravens 31, Broncos 24: Bo Nix has played better of late, but the Broncos’ quarterback is still averaging a woeful 5.9 yards per pass attempt this season. Fortunately for Nix, playing the Ravens’ secondary might be the perfect elixir for a rookie trying to find his footing as a passer. The Ravens should have enough offensive firepower to win Sunday in a bounce-back home performance after that ugly loss to the Browns, but their defensive woes make it harder for me to expect a double-digit win. I expect Lamar Jackson to return to form — he missed a few easy throws last week — and the Ravens to eclipse 30 points for the fifth time this season. View the full article

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to practice Friday and said he’ll start Sunday against the Denver Broncos after he missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with back and knee injuries. “That wasn’t in doubt,” he said after practice. “Just resting my body. You know, it’s a long season. That’s all.” Jackson played every snap in last Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns, throwing for 289 yards and running for 46. When he missed practice Wednesday, coach John Harbaugh called it a rest day. Jackson’s absence Thursday indicated he was dealing with real discomfort, though he was in the locker room after practice. Harbaugh said such rest days might become more common for his franchise quarterback. The Ravens will have a quick turnaround from playing the Broncos (5-3) to hosting the Cincinnati Bengals in an important AFC North matchup Thursday night. “That’s what he’s saying is right,” Harbaugh said of Jackson resting. “You’ve got to take that into consideration. You want your players to be at their best on Sunday.” Neither Jackson nor Harbaugh expressed any concern that the quarterback’s two missed practices will impact the Ravens’ preparedness Sunday. “He’ll be ready,” Harbaugh said. “I’m not worried about it. He studied all week. He was involved in all the preparations. He knows the game plan. He knows the opponent. He’ll be ready to go.” Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws a pass during Friday’s practice. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) The reigning NFL Most Valuable Player is on pace for his best passing season ever, leading the most efficient offense in the league as the Ravens prepare to face Denver’s No. 3 ranked defense. Jackson expressed excitement over the team’s trade for wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who’s expected to make his Ravens debut against Denver. “Great pickup,” he said. “That guy can get separation like our other guys. … I couldn’t stand him when he was in Pittsburgh. He gets great separation. Great route runner. He’s a home run hitter.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s game in Baltimore? Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Answering questions about Zach Orr’s defense and more | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | How far has the Ravens’ defense fallen? The numbers paint a scary picture. Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens’ defense hit a new low in Cleveland. Can it be fixed? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens S Marcus Williams speaks for first time since being benched Meanwhile, Jackson seemed more perturbed by the November wind swirling leaves around the interview podium than by questions about his physical state as the Ravens hit the midpoint of their season. “It’s like a tornado out here,” he joked. The only Ravens missing Friday were defensive end Brent Urban (concussion) and cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis. Defensive tackles Broderick Washington (knee) and Travis Jones (ankle) returned to practice. Harbaugh added that safety Marcus Williams, who did not play against the Browns after starting the first seven games, will play against the Broncos. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Childs Walker at daviwalker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6893 and x.com/ChildsWalker. View the full article

Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer fans’ questions in the middle of each week throughout the Ravens season. After a 29-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns last week, Baltimore (5-3) faces a tough matchup against the Denver Broncos (5-3) on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. Here’s Preston’s take on a handful of questions from readers: (Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.) Do you think any changes will be made in the near future for players and/or coaches? Zach Orr seems to be in over his head. I know it’s only one game, but losing to both the Raiders and “Clowns” this early raises red flags. — Bob in North Carolina Bob, that question won’t be answered anytime soon. Most coaches might make some changes in the offseason, and that usually happens with winning teams. I don’t assume John Harbaugh will make a rash decision on Orr during the season. If that happened, then it would probably change the schematics and some of the language the defense uses. Also, Harbaugh already made an adjustment by bringing in former defensive coordinator Dean Pees as an adviser several weeks ago. There is one more issue here. If Harbaugh made a change, it would indicate he made a mistake in hiring Orr. That’s a no-no. Few, if any, Ravens fans want to give Cleveland credit, but the Browns played their best game of the season with a new starting quarterback in Jameis Winston last week and their defensive line played well against the Ravens’ offensive line, which has been an area of concern all season. I’ve said this more than once this season: If a team is going to beat the Ravens, they will need a strong defensive line (see Kansas City, Las Vegas and Cleveland) and strong, fast cornerbacks. I wasn’t overly impressed with the Browns’ cornerbacks, but their safeties could fly to the ball. In your opinion, why the soft pass defense displayed by the Ravens against Cleveland? Baltimore made Jameis Winston look like an All-Pro player. — Ed Helinski Ed, Cleveland had struggled to sustain drives all season and the Ravens were without cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins. The defensive strategy was very sound and fair because few believed the Browns could mount long scoring drives. It really didn’t make a difference, because when the Ravens brought pressure from the back end late in the game, they still got burned and gave up big plays. That happens when a team is down two starting defensive backs, but there are no excuses for the four dropped interceptions, including the one by Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton that should have secured the win at the end of the game. That’s the area where the Ravens need the most improvement, not just pointing fingers at the soft coverage. Does John Harbaugh have an excuse for everything? Offense slow to start again, Derrick Henry only got 11 carries against Cleveland. Defense has been bad all season and being down your two “top” cover guys made it worse. Yet Harbaugh seems unfazed or worried about anything. Just gives his same bland, robotic response during press conferences. Should the Ravens either miss the playoffs or get knocked out early, is his job safe? — John Holmes John, I think if the Ravens miss the playoffs or get knocked out early, there will be concerns about Harbaugh’s job status. He has a two-time MVP at quarterback in Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have invested a lot of money getting Jackson more talent on offense. Defensively, the team has invested in quality players such as lineman Nnamdi Madubuike and middle linebacker Roquan Smith. I believe the Ravens had the best team in the NFL last season, but the best quarterback and defense belonged to Kansas City. As for Harbaugh’s responses after games, what do you expect him to say? They are in the middle of the season, so he isn’t going to come out and openly criticize assistant coaches or players. The Ravens are 5-3, not 3-5. There is still a lot of football left to be played. As for Henry’s touches in the game, go back and look at the film and see how many times the Browns outnumbered the Ravens around the line of scrimmage. Some plays should have been changed, and they weren’t for whatever reason. Again, Cleveland’s defensive line dominated the Ravens up front. I was just curious with the issues in the secondary. Will they try to insert rookie T.J. Tampa at some point? I didn’t know how his development was coming along or what was noticed about him in the offseason. — Justin Curbeam I’m only concerned about one rookie playing in the secondary at this point, and that’s Wiggins. I believe that Humphrey and Wiggins would have made a difference in the Cleveland game and would have given the Ravens the win. As for Tampa, he was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury last week and also missed time during training camp after having sports hernia surgery. We’ll worry about him next season, not in 2024. The Ravens have already brought in Dean Pees as an adviser to try and assist Zach Orr, but so far we haven’t seen any noticeable impact on the field from that. Orr stands on the sideline to call games. Do you see the Ravens moving him up to the booth to try and see if that helps with things? Or do they leave that up to coordinators to do as they see fit? — Paul in Orlando, Florida It’s usually a decision made by the coordinator, or in this case, Orr. It might be a suggestion, but Pees is already up in the booth as an observer and chipping in some advice. How many coaches or voices do you need at once? Talking with other coaches from around the league, most of them like Orr and expect him to do well in time. The question is, how much time is enough? He’ll probably be in charge at least until the 2024 season is over. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | How far has the Ravens’ defense fallen? The numbers paint a scary picture. Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens’ defense hit a new low in Cleveland. Can it be fixed? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens S Marcus Williams speaks for first time since being benched Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos Week 9 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson misses practice again Thursday After last season, it was a given that the Ravens would lose Mike Macdonald as defensive coordinator. After Macdonald left, Anthony Weaver and Dennard Wilson were hired by the Dolphins and Titans, respectively. Do you think that the Ravens were too slow to choose their DC, or was Orr always going to be the guy? — Michael in Annapolis From those involved inside and outside the interviewing process, they all expected Orr to be named the defensive coordinator. I don’t know about Wilson’s situation, but Weaver left the Ravens to become the coordinator in Miami after Orr was promoted. Why so many deep dropbacks for Lamar against Cleveland’s pass rush and not more quick strikes? Why didn’t Justice Hill get more targets? — Kevin Grodnitzky, @weightlossRD on X Kevin, I was surprised by Hill’s lack of overall production, but again that Cleveland defense was well coached by coordinator Jim Schwartz, the former University of Maryland and Ravens assistant. I’m not so sure the Ravens had Jackson drop back deeper than usual, but he was under a lot of duress. The pressure had him leaving the pocket much sooner than expected. Again, let’s give credit where credit is due. Schwartz, who played at Mount Saint Joseph, had his guys ready to play. Have a question for Mike Preston? Email sports@baltsun.com with “Ravens mailbag” in the subject line and it could be answered in The Baltimore Sun. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

As the clock wound down on the Ravens’ first loss in six weeks, quarterback Lamar Jackson peeled off his helmet and sent it thundering toward the grass of Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland. The reigning and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player had seemingly done enough: 289 yards through the air, a pair of passing touchdowns and the orchestration of a 91-yard scoring drive to take the lead in the final three minutes. But his defense coughed up that lead. When Jackson’s last-ditch heave to the end zone hit the ground, so went his helmet. Last year’s Ravens defense was historically good. A coordinator change and a few notable departures left the bones of the group intact. What their five-game winning streak concealed was plopped in an interrogation chair under fluorescent light after that Cleveland loss; they’ve had an historic regression. Former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald had the 2023 Ravens atop the league in points allowed, sacks and takeaways. They’re now 26th in points allowed and have given up just one fewer passing touchdown through eight weeks than they did all of last year. This autumnal unraveling took them from sixth in average passing yards allowed to 32nd out of 32 teams. For those more inclined to advanced metrics, they were second in expected points added per play (-0.121) — which calculates performance on a play-by-play basis — last year and have since fallen to 26th (0.084). Similarly, they were first in defensive DVOA (-23.3%), measuring how well a team performs compared with the league average. Closing in on the halfway mark of this season, Baltimore is 18th (2.7%). Context is crucial. A trio of starters (Jadeveon Clowney, Patrick Queen and Geno Stone) all signed elsewhere. And perhaps most significantly, Macdonald took the head coaching job in Seattle, succeeded by first-year coordinator Zach Orr. This year’s group has been exceptional in run defense, ranking first in the NFL. But the secondary has dropped a league-most eight interceptions, and they’ve given up 21 completions of at least 25 yards, more than any other team. The Ravens hit a new low. Whether the optimism emanating from the locker room in Owings Mills will lead to a turnaround remains to be seen. “Even though you’re putting in the work, everything doesn’t come as fast as you may want it to. All you can do is continue to grind and continue to chase perfection and continue to work,” Orr said. “We know that attention to detail is going to pay off.” Advanced statistics suggest the Ravens’ defense has regressed massively since last season. (Kirk Irwin/AP) Three former Ravens teams have endured similar regressions. None were quite as dramatic as this. The 2000 defense is considered one of the greatest ever. They conceded only 10.3 points per game — better than any team since at least 1978, when the NFL expanded to 16 regular-season games. It took two years for that group to lose its footing. They dropped off a smidge in 2001 to the fourth-fewest points allowed and the second-fewest yards. By 2002, they were a bottom-half group in both categories, stifled by linebacker Ray Lewis’ season-ending injury. Lewis once said that if there’s a year that keeps him up at night most in retirement, it’s 2006. The Ravens were sent home in the divisional round despite leading the NFL in just about every defensive category. First in yards against, first in defensive DVOA, first in opponent third-down conversion percentage and first in points allowed (12.6), a mark no team has matched since. One year later, they were 22nd in points allowed and 20th in passing yards against. Then there was 2011. Baltimore was first in pass defense DVOA and second in rush defense DVOA before its season sailed wide left with a missed field goal attempt by Billy Cundiff in the AFC championship game. That offseason, Dean Pees — who is currently a consultant for Orr — was hired as defensive coordinator. The group’s league-wide rankings slipped to 13th in pass defense and 25th in rush defense. They still won the Super Bowl. Karl Merton Ferron / Baltimore SunThe Ravens brought in Dean Pees, shown in 2016, as an adviser to help this year’s defense. