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NFL teams can’t win Super Bowls in September, but history suggests they can play themselves out of contention for one before the calendar flips to October. Since the NFL playoffs expanded to 14 teams in 2020, 32 franchises have started the season 0-2. Only two of those 32 teams (6.25%) — Cincinnati in 2022 and Houston in 2023 — made the postseason. Just five of the 32 teams finished the season with a winning record. Only three teams (1993 Dallas Cowboys, 2001 New England Patriots and 2007 New York Giants) have ever won the Super Bowl after an 0-2 start. For the Ravens, Sunday’s collapse against the Raiders sets up what could be viewed as a must-win game against the Dallas Cowboys, who are early 1 1/2-point favorites in the matchup, next Sunday afternoon. Since 1979, only six teams have made the postseason after starting the season 0-3. Only one team since 2000 — the 2018 Texans — has made the postseason after going winless in its first three games. No Super Bowl champion has ever started a season 0-3. Ravens coach John Harbaugh didn’t share the same level of dread as the stats do when asked about the 0-2 start in Sunday’s postgame news conference. “We define our season,” Harbaugh said. “We’re not gonna be defined by everybody that’s gonna say that we’re not any good. That we’re done. That the season’s over after two games. That’s what’s gonna be said, but they’re not here. They’re not inside. No one inside is going to say that.” While Harbaugh can point to Cincinnati and Houston as recent examples of success after sluggish starts, a bad start is largely uncharted territory for the longtime coach. This season marks Baltimore’s first 0-2 start since 2015 when it began 0-3 and finished the season 5-11. There’s not much institutional knowledge about starting 0-2, although current defensive coordinator Zach Orr was a rookie linebacker playing on Baltimore’s 2015 team. Outside of their 0-2 start in 2015, the Ravens usually start the season fast under Harbaugh’s watch. That’s been especially true with Lamar Jackson starting at quarterback. Since Jackson’s first full season as Baltimore’s starter in 2019, the Ravens had been 8-2 in the first two weeks of the season. The lone losses came against Las Vegas in 2021 and Miami in 2022. The Ravens squandered fourth-quarter leads in both of those defeats. Sunday’s blown lead was particularly demoralizing, with Las Vegas having lost 49 consecutive games when trailing by 10 or more points in the fourth quarter. Baltimore led by 10 in the final quarter, with a 1-1 start well within its grasp. Finishing out the Raiders would’ve squashed September questions about qualifying for the postseason. Instead, players explained to reporters how they plan to rally after joining teams such as the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers with a winless first two weeks. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens blame another late collapse on sloppiness, penalties: ‘It’s time to sharpen it all up’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Odafe Oweh on his performance | VIDEO Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Derrick Henry: ‘We definitely don’t want to be 0-2’ | VIDEO Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Justin Tucker on missing key field goal | VIDEO Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens wilt under pressure, and things could get ugly | COMMENTARY “There’s no way we should be 0-2, but hey, it is what it is,” middle linebacker Roquan Smith said. Baltimore’s immediate path forward isn’t easy. The Ravens’ next two games (at Dallas and vs. Buffalo) come against 2023 playoff teams, and a road game against division rival Cincinnati follows. Even with challenging games ahead and the meltdown against Las Vegas, the Ravens believe they can buck the trend by becoming one of the few NFL teams to start 0-2 and make the postseason. Entering Sunday, they had a 60% chance to make the playoffs according to ESPN Analytics and a 73% chance according to The Athletic — the highest among 0-1 teams. “We’ve got to take care of our business, take care of our work,” Harbaugh said. “We know that we’re a good football team.” View the full article

Here’s how the Ravens (0-2) graded out at every position after losing their home opener, 26-23, to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. Quarterback Lamar Jackson finished with a passer rating of 81.4 as he completed 21 of 34 passes for 247 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but he missed several long throws and the Ravens could have picked up more yards after the catch if he were more accurate hitting wide-open receivers. Jackson did enough to keep the Ravens in the game, especially with his legs when the protection broke down as he rushed for 45 yards. But on the Ravens’ final three possessions in the fourth quarter, the offense managed to pick up only one first down and Jackson looked lost at times. There was no Lamar Jackson magic on Sunday. Grade: C- Running backs The Ravens had no answers for Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby in the first half, but they started to double-team and chip Crosby in the second half, which slowed down his penetration. Derrick Henry revved up the running game in the second half, especially running left. The key is allowing Henry to get to the line of scrimmage with his shoulder pads squared. He played well in his role as a closer, finishing with 84 yards on 18 carries. Backup Justice Hill had four attempts for 22 yards but wasn’t much of a passing threat out of the backfield. The problem, though, is that if Henry doesn’t get a big chunk of yards on first down, the Ravens are in trouble. Grade: C+ Offensive line Guards Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele struggled in pass protection, but that’s nothing new. Both improved from the season opener in Kansas City, but those two will be a problem all season. Right tackle Patrick Mekari struggled against Crosby, which was expected, but what took the Ravens so long to get him some help? Rookie Roger Rosengarten played better against Crosby, but the Ravens did provide him more help after the first quarter. Both center Tyler Linderbaum and left tackle Ronnie Stanley played well, and the Ravens might become more of a left-handed team with Henry running behind Stanley. But in crunch time, Ravens had no answer for Crosby, who either won his one-on-one battles on the outside or looped around to beat Faalele on the inside. Grade: D Receivers Like a week ago, it took the Ravens a while to get all of their pass catchers involved in the offense. Once that happened in the second half, Baltimore started to pull away, but the Ravens couldn’t handle the pressure from the Raiders’ pass rush. Receiver Rashod Bateman and tight end Isiah Likely each had big second-half catches and the Ravens got tight end Mark Andrews involved early as he finished with four catches for 51 yards. Second-year receiver Zay Flowers was a difference-maker with seven catches for 91 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Grade: C Defensive line This group was dominant in the first half, holding the Raiders to 4 rushing yards and 43 total yards, but Las Vegas finished with 260 total yards. The Ravens needed the offense to chew up some clock, but they lost the time of possession battle 30:43 to 29:17. The Ravens recorded five sacks and got pressure from linemen Nnamdi Madubuike, Brent Urban and Travis Jones, who finished with three tackles each, but the Raiders took advantage of good field position on their final three scoring drives. Las Vegas went to the play-action passing game and the Ravens had no answer. Grade: B Linebackers The Ravens finally got some pressure on the edge from outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy (two sacks, three pressures) and Odafe Oweh (2 1/2 sacks, three pressures). They also got inside pressure from Madubuike and even Jones, but in the end they looked like the Raiders of a week ago. With no offense, Las Vegas’ defense wore down against the Chargers, and that’s what happened to the Ravens on Sunday. Roquan Smith led the team with 11 tackles and Oweh had five, but the Raiders’ play-action passing game slowed the Ravens’ pass rush, particularly in the second half. Grade: B+ Secondary The Ravens shut down the Raiders’ small ball passing game in the first half, but they couldn’t counter the Raiders’ play-action passing game in the second. Las Vegas often went to its two top receivers, rookie tight end Brock Bowers (nine catches for 98 yards) and All-Pro receiver Davante Adams