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) If there is a team to have free fallen further than these Ravens, it’s the 2001 Tennessee Titans. In 2000, they were first in defensive DVOA and yards allowed (both beating out Baltimore). The Titans then plummeted to 30th in defensive DVOA the following year because, as ESPN’s Sean McCormick later wrote, they “couldn’t cover receivers — any receivers.” For the Ravens, the checklist to fix their pass defense, according to safety Kyle Hamilton, is “execution, winning one-on-ones — it really comes down to that at the end of the day — and guys just going out there and being confident in what they do and having the belief that we’re going to go get it done.” Baltimore doesn’t have to dig much through the history books to find another example of a team whose defense struggled mightily to keep up with its league-best offense. The 2018 Chiefs were, at this point in the season, the best offense in football while on pace to join the 2012 Saints as the only team in NFL history to give up more than 7,000 yards (Baltimore is on pace for 6,141). Those Saints experienced their own defensive collapse. They won the Super Bowl in 2010 with the fourth-best defense in the league. A year later, they were 24th, ranked outside the top 10 in every major defensive category — largely because of injuries and suspensions. Plenty of other teams since the turn of the century have experienced one-year backslides. Some are a byproduct of injuries or personnel turnover. Others are just dumb luck. And many go from top of the heap to middle of the pack. Chicago was first in pass defense DVOA in 2012, then fired its coach and lost Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher to retirement as the Bears dropped to 17th. The Denver Broncos sank from first in 2016 to 15th in 2017 with their coach retiring and defensive coordinator leaving. Even the 2008 Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers took a step back thanks to shaky secondary play. Quantifying and comparing defensive drop-offs isn’t an exact science. Each looks and feels unique. The salary cap era makes it harder to keep potent groups in tact. Different stats tell a different story. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens’ defense hit a new low in Cleveland. Can it be fixed? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens S Marcus Williams speaks for first time since being benched Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos Week 9 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson misses practice again Thursday Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s what fans say is the Ravens’ biggest concern Boiling their defensive issues all the way down, it’s simple, Hamilton said. The Ravens need to run faster and hit harder. There’s still time for a midseason shuffle with the trade deadline days away. But the All-Pro safety believes the answers to solving this last-ranked puzzle are already in the building. “We just have to find them,” he said. Orr’s mixing and matching of man and zone schemes with a healthy influx of blitz packages has been exceptional against the run. Yet, an excess of easy completions over the middle and explosive plays puts more pressure on the offense to avoid situations in which the franchise quarterback is left spiking his helmet. “There is a lot of outside noise, and there is a lot of adversity, as well, but you can’t get rattled,” linebacker Roquan Smith told a throng of reporters hovering over his locker. “We’re going to be perfectly fine. We’ll look back at this interview pretty soon, and you’ll be like, ‘You were right.’” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Through seven weeks, the Cleveland Browns had not scored more than 18 points in a game and had passed for more than 200 yards just once. They defined toothless NFL offense. Against the Ravens last Sunday, the Browns scored 29 points and passed for 321 yards. It was a new nadir for a Baltimore defense verging on disaster and threatening to undermine an offense that’s not only the best in the league but the best in team history. A year ago, the Ravens allowed opponents 4.7 yards per pass attempt, tops in the NFL. This year, they have allowed 39 plays of 20 yards or more, five more than any other team and 24 more than the Kansas City Chiefs, the team they played nine months ago in the AFC championship game. These shortcomings were easier to overlook during the team’s five-game winning streak but dragged into the light of day by the Ravens’ sobering loss in Cleveland. Suddenly, one of ESPN’s top analysts, former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky, was saying, “I don’t trust Baltimore’s defense” and pointing to first-year coordinator Zach Orr’s overly predictable reliance on blitzes as the Browns marched for a game-winning touchdown. No less an authority than Bill Belichick said on his SiriusXM show that “the [Ravens’] defense is something that it seems like they have good players, but they just haven’t been able to do what they need to do defensively.” Though Ravens coach John Harbaugh has remained calm and optimistic in his public comments, several moves in recent weeks have suggested he and his staff are also grasping for solutions. First, they brought in the team’s former defensive coordinator, Dean Pees, to help advise Orr. Then, they benched $70 million safety Marcus Williams — an every-down player when healthy throughout his Ravens career — in favor of another veteran, Eddie Jackson, who couldn’t pull in a pair of interceptions and gave up the decisive touchdown against the Browns. So what the heck is going on with a group that so excelled at keeping quarterbacks out of sorts in 2023? “Even though you put in the work, everything doesn’t come together as fast as you may want it to,” Orr said. “We know that the work we’re putting in, the attention to detail that we’re doing, is going to pay off. Obviously, it sounds like a broken record. We’ve been saying that for a couple weeks. But I honestly, truly believe that with the coaches and players we have, it’s going to come together, and it’s going to come together at the right time.” It’s never just one thing. Sometimes, the Ravens get discombobulated making one of their myriad coverage adjustments. Other times, they lose one-on-one battles against the other team’s top pass catchers. They’ve tackled poorly on some key plays, left gaping holes in zone looks on others. They have dropped eight interceptions, more than any team in the league according to Pro Football Focus (if they’d caught even four of those, Harbaugh said, their other failings would be mitigated). Their four-man rush was stagnant in Cleveland, leaving Orr to rely too heavily on blitzes on the Browns’ go-ahead drive. The Ravens are also dealing with real injury adversity for the first time this season. Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins, two of their top three cornerbacks, did not play against the Browns. Their top interior defender, Travis Jones, played just 15 snaps in Cleveland and did not practice Wednesday because of an ankle injury that hobbled him throughout last week. His beefiest compatriot, Michael Pierce, will miss at least the next four weeks after he left the Browns loss with a calf injury. Fellow defensive tackle Brent Urban is in concussion protocol. This sudden defensive line shortage could leave the Ravens vulnerable against the run, which they have smothered to date (allowing the fewest yards per game and per attempt). The team’s top defenders have maintained a united public front in the face of this unexpected failure, backing Orr and vowing to hush naysayers. “There is a lot of outside noise, and there is a lot of adversity, as well, but you can’t get rattled,” said All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith, the Ravens’ on-field signal caller and vocal leader. “We keep receipts. At the end of the day, [we’ve] just got to make ‘cats’ pay for it, when the time comes. We’re going to be perfectly fine. We’ll look back at this interview pretty soon, and you’ll be like, ‘You were right.’” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton doesn’t buy that the defense’s struggles can be attributed to the absences of coaches Mike Macdonald or Dennard Wilson. “I don’t think that necessarily there was a loss of talent,” he said. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) These defensive woes are puzzling in part because, as Belichick said, the Ravens are still loaded with Pro Bowl talent on all three layers. At age 27, Smith is the team’s leading tackler and more than that, a spiritual successor to Ray Lewis as the Ravens’ brash defensive quarterback. Kyle Hamilton, 23, disrupts offenses in a wider variety of ways than any other safety in football. Nnamdi Madubuike, 26, signed a $98 million extension in the offseason after he broke out as a rare elite pass rusher at defensive tackle. Aside from Hamilton and Humphrey, the Ravens aren’t getting enough from their defensive stars. Smith’s Pro Football Focus coverage grade is the worst of his career (49.5 compared with 83.2 last season) and among the bottom 20 among all inside linebackers. Not only does Madubuike have just two sacks, his pressures, in the face of increased double teams, are down from 0.14 per pass-rush snap in 2023 to 0.09 per pass-rush snap in 2024. Williams was off to a career-worst start before the Ravens sat him against the Browns in a move Harbaugh has chosen not to explain in detail publicly. Cornerback Brandon Stephens has taken a step back from his breakout 2023 season. After a hot start, outside linebacker Odafe Oweh has just six pressures over his past four games. The Ravens did lose significant talent in the offseason, including Jadeveon Clowney, their most consistent edge rusher, and Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Queen, who was on the field for almost every defensive snap and played an underrated role in the team’s pass rush. The talent drain was even greater on the coaching side. Not only did coordinator Mike Macdonald depart to coach the Seattle Seahawks; Dennard Wilson, one of the league’s top secondary coaches, left to to run the Tennessee Titans’ defense, and Anthony Weaver, one of the most respected voices on Harbaugh’s staff, left to be the coordinator in Miami. The Ravens replaced Macdonald with the 32-year-old Orr, who had never run a defense and had to rebuild much of his staff. His plan looks much the same in its use of deceptive coverages and simulated blitzes, but to a man, Ravens players and coaches agree their execution has not been up to snuff. Hamilton doesn’t buy that their struggles can be attributed to the absences of Macdonald or Wilson. “I don’t think that necessarily there was a loss of talent,” he said. “I feel like we kept a good amount of people in our room — players and coaches — and I don’t feel like the room feels super different from last year. It’s just [about] executing, and last year, we were executing. I can’t pinpoint or give you an exact answer on why that isn’t happening right now, but that’s still something that we’re trying to figure out, we’re trying to perfect.” “I honestly, truly believe that with the coaches and players we have, it’s going to come together, and it’s going to come together at the right time,” coordinator Zach Orr said of the Ravens’ defense. (Amy Davis/Staff) He said that if he had to start anywhere, it would be with Ravens defenders winning their individual matchups, something all of them have proven capable of doing in past seasons. “I don’t think it’s difficult,” veteran cornerback Arthur Maulet said. “We’re playing the same thing with 90% of the same guys. It’s nothing new.” He noted that the Ravens are playing more man-to-man coverage, which means it’s incumbent on their pass rushers to reach the quarterback a beat sooner and for their defensive backs to stick with receivers a beat longer. “Rush and coverage have to work together,” he said. If there’s a move that has the potential to create unrest, it’s the recent decision to sideline Williams, a proven playmaker, to give more snaps to Jackson, who hasn’t shined in Orr’s defense. “We had those conversations together, with Marcus obviously and then with the defense on a personal level,” Orr said. “We kept those in house. One thing I’ll say is that the way he handled what went down is great.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | How far has the Ravens’ defense fallen? The numbers paint a scary picture. Baltimore Ravens | Ravens S Marcus Williams speaks for first time since being benched Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos Week 9 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson misses practice again Thursday Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s what fans say is the Ravens’ biggest concern The Ravens have been here before, though not to this degree. In Macdonald’s first season, 2022, they gave up 1,060 passing yards to their first three opponents. “Miscommunication” became a catch-all buzzword for their mishaps, much as it has been at times this season. But the Ravens traded for Smith at midseason, and Macdonald developed a better feel for how to deploy his players, including Hamilton, who evolved from an overwhelmed rookie to the Ravens’ best defender in their playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. They ended up eighth in defensive DVOA. Can they make similar strides this season, whether that means adding a significant player before Tuesday’s trade deadline or finding more synchronicity between Orr’s plans and what actually happens on the field? Their performance in Cleveland, albeit marred by injuries, suggested they’re not progressing quickly enough, if at all. Nonetheless, there are those outside the building who have faith in the infrastructure under Harbaugh. “There’s a lotta time and a long way to go,” Belichick said on SiriusXM. “I’m sure that they’ll get it straightened out.” Baltimore Sun reporter Brian Wacker contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact Childs Walker at daviwalker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6893 and x.com/ChildsWalker. View the full article

The Ravens’ struggles on defense have been well-documented. From blown coverages to missed tackles to dropped interceptions, there are myriad reasons Baltimore has given up more passing yards per game than any team in the NFL through the first eight weeks of the season. The situation seemed to reached its nadir last week in Cleveland, where the lowly Browns and backup quarterback Jameis Winston, who was making his first start since 2022, torched Baltimore’s porous secondary for 334 yards and three touchdowns in a 29-24 upset. Starting safety Marcus Williams watched in uniform from the sideline. Coach John Harbaugh called the benching of Williams in favor of Eddie Jackson and Ar’Darius Washington a “personnel” decision but also said it was an “internal” situation. A day later, he said he didn’t have anything else to say about it and that the matter would stay “in-house.” After having what defensive coordinator Zach Orr said on Thursday was a “great” week of practice, however, the eighth-year veteran spoke with reporters for the first time since being yanked from the lineup. “We’re not worried about what happened last week,” Williams said when asked about being benched. “It’s all about moving forward to this week, getting prepared, staying prepared. When I’m ready to get in, when it’s my time, I’ll go in and do what I’ve got to do to make plays.” Whether Williams returns to the starting lineup this week against the Denver Broncos remains to be seen, though indications from some in the building are that he likely will be back out there. Orr also praised the 28-year-old Williams, a 2017 second-round pick of the New Orleans Saints who signed a five-year, $70 million deal with the Ravens in March 2022, for his reaction to last week’s news. “One thing I’ll say about Marcus — the way he handled what went down is great,” Orr said. “He’s just a great teammate. He’s been a pro since he’s been here. He handled last week like a pro, so I’m excited to see how we move and how he moves going forward.” Williams — who this season has allowed a passer rating of 143.9 in coverage, per Pro Football Focus, and has surrendered 10 catches while being credited for just one pass breakup — is also looking ahead. “I’ve faced adversity all my life,” he said. “It’s nothing new to me. Adversity makes you or breaks you and it’s how you react, how you come out and act like a pro and do all you’ve got to do to move on and get the next week.” The first two months of the season has certainly not gone Williams’ or the secondary’s way. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos Week 9 betting guide: Picks, predictions and odds Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson misses practice again Thursday Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s what fans say is the Ravens’ biggest concern Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos scouting report for Week 9: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens could go all-in on outscoring opponents | COMMENTARY Baltimore has given up more completions of 20 or more yards than any team in the league. The Ravens also have the dubious distinction of leading the NFL in dropped interceptions. “I think we can get far,” Williams said when asked about the defense’s woes. “We just need to continue to lock in, make plays and come out here and do what we’ve got to do one play at a time.” For Williams, that starts with being on the field. “I’m just going to stay prepared no matter what,” he said. “I’d rather be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than have an opportunity and not be prepared. I’m going to stay prepared and when my name is called, I’m going to go out there and do what I’ve got to do.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens return to action Sunday, hoping to move beyond last week’s disappointing loss to the Browns. Baltimore (5-3) welcomes a respectable Denver team (5-3) into town, and quarterback Lamar Jackson’s back and knee injuries add an interesting wrinkle to the AFC clash. Coach John Harbaugh downplayed Jackson’s missed Wednesday practice, but if Jackson can’t play or is limited Sunday, it makes life a lot easier for Denver’s capable defense. The Broncos rank fifth in the NFL in defensive DVOA. Even with Jackson absent from both Wednesday and Thursday practices, the Ravens are expected to cruise to a win over the Broncos, at least according to betting odds. Baltimore is a 9 1/2-point favorite over Denver as of Thursday evening on most sportsbooks legally available in Maryland, including FanDuel. Baltimore shouldn’t take this game for granted, as the Ravens have lost twice this season as a favorite of a touchdown or more. Last week, Baltimore was a touchdown favorite over Cleveland, and the Ravens were 8 1/2-point favorites over Las Vegas in Week 2 and lost by a field goal. What are the odds? Given the Broncos’ defensive reputation — they’ve held six of their eight opponents under 20 points — the total for Sunday’s game is one of the lowest for a Ravens game this season. Here’s a quick glimpse at the odds: Spread: Ravens -9 1/2 Total: 46.5 points Moneyline: Ravens -450, Broncos +350 Baltimore is 4-3-1 against the spread, with seven of their eight games going over the point total. As for Sean Payton’s Denver team, it’s 6-2 against the spread. Five of the team’s eight games have gone over the point total. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens S Marcus Williams speaks for first time since being benched Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson misses practice again Thursday Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s what fans say is the Ravens’ biggest concern Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos scouting report for Week 9: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens could go all-in on outscoring opponents | COMMENTARY Too many points? I like the Ravens to win Sunday, but 9 1/2 points feels like too many. Those are often words uttered by delusional bettors on the verge of losing a wager, but I’m writing them anyway. The spread makes sense on the surface, with Baltimore second in the NFL in DVOA and the game being played at M&T Bank Stadium. Still, Denver is 5-3 and hasn’t lost a game by more than seven points this season. The Broncos rank second in the NFL in pass coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. They rank eighth in rushing defense, per PFF, making them one of the few defenses in the NFL capable of slowing Baltimore’s high-powered offense. And while Denver’s offense ranks a mediocre 24th overall in PFF’s rankings, Baltimore’s defense makes even the league’s crummiest offenses look dynamic. Even the lowly Browns scored 29 last week against Zach Orr’s unit. Denver might not win Sunday, but the Broncos have just enough offensive firepower and plenty of defensive star power to keep this game within 10 points, especially if Jackson is banged up. Best bet: Broncos +9.5 Have a news tip? Contact Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was absent for a second straight practice Thursday in Owings Mills. Though coach John Harbaugh said on Wednesday that Jackson was given a rest day, he later showed up on Baltimore’s injury report with back and knee injuries. This marks the third practice he has missed this season after also being absent from the team’s first practice following its season-opening loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last month. The Ravens (5-3) are coming off an embarrassing 29-24 defeat to the Cleveland Browns and face the Denver Broncos (5-3) on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium before a “Thursday Night Football” showdown against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals four days later. In that loss to Cleveland, Jackson completed 23 of 38 passes for 289 and two touchdowns but was also sacked a season-high three times and took more hits while rushing for 46 yards on eight carries. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | READERS RESPOND: Here’s what fans say is the Ravens’ biggest concern Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos scouting report for Week 9: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens could go all-in on outscoring opponents | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | WR Diontae Johnson on going from Panthers to Ravens: ‘Still don’t seem real to me’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens DBs stay after practice to catch extra balls: ‘Just a repetition thing’ Jackson hasn’t missed a game because of injury since 2022 when he suffered a sprained PCL in a Week 13 win over the Broncos. He ended up missing the final five games of the regular season and a wild-card playoff game against the Bengals that the Ravens lost with backup Tyler Huntley under center. Veteran Josh Johnson, 38, is the Ravens’ backup quarterback and hasn’t started a game since 2021. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

We asked readers what their biggest area of concern is for the Ravens. Here are the results from our online poll, Instagram and X: Secondary — 308 votes Pass rush — 90 votes Offensive line — 16 votes Special teams — 4 votes Here’s what some fans have told us about the team (answers have been edited for clarity and grammar): ​​I don’t know, man. It was crazy losing to the 1-6 Browns. I feel like your defense could’ve played better. Offense didn’t show out like they should have. Overall, disappointing performance. — Joseph O’Dea It’s a divisional game. We definitely play down. We got to step it up. Like last week, Tampa Bay? We got to step it up, score a lot of points. Because we can do it. We can do it. We just shoot ourselves in the foot and we got to step it up. We got to get a 30-point game. We can do it every week. Every week. … I think that the defense is playing kind of soft right now. The secondary, they’re kind of lost. They’re getting confused, dropping interceptions. The offense — I don’t know what’s going on with offense. The Browns’ defense, they’re depleted. I think we should have put more points on the board. — Josh Villegas Finishing in the fourth quarter, I think that’s been big for us. Sometimes we do and sometimes we can’t so I think if we can just keep strong throughout the first three and finish in that fourth then I think we’ll be all right. — Josh Tune Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson misses practice again Thursday Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos scouting report for Week 9: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens could go all-in on outscoring opponents | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | WR Diontae Johnson on going from Panthers to Ravens: ‘Still don’t seem real to me’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens DBs stay after practice to catch extra balls: ‘Just a repetition thing’ When a defense goes from the best in the league to the worst in one season, it’s crystal clear that they have the wrong defensive coordinator. Zach Orr is in a situation that is way over his head, especially with the Ravens and their fan base having Super Bowl aspirations. … I suggest before it is too late an immediate change needs to take place. Reach out to Bill Belichick, who is regarded as a defensive genius to become defensive coordinator now! Not only would our fans be elated, but I believe our defensive personnel would be also. — Robert Jolson I really didn’t care about going for it on fourth down; it was putting Derrick Henry in the wildcat. That was a terrible decision. Why not put him in base offense with Lamar Jackson, two of the most dynamic runners in league history? Instead, the Ravens shrunk the field and ran Henry up the middle. He lost 2 yards. In hindsight, John Harbaugh said he’d like to have that call back. Personally, on the road, I’m taking the field goal. — Email from ruheroy Ravens finishing 2 of 10 on third down is horrible. Browns over 50% on their third downs. After all the OTAs, summer camp, preseason games, practices and eight games, our secondary is the league’s worst. Is the center of the field the DMZ to our linebackers and secondary? Is Marcus Williams really worse, or is he in John’s dog house? Roquan? I hope any members of our secondary aren’t on the “hands team.” They can’t catch anything. Hands of bricks. Sadly I do not see any hope for a change with our defense. Is Orr the problem? He can’t go catch the ball for them. But for me, the rest is directly on him. Does the team have a real leader on defense? Harbs goes for the field goal early, we also could have won that game, not needing a touchdown. Opportunities lost that can never get back. Three AFC losses, 1 AFC North loss. That may come back to haunt the team if they get into the playoffs. — Joe Herbert Baltimore Sun reporter Matt Weyrich contributed to this article. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To see results from previous sports polls, go to baltimoresun.com/sportspoll View the full article

The Ravens stumbled and bumbled to a 29-24 loss in Cleveland. The Broncos handled the pitiful Panthers, 28-14. Which of these AFC playoff aspirants will have the advantage when they meet Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium? Ravens passing game vs. Broncos pass defense Lamar Jackson is on pace for the best passing season of his career, leading the league in passer rating and ranking second in yards per attempt, touchdowns and ESPN’s QBR metric for all-around performance. He threw several passes that could have been picked off in the loss to Cleveland but was let down by three third-down drops (two from Rashod Bateman and one from Nelson Agholor). His scrambling covered for a poor performance by his offensive line as he took just three sacks despite being pressured on 21 of his 43 dropbacks. On the bright side, wide receiver Zay Flowers bounced back from a Week 7 ankle injury to catch seven passes for 115 yards, and tight end Mark Andrews caught a touchdown pass for the third straight game. Tight end Isaiah Likely also had his most productive receiving game since the season opener in Kansas City. The Ravens need to find ways to keep him involved given his dynamism after the catch. They added another weapon this week when they traded for wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Jackson, who missed practice Wednesday for what coach John Harbaugh called a rest day, has consistently beat pressure this season, which will be essential against an excellent Denver defense that ranks second in sacks and blitz rate and fourth in pressures per dropback. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph doesn’t have a Myles Garrett-level edge rusher at his disposal, but 12 different Broncos have sacks this season, led by outside linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper and defensive end Zach Allen. Denver also has a very good secondary, led by Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain II and safety Brandon Jones. The Broncos rank ninth in the league with 12 takeaways. Jackson will not only need better games from tackles Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten; he’ll need Justice Hill to pick up blitzes and catch screens to punish Denver’s aggression. The Ravens got away from their play-action game against Cleveland, but it will be their friend against a Broncos defense that might be the best they’ve faced. EDGE: Ravens Broncos passing game vs. Ravens pass defense Rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw four interceptions before his first touchdown pass but has played better recently, with seven touchdowns against just one pick over his last four games. He just threw for career-bests of 284 yards and three touchdowns against the Panthers’ putrid defense. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton (29 catches on 58 targets, 377 yards, two touchdowns) is the top playmaker. Tight end Adam Trautman emerged as a surprising threat with four catches for 85 yards and a touchdown against Carolina. Nix is a threat to escape the pocket and has taken just 11 sacks behind a good offensive line led by left tackle Garett Bolles. This isn’t a high-octane offense, ranking 24th in yards per attempt and 28th in third-down conversion rate, but the Ravens made another poor passing attack look potent last weekend in Cleveland. Their four-man rush did not get home. They dropped several potential interceptions, including one by safety Kyle Hamilton that could have clinched the game. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr became predictable with his all-out blitzes, and Jameis Winston ultimately beat him over the top with a game-winning touchdown strike. The Ravens came out of another disappointing performance ranking last in passing yards allowed and 25th in DVOA against the pass (they were first in that efficiency metric last season). They tried to shake things up by benching starting safety Marcus Williams and giving more snaps to veteran Eddie Jackson. They missed two of their top three cornerbacks in Marlon Humphrey (knee) and Nate Wiggins (illness). But this isn’t a one-week problem; they’ve struggled to prevent chunk passing plays in almost every game. Even their positive statistics — tied for fourth with 24 sacks — belie the fact that they’re failing to make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable for long stretches. EDGE: Broncos Ravens running game vs. Broncos run defense The Ravens lead the league in yards per game (200) and per carry (6.2) but were unable to use their ground game to dictate pace against the Browns. Derrick Henry averaged 6.6 yards per carry but largely disappeared from the game plan in the second half with the Ravens playing from behind. The NFL’s leading rusher ended up carrying a season-low 11 times — a reminder that for all the potency of the Jackson-Henry combination, the Ravens need to build early leads to maximize its impact. They’ll try to crack a Denver defense that has allowed just four yards per carry, fifth-best in the league. It’s telling that the Broncos’ three losses also featured their three worst performances against the run. They have not faced many dynamic offenses (only Tampa Bay ranks top 10 in DVOA) so the Ravens will present a different level of challenge. Denver has a good pair of inside linebackers in Justin Strnad and Cody Barton and an excellent run stuffer in nose tackle Malcolm Roach. The Ravens will attack them on the edges with Henry and hope to break a few long runs. EDGE: Ravens Broncos running game vs. Ravens run defense Coach Sean Payton rarely goes away from his ground game entirely. Denver ranks 14th in rushing and 13th in yards per carry, splitting carries between Javonte Williams (3.8 yards per attempt) and Jaleel McLaughlin (4.1 yards per attempt). Nix (259 yards, five per attempt, team-high four touchdowns) is also a threat to scramble or pick up key yards on an occasional designed run. The Broncos’ line, featuring Quinn Meinerz and former Raven Ben Powers at the guard spots, is solid here as well. The Ravens have allowed the fewest yards and yards per attempt in the league but could be thin on the interior after defensive tackles Michael Pierce (calf) and Brent Urban (concussion) left the Browns game early. Their top defensive tackle, Travis Jones, is dealing with an ankle injury and played just 15 snaps in Cleveland. The Browns found some early success handing off to Nick Chubb, and though the Ravens ultimately held him to 52 yards on 16 carries, it will be interesting to see if the Broncos go right at them. Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce was placed on injured reserve with a calf injury. (David Richard/AP) Harbaugh said stopping the run will be essential against Denver. The Ravens will need a better game from their defensive leader, linebacker Roquan Smith. His partner, first-year starter Trenton Simpson, has played well, but Hamilton has turned into the team’s other big playmaker against the run. All the metrics say the Ravens have a clear edge over Denver here, but that margin could be reduced with Pierce on injured reserve and Jones and Urban hurting. EDGE: Ravens Ravens special teams vs. Broncos special teams Justin Tucker missed a 50-yard attempt in Cleveland that would have tied the game in the fourth quarter. He did not strike the ball with his usual power, reviving questions that arose after he missed a field goal in each of the Ravens’ first three games. Tucker’s inconsistency is one reason the Ravens rank 25th in special teams DVOA. They’ve also made too many poor decisions that have cost them field position in the return game. Punter Jordan Stout has been the bright spot. Denver, meanwhile, ranks fourth in special teams DVOA, with no real weakness. Former Raven Wil Lutz has made 17 of 18 field goal attempts. Marvin Mims has averaged 11 yards on punt returns. Riley Dixon has put 48.8% of his punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. EDGE: Broncos Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens could go all-in on outscoring opponents | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | WR Diontae Johnson on going from Panthers to Ravens: ‘Still don’t seem real to me’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens DBs stay after practice to catch extra balls: ‘Just a repetition thing’ Baltimore Ravens | Colts coach Shane Steichen: Joe Flacco ‘gives us the best chance’ to win Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from practice Wednesday with back and knee injuries Ravens intangibles vs. Broncos intangibles Payton is a proven winner, and he has the Broncos chasing a playoff spot with a rookie quarterback and a roster largely devoid of superstars. His team’s excellent defense and special teams provide a sturdy foundation. With Nix improving, the Broncos could become a serious threat. They’re 3-1 on the road, so they’ll come to M&T Bank Stadium expecting to upset the Ravens. The only real knock against them is that they’ve done it against an easy schedule. Harbaugh’s Ravens have played tougher competition but have inexplicably found ways to lose to their two worst opponents: the Browns and the Las Vegas Raiders. It’s hard to imagine they’ll take the Broncos lightly coming off that defeat in Cleveland. But the Ravens are scrambling to find answers on a defense that has performed far below expectations. They’re also dealing with real injury adversity for the first time this season. Their ace in the hole remains Jackson, who’s almost always the best player on the field and has won 74% of his career starts. EDGE: Ravens Prediction What looked like a sure win when the schedule came out feels like anything but for the Ravens given Denver’s all-around defensive strength and Nix’s rapid improvement at quarterback. The Ravens have made almost every opposing quarterback look good, and they can’t just count on their offense to light it up against the league’s No. 3 scoring defense. That said, they’re easily the best team the Broncos have played, and they’ll come out with some urgency after losing in Cleveland. Sometimes, it really is just about which team has the better quarterback. Jackson will be the difference late in a rugged matchup. Ravens 27, Broncos 23 Have a news tip? Contact Childs Walker at daviwalker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6893 and x.com/ChildsWalker. View the full article

The Ravens’ trade for Carolina Panthers receiver Diontae Johnson did very little to change the landscape in the AFC. In fact, it was just another day in the NFL. With the addition of Johnson on Tuesday, the Ravens upgraded at the receiver position, but the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs are still the No. 1 team in the conference with the Ravens No. 2 and the Buffalo Bills No. 3. If the experiment with quarterback Russell Wilson continues to pan out in Pittsburgh, then the Steelers jump in at No. 4, but there have been few trades at this point that have changed the likely scenario of the Chiefs and the Ravens duking it out for the second straight year in the AFC title game. The addition of Johnson, 28, can only help the Ravens. He has 30 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns this season and his presence will push starter Rashod Bateman to work harder and possibly No. 3 receiver Nelson Agholor off the roster. But it isn’t like the Ravens added Davante Adams or Amari Cooper. They already had the league’s No. 1 offense. The only deal the Ravens could make before Tuesday’s deadline that could have a significant impact is to add a pass rusher, even though the acquisition of Panthers outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney would be a gamble. A year ago, Clowney had a career-high-tying 9 1/2 sacks for the Ravens. This season, he has only one sack and 19 tackles for Carolina. In 2023, Clowney had Mike Macdonald as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator. Now it’s Zach Orr, whose defense is ranked No. 32 in pass defense and in total disarray. Clowney might be the answer, and he might not, but it would be worth the risk if the Ravens consider themselves serious Super Bowl contenders. The Ravens also need a shutdown cornerback, but it’s unlikely any team will part ways with that caliber of a player at this point. Those types are a hot commodity, and the Ravens were fortunate to trade for Los Angeles Rams cornerback Marcus Peters in October 2019 in exchange for linebacker Kenny Young and a 2020 fifth-round draft pick. As for the Ravens’ defensive problems in the secondary, it’s common throughout the NFL. With the exception of the Chiefs, who plays great defense anymore? Every game is filled with receivers running wide-open and missed tackles. It’s all part of the tilted field in favor of the offense emphasized by Roger Goodell since he became commissioner in 2006. The real problem for the Ravens is that they don’t have a shutdown cornerback on the roster. Nate Wiggins could become that player eventually, but he is only a rookie. Marlon Humphrey is in the right spot over the slot, but players such as cornerbacks Jalyn Armour-Davis and Arthur Maulet are more suited for nickel and dime roles, and the Ravens don’t have a presence at safety except for Kyle Hamilton. The Ravens’ secondary is composed of a bunch of nomads right now, and neither Orr nor pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt have been able to help them find a way out. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Broncos scouting report for Week 9: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | WR Diontae Johnson on going from Panthers to Ravens: ‘Still don’t seem real to me’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens DBs stay after practice to catch extra balls: ‘Just a repetition thing’ Baltimore Ravens | Colts coach Shane Steichen: Joe Flacco ‘gives us the best chance’ to win Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from practice Wednesday with back and knee injuries At least for Johnson, the Ravens only gave up a fifth-round pick, but even that is somewhat costly because they have been productive in that slot over the years, selecting players such as receiver Jermaine Lewis, center Jeff Mitchell, safety Dawan Landry, defensive tackle Arthur Jones, cornerback Asa Jackson, center John Urschel, outside linebacker Matthew Judon and defensive tackle Broderick Washington. Getting a sixth-round pick in return from Carolina helps, though. Trading is an extensive process requiring large amounts of time poring over film and working through negotiations. Before losing to Cleveland on Sunday, the Ravens had won five straight games. They lost to the Browns because their offensive line got exposed like it did against Kansas City and the Las Vegas Raiders in the first two games of the season, and their secondary had its usual problems. But maybe there is a shift of philosophy in Baltimore. Like the Chiefs and Cincinnati in previous seasons, the Ravens have figured out that if you can’t stop them, you might as well try to outscore them. We will know for sure by Tuesday’s trade deadline. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

To say that Diontae Johnson views his season as having gone from a nightmare to a dream scenario wouldn’t be an overstatement. At 1-7, the Carolina Panthers are one of the worst teams in the NFL. The 5-3 Ravens are one of a handful of teams expected to contend for the AFC title. “It still don’t seem real to me,” the 28-year-old wide receiver said after his first practice with Baltimore on Wednesday after being acquired in a trade a day earlier. “It’s a blessing for me just to get another opportunity to come back to the AFC North — that’s one thing that stuck out to me. “I know what this organization’s about, because I played against them a few years.” Before Johnson spent the first seven games of this season with the Panthers after being traded this offseason, he spent his first five years in the league with the AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers, which is also where he had his best years. In 2021, he had 107 catches for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns and was selected to the Pro Bowl. In 84 career games, he has 421 receptions for 4,720 yards with 28 touchdowns. Now, Johnson joins a Ravens offense that is led by star quarterback Lamar Jackson and, by any number of metrics, ranks as one of the best in the league. “I know what Lamar brings to the table, so just to be able to contribute to the offense that he’s a part of and that he leads [and] is a leader of is a blessing,” Johnson said of the reigning and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player. “I’m going [to] do whatever I can to help this offense continue to get better.” One of the league’s best separators, according to Pro Football Focus, and a high-level route runner who can stretch the defense, the 2019 third-round draft pick out of Toledo is only the latest piece in an offense brimming with talent. Wide receiver Zay Flowers leads the Ravens with 41 catches for 627 yards with a touchdown, while fellow receiver Rashod Bateman has 22 catches for 422 yards and three scores. Then there are tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely along with receiver Nelson Agholor, plus running backs Derrick Henry and the soon-to-be returning Keaton Mitchell. Put another way, though, that’s a lot of hands to feed with only one football, so how will Johnson fit in the scheme? “Just wherever they need me to be at right now until I learn everything [and] until they feel comfortable with me playing something else, then that’ll be my focus,” he said. “But right now, just trying to get acclimated and work with what they’re giving me right now.” So far, Johnson has been working and the “X” and “Z” receiver spots as well as fielding punts, a role he had in the beginning of his career and an area the Ravens have struggled with this season. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, right, greets Diontae Johnson during Wednesday’s practice. The Ravens wore their alternate helmets that will debut on “Thursday Night Football” next week against the Bengals. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Whatever his impact, acquiring the 5-foot-10, 183-pound sixth-year receiver came at little cost with potentially high reward, with the Ravens getting him for a swap of late-round draft picks and having to pick up very little of his current salary. And should Johnson sign a free agent deal of at least $5 million with another team after the season — something that seems likely given the market — Baltimore would get a 2026 compensatory sixth-round draft pick in return. Receiver wasn’t the biggest need, but the deal made sense for general manager Eric DeCosta. “We’re always looking for an opportunity to make our team better, and that opportunity came along,” coach John Harbaugh said. “Eric found it, along with the personnel staff and all of the work that they put it in, and made it happen. So we’re excited; our team is better because of it. It raises everybody up and makes us better.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens DBs stay after practice to catch extra balls: ‘Just a repetition thing’ Baltimore Ravens | Colts coach Shane Steichen: Joe Flacco ‘gives us the best chance’ to win Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from practice Wednesday with back and knee injuries Baltimore Ravens | Michael Pierce placed on injured reserve, leaving Ravens thin on defensive line Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens need defensive help. Here’s why they should trade for Jadeveon Clowney. | ANALYSIS As for what Harbaugh has seen so far in the former Steeler? “He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s got great hands, an explosive player, a big, strong, tough player,” he said. “That’s what he brings, so you take those talents, and you fit him into what you’re doing.” And about those Steelers games later this season? “I’m looking forward to game,” Johnson said. “I’m focused on right now. Whatever game comes first before we get to that point — I’m going to do my job and just keep preparing.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Ravens defensive backs remained on the practice field Wednesday as their teammates trudged to the locker room. Why the after-school work? They were practicing catching the ball because dropped interceptions — including one by safety Kyle Hamilton that could have clinched the game — cost them dearly in Sunday’s 29-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Veteran safety Eddie Jackson also dropped two picks Sunday, including one in the end zone. The Ravens lead the league in dropped interceptions with eight, according to Pro Football Focus, and that’s part of the reason their pass defense ranks last. “We’re trying to turn over every stone to get better, and that’s certainly one of them,” coach John Harbaugh said. “They’re out there catching passes right now, as we speak. That’s something that we need to get better at. If you catch all eight of those, the whole statistical story [for the defense] is moot. If you catch six of them, it’s moot. If you catch four, it’s mostly mitigated. That’s how fine a line it is in the National Football League.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | WR Diontae Johnson on going from Panthers to Ravens: ‘Still don’t seem real to me’ Baltimore Ravens | Colts coach Shane Steichen: Joe Flacco ‘gives us the best chance’ to win Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from practice Wednesday with back and knee injuries Baltimore Ravens | Michael Pierce placed on injured reserve, leaving Ravens thin on defensive line Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens need defensive help. Here’s why they should trade for Jadeveon Clowney. | ANALYSIS “It’s just a repetition thing,” Hamilton said. “I can’t blame the coaches for wanting us to get out there on the JUGS [machine] and catch extra passes. I feel like it’s something we should do whether we’re dropping picks or we’re not dropping picks. Just make a habit of it.” The Pro Bowl safety acknowledged he was smarting after Browns quarterback Jameis Winston’s pass wiggled out of his grip, one play before Winston threw a game-winning touchdown strike. “I was pissed about it after the game,” Hamilton said. “I was probably the most mad out of anybody.” Have a news tip? Contact Childs Walker at daviwalker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6893 and x.com/ChildsWalker. View the full article

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen provided a simple explanation for making the quarterback change Wednesday. He wants to win now — and so do the Colts. One day after news broke that Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft, would be benched in favor of 39-year-old Joe Flacco, Steichen made his first public comments and acknowledged he made the decision for one reason, committing to Flacco for the foreseeable future. “It’s my obligation to 53 guys in this organization to win football games,” he said. “Right now, Joe Flacco gives us the best chance.” The 22-year-old Richardson has struggled with his performance and his health. His completion rate, 44.4%, is the worst in the NFL this season and he’s thrown four touchdown passes and seven interceptions. His nine total turnovers are tied for third most in the NFL despite sitting out two games with an injured right hip. Missing games is not a new phenomenon for Richardson, either. He’s sat out 15 of 25 career games and finished just five of his 10 career starts because of an assortment of injuries, including season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder last October. Then came Sunday. Houston (6-2) picked off one of Richardson’s poor throws deep in Colts territory in the final minute of the first half and quickly converted it into a touchdown. The Texans won 23-20 to take a two-game lead in the AFC South and sweep the season series from Indy (4-4). Worse yet, Richardson briefly left the game in the second half after tapping his helmet to signal he needed a breather. Though he returned on Indy’s next series, his decision to leave — on what Steichen said was going to be a handoff — was so heavily scrutinized, Richardson acknowledged he made a mistake though he didn’t say when he realized it was a mistake. “Regarding that play, I know I can’t do that as a leader, especially as a quarterback of this team,” Richardson said. “As a football player in general, I can’t necessarily just take myself out of the game like that, especially in key moments like that. But you live and you learn. You’ve just got to grow from it.” The result: Indy is benching one of the youngest, least-experienced quarterbacks in the league and going with one of the league’s oldest. Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has been benched 10 games into his NFL career. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez) Flacco, last year’s AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year and the Super Bowl 47 MVP, already has made two starts and is 2-1 in the three appearances with the Colts. He’s completed 71 of 108 passes (65.7%) with 716 yards, seven TDs and one interception and his quick decision-making has helped Indy’s offense stay on the field more consistently. And with the Colts still in the playoff mix, Flacco certainly appears capable of leading another team on a postseason run — just as he did with the Cleveland Browns last season. But his biggest contribution to helping Richardson’s growth may be providing insights only a few other NFL quarterbacks can. “The thing we have to remember here is Anthony is really young. I know that when I was that young, there’s no chance I would have been able to have the perspective and just the right head on my shoulders to handle it and take it the right way,” Flacco said. “Being this is my 17th year, I do have that perspective. So this doesn’t have to be a negative thing. There are a lot of positives on his end that can come from this.” Still, it’s a dramatic shift for Steichen, who just last week told reporters he needed to help Richardson with better play-calling. Back then, the Colts seemed intent to let Richardson learn from his miscues regardless of the results. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | WR Diontae Johnson on going from Panthers to Ravens: ‘Still don’t seem real to me’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens DBs stay after practice to catch extra balls: ‘Just a repetition thing’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson absent from practice Wednesday with back and knee injuries Baltimore Ravens | Michael Pierce placed on injured reserve, leaving Ravens thin on defensive line Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens need defensive help. Here’s why they should trade for Jadeveon Clowney. | ANALYSIS What changed? Steichen said the switch had nothing to do with Richardson taking himself out of Sunday’s game because he was “tired” and more to do with what was best for the Colts. Still, it caught the calm, unflappable Richardson off guard. “Of course, it hurts,” he said. “As a competitor, you definitely don’t want to be told that you’re not the guy anymore for the upcoming week, but it’s all good. I’m using this moment as an opportunity to grow and just learn from my mistakes.” So for now, it’s Flacco’s job to lose. “I’m fired up man,” Flacco said. “Anytime you get a chance to play football in this league, you have to count yourself as blessed. I really feel very fortunate to be with this team and be in this situation and I’m excited to get it done.” View the full article

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was not at practice Wednesday afternoon in Owings Mills. The absence is his second this season; he missed Baltimore’s first practice of the week following its loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener. This latest one comes three days after Baltimore’s stunning 29-24 loss to the Browns in Cleveland. Through eight games, Jackson has completed 66.9% of his passes for 2,099 yards and 17 touchdowns with two interceptions. He has also rushed for 501 yards and two scores in 81 carries and is the current front-runner to win his third and second straight NFL Most Valuable Player Award. Coach John Harbaugh is scheduled to meet with reporters at 3:30 p.m. following Wednesday’s practice. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens’ already beleaguered defense suffered another blow on Wednesday. Defensive tackle Michael Pierce has been placed on injured reserve, the team announced. The nine-year veteran will miss at least the next four games. Pierce, 31, suffered a calf injury in Baltimore’s loss to the Browns on Sunday in Cleveland. Already, Baltimore is dealing with several injuries along its defensive front. Brent Urban suffered a concussion on Sunday and defensive tackle Travis Jones is dealing with an ankle injury. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens need defensive help. Here’s why they should trade for Jadeveon Clowney. | ANALYSIS Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: What is your biggest area of concern for the Ravens? Baltimore Ravens | Colts benching Anthony Richardson to start Joe Flacco at quarterback Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ trade for Panthers WR Diontae Johnson Baltimore Ravens | Ravens trade for Panthers WR Diontae Johnson, bolstering top offense Pierce, who also missed the Ravens’ Week 4 win over the Buffalo Bills with a shoulder injury, has 15 tackles and one sack through seven games while playing behind Jones in the rotation. On Monday, the Ravens signed veteran nose tackle Josh Tupou, who spent much of the summer in Baltimore, to the practice squad. He could be a game-day elevation Sunday against the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Even before the Browns’ Jameis Winston unaffectedly lofted a game-winning 38-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds remaining Sunday in Cleveland, the Ravens, in the words of ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky a day later, had become “predictable.” The third time wasn’t the charm and neither was attempt No. 6. That’s how many consecutive plays Baltimore cover-zero blitzed Cleveland leading into and including on the one that led to Winston’s heroics to no avail. The Ravens came into that game with the league’s worst pass defense by any number of metrics. Down two starting cornerbacks (Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins) and one benched starting safety (Marcus Williams), repeatedly leaving the secondary on an island in man coverage was perhaps a dubious decision on its own. But first-year coordinator Zach Orr’s decision also exposed Baltimore in another, even more significant way. One season after boasting one of the league’s top pass rushes, the Ravens have been one of the worst when it comes to getting to the quarterback, and it’s having a trickle-down effect. Last year, the Ravens ranked ninth in the NFL in pressure rate. Through the first eight weeks of this season, they are 25th. Against the Browns, they had a pressure rate of just 18.6%, which was again among the lowest marks in the league. Consequently, Winston, making his first start since 2022, was kept clean on 76.7% of his snaps and completed 24 of 33 passes for 312 yards and three scores. Baltimore’s pass rush win rate is identical to what it was last season — 41%, per Next Gen Stats — and its 24 sacks are tied for fourth-most in the league, but that shades the truth. Kyle Van Noy has seven sacks and Odafe Oweh 4 1/2, while others have been far less effective. Defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, who had a career-high 13 sacks last season to land a four-year $98 million extension, has just two sacks. Outside linebacker David Ojabo, who was a healthy scratch in Cleveland, has just one across five games. Edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue has been only a minimal rotational contributor. The list goes on and so does the explanation. “A lot of the times if you look at the stats and all that … it’s not as consistently there as you’re going to want it to be,” coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “Some of that is the fact that we’ve played some really mobile quarterbacks who we’ve had to kind of cage rush a little bit. … But there’s also times on play action, especially on first down, where [Winston] held it, and that’s because you’re stopping the run first, and we weren’t stopping the run as well as we have. We’re playing run defense, and then you have to transition, and you have the bigger guys on the field. That’s when the time really kind of stacked up in terms of him being able to throw the ball in some of those deep windows – some of those chunk throws. “Maybe that’s somewhere where we have to do more blitzing – on first and second down.” And maybe that’s why general manager Eric DeCosta should perhaps get on the phone with Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan again before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. On Tuesday, the Ravens traded for Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson in a move that will bolster their already NFL-best offense. All it cost Baltimore was a draft-pick swap. Calling Morgan back to inquire about Panthers outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney feels like even more of a no-brainer. RavensKevin RichardsonOutside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney was productive for the Ravens last season. He’s a logical trade target for the Ravens to boost this year’s defense. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Of course, several contenders need a pass rusher, so pulling off the right deal for the 31-year-old veteran might be easier said than done. Plus, a shoulder injury kept him out of two games before he returned last week in Denver against the Broncos, who also are coincidentally the Ravens’ opponent this week. But reuniting a healthy Clowney with Baltimore makes too much sense. Last season for the Ravens, he matched his career high with 9 1/2 sacks and added 43 tackles, 23 pressures, nine tackles for loss, a career-best five passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He also set career highs in pass-rush win rate (16.8%) and pressure rate (15.4%), per PFF. Clowney is terrific against the run, having finished ninth among all edge players in run-stop rate (9.6%) last season, and he knows the scheme. He’s also affordable. After a big year in Baltimore last season, he signed a two-year, $20 million deal with Carolina. But with the Panthers having already paid the majority of his salary this year and only $2 million guaranteed next year, the Ravens could easily fit him under their tight salary cap with room to spare and only a minimal hit for cutting him next year. And, perhaps most importantly, a return to the Charm City could rejuvenate the former No. 1 overall pick, who has never reached a Super Bowl but helped the Ravens get to the cusp while also being a dependable contributor and affable locker room presence last season. “I hadn’t been here for 48 hours and thought I could fit,” Clowney told The Sun late last season. “Harbaugh is also a guy I’ve been a fan of my whole career.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | READER POLL: What is your biggest area of concern for the Ravens? Baltimore Ravens | Colts benching Anthony Richardson to start Joe Flacco at quarterback Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ trade for Panthers WR Diontae Johnson Baltimore Ravens | Ravens trade for Panthers WR Diontae Johnson, bolstering top offense Baltimore Ravens | This Ravens fan set out to kick a field goal in every Division I college football stadium Whether Harbaugh gets the chance to coach him again isn’t certain, but it’s likely DeCosta isn’t done maneuvering, either. In addition to an edge rusher, there are needs along a suddenly banged up and thin interior defensive line and at safety after Williams was benched and Eddie Jackson and Ar’Darius Washington struggled in his place. “I love our guys. I love our roster,” Harbaugh said this week. “I feel like our roster is really good, and I think every one of our guys is going to play really well down the stretch to the best of their ability.” What that roster looks like a week from now remains to be seen, but if the Ravens hope to get to where they want more changes could be coming. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens’ biggest issues were exposed in Sunday’s 29-24 loss to the Browns in Cleveland. We want to know your thoughts. Under the poll, tell us what you think and we might use your take in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

The Indianapolis Colts are benching Anthony Richardson to start Joe Flacco at quarterback on Sunday night at Minnesota, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. Both people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the team had not announced the change. Coach Shane Steichen said Monday he was “evaluating” whether Richardson would remain the starter — the first hint that a move might be coming for the 4-4 Colts. Richardson, the fourth pick in the 2023 NFL draft, was 10 of 32 passing and got sacked five times in a 23-20 loss to Houston over the weekend. He also drew outside criticism for taking himself out of the game for a play because he said he was tired. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ trade for Panthers WR Diontae Johnson Baltimore Ravens | Ravens trade for Panthers WR Diontae Johnson Baltimore Ravens | This Ravens fan set out to kick a field goal in every Division I college football stadium Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 8: ‘The Ravens’ biggest opponent is the Ravens’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens coach John Harbaugh will ‘turn over every stone’ to fix defensive issues Flacco came in relief earlier this season and started the next two games when Richardson was out with a right hip injury. The 39-year-old former Ravens star completed 71 of 108 passes for 716 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception, and Indianapolis went 2-1. The Colts are 2-3 in games Richardson has started and finished. The University of Florida product is 59 of 133 for 958 yards, four touchdowns and seven picks. Richardson joins Carolina’s Bryce Young as quarterbacks drafted in the top five last year who were benched for performance-related reasons. Young started for the Panthers in their most recent game after journeyman Andy Dalton was involved in a car crash, and the 2023 top pick threw for 224 yards in a 28-24 loss to Denver. This article will be updated. View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ trade for Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Tuesday ahead of next week’s deadline: Brian Wacker, reporter: On one hand, this is a shrewd move. Johnson is a solid wide receiver who is one of the league’s best separators and gives quarterback Lamar Jackson and an already high-powered offense yet another player defenses have to worry about as their greatest strength gets even stronger. It also cost the Ravens very, very little, especially since they’ll have a compensatory fifth-round draft pick to replace the fifth-rounder they sent the Panthers. On the other, it doesn’t (at least not yet) address their defensive woes, and there’s the issue of there being only one football to spread amongst many offensive weapons. Still, there’s little not to like about this deal and there should be only upside to it. Childs Walker, reporter: This wasn’t the move we expected from a team that already leads the league in passing efficiency. The Ravens need players who can break up deep balls more than they need another guy who can catch them. That said, Johnson has been a durable, productive receiver throughout his six-year career, and he’ll give Lamar Jackson another target who can punish blitzes and make plays in the red zone. The Ravens didn’t give up much to get him and better yet, they kept Johnson away from AFC rivals that might immediately plug him in as a starter. Jackson will have a lot of hands to feed, and this could lead to renewed questions about the size of Rashod Bateman’s role. But it’s a low-downside addition. Sam Cohn, reporter: That’s a good deal considering the Ravens gave up next to nothing to add a former Pro Bowl receiver and the Panthers are paying most of his salary. He’s 28 years old and has caught 30 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven games this season. Johnson only adds to what this team continually refers to as a “pick your poison” offense. That being said, the trade deadline is still a week away and it’s hard to imagine this being Baltimore’s lone move considering its floundering defense. Bennett Conlin, editor: Can Johnson play defensive back? If not, the trade isn’t a major needle-mover for Baltimore’s biggest need, but it does add to a high-powered offense. On a 1-10 scale considering only entertainment value, this hits close to a 10, though. The Ravens lead the NFL in passing efficiency, and now they’ve added a receiver to complement Zay Flowers and tight end Mark Andrews. This should only make Baltimore’s exhilarating offense even more enjoyable for fans. The move could mean fewer targets for Rashod Bateman, who dropped a pass off his face mask in Sunday’s loss to the Browns but has otherwise been solid this season. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Colts benching Anthony Richardson to start Joe Flacco at quarterback Baltimore Ravens | Ravens trade for Panthers WR Diontae Johnson Baltimore Ravens | This Ravens fan set out to kick a field goal in every Division I college football stadium Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 8: ‘The Ravens’ biggest opponent is the Ravens’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens coach John Harbaugh will ‘turn over every stone’ to fix defensive issues C.J. Doon, editor: If you ranked the Ravens’ needs entering this trade deadline, wide receiver would have been behind pass rusher, cornerback and safety. There are already enough mouths to feed with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely on the field, and the Ravens’ passing offense hasn’t exactly been struggling with Lamar Jackson enjoying another MVP-level season. But, man, adding Diontae Johnson to the mix gives the Ravens’ offense yet another playmaker defenses need to account for in this “pick-your-poison” attack. Nelson Agholor has been a productive and valuable veteran on this team for two seasons, but he simply doesn’t have the same juice running routes and picking up yards after the catch as Johnson, who is an elite separator down the field as measured by ESPN’s Open Score. I doubt general manager Eric DeCosta is done looking for help before next Tuesday’s deadline given the state of the defense. But perhaps the best defense this season is a great offense. It’s hard to envision many teams — even the Chiefs, Bills and Texans, who just lost Stefon Diggs for the season with a torn ACL — being able to outscore the Ravens in the postseason when they’re firing on all cylinders. Keeping Johnson from going to one of those teams is also a huge benefit for Baltimore. And when you consider the cost — just a fifth-round pick while also getting what should be an early sixth-round pick from lowly Carolina — this was a no-brainer. Well done. View the full article

The Ravens are loading up on offense. Baltimore is trading for Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday. In exchange, Carolina will get a fifth-round draft pick in 2025, while sending its sixth-round pick to the Ravens in a pick swap. Johnson, a 2021 Pro Bowl selection who spent his first five years in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, has 30 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns this season. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

When Josh Pokrywka and his friends — all die-hard Ravens fans and road-trip junkies — drove to New Orleans for Super Bowl 47, they made a pitstop in Knoxville, Tennessee, drawn by curiosity to one of college football’s most historic stadiums. It was after dusk but the lights were still on and a door unlocked, so they moseyed right in. Pokrywka tossed around a football at midfield. He felt the orange checkered end zones under his toes. And as his eyes surveyed around the 100,000 seats of Neyland Stadium, an idea was born. “How easy it was to just kind of get on there and get to live out some of our childhood dreams of being on fields like that because, unfortunately, we’re not [Division I] athletes,” Pokrywka said. “I wanted to kind of see if others were the same.” Then in 2021, on a road trip helping a friend move across the country, he added a new layer of difficulty: make a field goal. And now, Pokrywka, 31 and living in Baltimore, is setting out to (legally) sneak into every Division I college football stadium in the country and kick one through the uprights. Pokrywka will take a Friday off from his day job as a loan advisor and plan a long weekend road trip. Usually, there’s a major sporting event he’s working around — like in December when he hit 11 stadiums en route to Jacksonville for a Ravens vs. Jaguars game on “Sunday Night Football.” His wanderlust leads him to as many stadiums as possible in a short window. “I try to build in an hour for each stadium,” said Pokrywka, who has over 150,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok as @bigggjenk. “You never know how easy it’s gonna be to get into some of these places but, especially the bigger ones, I want to enjoy the stadium for its uniqueness and beauty.” Football and kicking tee in hand, Pokrywka starts circling the perimeter looking for an open gate. There’s always one. He wears sneakers so as not to damage the grass and defaults to a 40-yard field goal — 30 if he’s pressed for time. “I’ll take a 30-second stretch and just rip it,” Pokrywka said. The Owings Mills native and University of Maryland alumnus who hasn’t missed a home Ravens game since 2006 has successfully maneuvered onto, and made a field goal at, 120 DI football fields, split between 66 Football Bowl Subdivision and 54 Football Championship Subdivision schools. Each comes with its own harrowing tale. LSU was a fortress that required two full laps before finding an unlocked entry point. In the two years since he started this hobby religiously, South Carolina’s William-Brice Stadium was the only field he surrendered after hours of searching for a way in. Pokrywka nearly got stuck overnight at Southern Mississippi, set his personal record (52 yards) at Kansas, made a kick on a dirt field in Alaska while wearing a Ray Lewis jersey and took a side quest on an engagement trip only to be escorted out of a Gaelic football stadium in Ireland. Josh Pokrywka hasn’t missed a home Ravens game since 2006. His dad, Greg, has season tickets dating back to the 1990s. Their love of football and travel has been a foundational part of their relationship, making at least one road trip for a game each year. (Courtesy of Josh Pokrywka) Perhaps the craziest run-in was at the University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium. “That was the scariest for me,” Josh’s mom, Helene, said. Because of the heat and the long walk, she opted to wait outside while her son ventured onto the field. He got in fairly quickly and sank the kick. Then security noticed. If he ever came back, they said, they’d arrest him. Josh complied, got back to the car and realized his keys were not in his pocket. They were still on the field and the only way to get them back would be if Helene went in. But Josh couldn’t remember where exactly they were. “I’m just ready to have a panic attack,” Helene said. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 8: ‘The Ravens’ biggest opponent is the Ravens’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens coach John Harbaugh will ‘turn over every stone’ to fix defensive issues Baltimore Ravens | Ravens coach John Harbaugh mum on benched safety Marcus Williams’ future role Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 29-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens’ poor secondary could derail Super Bowl dreams | COMMENTARY She got inside and went down the steps toward the field. The whole time she’s sobbing, thinking, “If I don’t find these keys, we’re screwed.” It only took about 10 minutes of searching before she found them and escaped in one piece. That story is immortalized with Josh’s video titled, “How did my mom end up in Georgia’s end zone by herself?” He’s become a kicking enthusiast over the past few years — dropping everything and calling for his fiancee to come see any critical kick on TV. Naturally, Ravens veteran Justin Tucker is Josh’s favorite. He also admires Brandon Aubrey of the Dallas Cowboys and thinks he could be the first to connect from 70 yards. Josh’s affinity for road trips stems from his upbringing. He grew up in a close-knit family that was always on the go — camping, visiting family and seeing other parts of the country. There’s at least one Ravens away game every year. “We’re no fair-weather fans,” Josh’s dad, Greg, said, having faithfully sat through snow and rain. This passion project is a perfect amalgamation of Josh’s love for football and travel, taking him all over the map and putting him on grass (or turf) beyond his wildest childhood dreams. “It’s really amazing to think I’m just there by myself when other people have been here in these 100,000-person raucous environments,” Josh said. “It’s almost therapeutic when you’re able to sit there and just be by yourself in the silence of a giant stadium.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Each week of the NFL season, The Baltimore Sun will recap the best and worst from around the league. Here are our winners and losers from Week 8: Loser: Ravens Bill Belichick was right. Speaking on the “The Pat McAfee Show” earlier this month — and later reiterating those comments on the “ManningCast” for Ravens vs. Buccaneers — the seven-time Super Bowl champion coach said “the Ravens’ biggest opponent is the Ravens.” “They just can’t let themselves beat themselves,” Belichick said. “When they’re hitting on all cylinders and they’ve got it going right, it really looks good. They’ve just got to find that consistency and eliminate some of the things that they’ve done that put themselves in a hole more than what the opponent has done to them.” Well, the Ravens beat themselves again Sunday in a 29-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Whether it was dropped interceptions, dropped passes, a failure to pressure quarterback Jameis Winston or poor coverage in the secondary, the Ravens couldn’t secure what should have been an easy win over a team that failed to score 20 points in each of its seven games. This was a Cleveland offense with a new starting quarterback in Winston and new play-caller in Ken Dorsey, and the Ravens were playing without injured cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins. That said, Cedric Tillman should not have been as open as he was for the game-winning 38-yard touchdown pass with 59 seconds left, and Winston should not have had as much time to throw as he did with the Ravens rushing seven players. In his first start since 2022, the 30-year-old journeyman threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns and was sacked just twice. So far, attempts to fix the defense haven’t worked. The Ravens (5-3) brought in free agent pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, hired former defensive coordinator Dean Pees as an adviser and benched safety Marcus Williams on Sunday in favor of Ar’Darius Washington and Eddie Jackson, yet they still rank among the league’s worst in terms of defending the pass and pressuring the quarterback. It’s a complete failure for a unit that is running out of excuses under new coordinator Zach Orr. “We’re going to continue to turn over every stone with our defense and with every other part of our team, too, to get as good as we can get it over the course of a long season,” coach John Harbaugh said Monday. The defense isn’t the only problem. The Ravens rank second in the league in penalties (63) and penalty yards (549), and the special teams have taken a dramatic step back from their usual spot near the top of the league. Harbaugh was critical of some mistakes there Sunday, including three penalties on kickoff returns and a fair catch at the 6-yard line by Tylan Wallace on a fourth-quarter punt. Justin Tucker is now a bad bet on 50-plus-yard kicks. One loss to Cleveland, as bad as it was, won’t derail this season. But if the defense can’t solve its biggest issues before the postseason, the Ravens could be in for another disappointing finish. Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown, right, celebrates his game-winning touchdown reception on a Hail Mary against the Bears with Terry McLaurin on Sunday in Landover. (Scott Taetsch/Getty) Winner: Washington Commanders The legend of Jayden Daniels keeps growing. The rookie quarterback launched a Hail Mary as time expired Sunday that bounced off a crowd of players at the goal line and landed perfectly in the hands of Noah Brown for a 52-yard touchdown, completing a stunning 18-15 win over the Chicago Bears and setting off a wild celebration in Landover. “That’s kind of like a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Daniels, who has led Washington to a 6-2 start and first place in the NFC East. The buzzer-beating finish overshadowed what was a mediocre day on offense for the Commanders and their young star, who played through a rib injury he suffered last week that cast doubt on his availability right up until game time. Washington went 0-for-3 in the red zone and 5-for-15 on third down and settled for four field goals from Austin Seibert, an uncharacteristically poor performance for the league’s top scoring offense. “I’m happy that we won, but at the end of the day I know there’s a lot that we left out there, a lot that we could continue to get better from,” said Daniels, who still finished 21 of 38 for 326 yards while rushing eight times for 52 yards. “We’ve got to clean some stuff up on the offensive side. We’ve got to clean up some stuff — penalties, communication. We won the game, so it’s always better on a win.” He left quite an impression on his teammates as well. Perhaps forgotten in the euphoria of the victory are the 11-yard pass to Zach Ertz and the 13-yard completion to Terry McLaurin in the final seconds that put Washington in position to try the Hail Mary. “We’re blessed to have ‘5’ leading this team: The things he can do is special,” Brown said. “I wouldn’t want to play with any other quarterback.” Loser: Chicago Bears The Commanders’ miracle win included plenty of help from the Bears, including on that final play. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had his back turned when Washington snapped the ball because he was focused on interacting with fans in the crowd. He eventually sprinted over after Daniels scrambled for 13 seconds and released the ball from his own 35-yard line, joining the mob of players at the goal line as the ball arrived. Coach Matt Eberflus said Stevenson was supposed to block out Brown, who ended up being uncovered when he caught the tipped pass in the end zone. Stevenson later apologized to his teammates and addressed the team during a meeting Monday. “I let the moment get too big and it’s something that can never happen again and won’t ever happen again,” he said. But that wasn’t the only mistake the Bears (4-3) made Sunday. Facing third-and-goal from the 1-yard line earlier in the fourth quarter, Chicago inexplicably handed the ball to offensive lineman Doug Kramer, an occasional blocking fullback in goal-line situations who had never carried the ball in the NFL. Kramer predictably muffed the handoff from rookie Caleb Williams, and the Commanders recovered the fumble to preserve a 12-7 lead. The Bears forced a quick punt and scored the go-ahead touchdown with 25 seconds left — handing the ball to running back Roschon Johnson at the goal line this time — but the damage had been done. Perhaps the Hail Mary was karmic justice for a team with the hubris to hand the ball to an offensive lineman with the game on the line, a truly unprecedented blunder. According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, there are no examples of a player who weighs at least 300 pounds scoring a rushing touchdown in a situation when his team was trailing. The Lions at least had the good sense to wait until they had put away the Cowboys earlier this season before trying to get one of their offensive linemen to score. Leave the fun plays to Detroit, Chicago. The return of Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, left, helped quarterback Matt Stafford have his best game of the season. (Ryan Sun/AP) Winner: Los Angeles Rams Things were not looking good for the Rams entering Thursday night. Los Angeles was 2-4 and facing calls for wide receiver Cooper Kupp and perhaps even quarterback Matthew Stafford to get traded before next Tuesday’s deadline. Fellow receiver Puka Nacua had been out since getting injured in Week 1, and Kupp hadn’t played since Week 2. Only a thrilling comeback against the 49ers and a win over the lowly Raiders had kept the Rams afloat. Then both star receivers returned, and Los Angeles looked like a team that could contend for a playoff spot and potentially a division title in a 30-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Nacua caught seven passes for 106 yards, looking every bit the dynamic player who set the NFL rookie receiving record with 1,486 yards last season. Kupp had five catches for 51 yards and a score, and Stafford finished with 279 yards and four touchdowns after throwing just three touchdown passes in the first six games combined. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens coach John Harbaugh will ‘turn over every stone’ to fix defensive issues Baltimore Ravens | Ravens coach John Harbaugh mum on benched safety Marcus Williams’ future role Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 29-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens’ poor secondary could derail Super Bowl dreams | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Browns QB Jameis Winston quotes Eminem after leading stunning win over Ravens “They brought a lot of energy to our team, and a ton of confidence,” Stafford said. “It’s not only just the offense. I know the defense feels it too when those guys are out there making plays.” The defense did benefit from a missed facemask call against Byron Young on his sack of Sam Darnold in the end zone for a safety that effectively ended the game, but it was unlikely that Minnesota would have been able to drive for a touchdown and a game-tying 2-point conversion with 1:46 left and no timeouts. The Rams sacked Darnold three times and limited the Vikings’ explosive offense to just two field goals in the final three quarters. Now, Los Angeles (3-4) sits just one game behind the 49ers, Cardinals and Seahawks in a crowded NFC West race that could go down to the wire. Aaron Donald might be gone, but seeing Stafford, Kupp and Nacua all healthy and playing well with a chance to compete for another Super Bowl title under coach Sean McVay is a treat. “I believe in this group,” McVay said. “I saw resolve. I didn’t see a flinch. … We’ve done a good job of getting ourselves back to where we wanted to be.” Have a news tip? Contact C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

The Ravens have signed a free agent pass rusher, hired a defensive-minded consultant with a game-day role and benched a highly paid safety. Their defense is still performing among the league’s worst. Coach John Harbaugh did not sidestep the notion of further changes. “Depends what kind of changes are available to us,” he said. “We’re going to continue to turn over every stone on defense. … We’ll do whatever we can do.” Through eight weeks, the Ravens (5-3) have given up the most total air yards on completions (1,177) and are tied for first in passing touchdowns allowed (17). They’ve given up the most completed passes (207) on the most attempts (308) for the most first downs (123). And they’re 21st in takeaways, all under first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr. That’s a pretty stark contrast from a team that only a year ago became the first to lead the NFL in points allowed, sacks and takeaways in a single season. And it’s a poor complement to perhaps the league’s top offense. In their 29-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, the Ravens dropped three interceptions, according to Pro Football Focus. Two slipped through Eddie Jackson’s fingers and a third — the most consequential that would have iced a sixth straight Ravens win — pinballed between Kyle Hamilton’s arms and legs before tumbling to the turf. It was an agonizing end to an otherwise sound day from Hamilton, who starred among a depleted defense against a bottom-of-the-barrel Browns offense. Hamilton’s drop came just outside the game’s final minute. The next play, Browns receiver Cedric Tillman dusted Jackson and caught a 38-yard pass from Jameis Winston for the eventual game-winning touchdown. When asked about how his defensive backs can translate catching on the JUGS machine to in-game interceptions, Harbaugh sounded as if he, too, was struggling to come to grips with the glaring issue. “There are probably a lot of factors that are pretty hard to measure on that,” he said, “but we lead the league in drops. It’s no secret.” According to Fantasy Football analyst Ian Hartitz, there has been only one other instance of an NFL team dropping three potential picks this season. It was Baltimore in Week 4 against the Buffalo Bills. The Ravens defense has eight total drops on the season, while no other team has more than five. “Man, those are huge opportunities,” Harbaugh said. “That’s low-hanging fruit.” Ravens safety Eddie Jackson, left, dropped two interceptions Sunday against the Browns. (Jason Miller/Getty) Baltimore’s secondary was playing without its takeaways leader Marlon Humphrey (knee) and rookie Nate Wiggins, who Harbaugh said did not travel because of an illness. Safety Marcus Williams was benched for Ar’Darius Washington but the veteran coach declined to offer further details. Tillman’s earlier touchdown — his first of two, part of the best outing of his young career — came on the heels of another Ravens defensive blunder. There was miscommunication at the line of scrimmage that left Odafe Oweh sprinting to the opposite end as Winston snapped the ball. Tillman caught a quick slant over the middle, shed a Jackson tackle and scurried into the end zone to give Cleveland the lead back late in the third quarter. “We’ve had a few of those this year,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve got to do a much better job of that. … It’s what defenses face nowadays in the NFL. There’s a lot of moving parts to the offenses and we’re trying to match personnel and match formations. You got to be on point and we’re not on point with that play.” How and when the Ravens blitz was another point Harbaugh said they’ll take a good long look at. He said he’s been happy with the pass rush — which is top five in the league in sacks with 24. And to the Ravens’ credit, their bottom-10 blitz percentage (18.6%) is somewhat a byproduct of playing a murderer’s row of mobile quarterbacks. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens coach John Harbaugh mum on benched safety Marcus Williams’ future role Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 29-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens’ poor secondary could derail Super Bowl dreams | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Browns QB Jameis Winston quotes Eminem after leading stunning win over Ravens Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 29-24 loss to Browns | COMMENTARY That was not the case Sunday against Winston, who was making his first start since September 2022. Baltimore also played most of Sunday’s loss without nose tackle Michael Pierce and defensive end Brent Urban. Pierce exited in the first half with a calf injury. Urban suffered a concussion on his lone snap of the day. And Travis Jones played only 15 defensive snaps while still dealing with an ankle injury. Even behind an undermanned front, Harbaugh lamented the frequency with which Winston was able to hold onto the ball and make a play. They weren’t containing the run against Cleveland, which opened the door for Winston to make chunk throws. “Maybe that’s somewhere where we have to do more blitzing — on first and second down,” Harbaugh said. “We did some. Zach called a couple edge blitzes that got there. We’ll be looking real hard at that. … It’s a big part of our defense, and the execution part of it, for the most part, has been good, but there have been plenty of times where it hasn’t been good. I do think it’s part of the learning curve.” On Monday, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovksy made note of Orr calling all-out blitzes on six straight plays to end the game. Orlovsky might agree with the need to turn over a few more stones, having called Baltimore’s defense “predictable.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Ravens coach John Harbaugh called struggling starting safety Marcus Williams’ benching for Sunday’s game against the Browns in Cleveland a “personnel decision” and more quizzically “an internal” one. A day after the 28-year-old veteran never so much as reached for his helmet much less made his way onto the field in the Browns’ stunning 29-24 upset, the coach declined to elaborate. “I don’t really have anything else to say about that,” Harbaugh said when asked Monday to clarify what he meant about calling it an internal matter. “There’s a lot of things going on all the time. A lot of it’s kind of our business. It kind of belongs in-house. “It’s between us and it’s not something that we need to tell everybody everything about. I don’t think you’re telling everybody about your family business. … There’s some things we could choose to keep to ourselves and that’s gonna be one of them. I never get up here and talk about why we put guys up and put guys down. I never have. I’m probably not going to start doing that now.” What role Williams, whom the Ravens signed to a five-year, $70 million contract in 2022 that made him the fourth-highest paid safety in the NFL, will play going forward also remains a mystery. Asked if his benching was limited to just the Browns game and if he would be on the field this week against the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium, Harbaugh declined to say. He also declined to explain why he simply wasn’t inactive if he had no plans to play him, which had been the case all week. This, less than two weeks removed from what defensive coordinator Zach Orr said was Williams’ best week of practice all season going into Baltimore’s Week 7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yet, six days later, he never left the sideline. When Williams has played, he has struggled mightily. He ranks 76th out of 85 qualifying safeties, according to Pro Football Focus, with an overall grade of 48.9 and a coverage grade of 46.8. He has also allowed a passer rating of 143.9 and surrendered 16.3 yards per catch. But even with Williams riding the pine, the Ravens’ floundering secondary — which was also without starting cornerback Marlon Humphrey and rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins because of injury — was no less leaky than it had been all season. Asked if safety Marcus Williams’ benching was limited to just the Browns game and if he would be on the field this week against the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium, Ravens coach John Harbaugh declined to say. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) With a safety trio of Kyle Hamilton, Eddie Jackson and Ar’Darius Washington, along with Brandon Stephens and Jalyn Armour-Davis at cornerback, Cleveland quarterback Jameis Winston completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns. That included a 38-yard bomb to a wide-open Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds remaining for the game-winner after he inexplicably got behind Jackson on a cover zero blitz. It didn’t help, either, that Ravens defensive backs dropped at least three would-be interceptions, including two by Jackson and one by Hamilton one play before the completion to Tillman. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens coach John Harbaugh will ‘turn over every stone’ to fix defensive issues Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 29-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens’ poor secondary could derail Super Bowl dreams | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Browns QB Jameis Winston quotes Eminem after leading stunning win over Ravens Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 29-24 loss to Browns | COMMENTARY “That’s where you could make a huge difference in your play — how many fewer plays you have to play, how many fewer scoring opportunities they have, the difference in points; it’s massive,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll make those plays. … We’ve got guys with good hands. They could catch the ball. I’m very confident that we’re going to do it going forward, but I’d like to see it happen real soon.” Whether Williams will be back on the field soon, however, remains a mystery for now, though Harbaugh continues to be resolute. “I’ll just reiterate what I said before; Marcus is a heck of a player,” he said. “I have the utmost confidence in him as a player, as a person, as a pro. … I anticipate him playing great football for us all season and very soon.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article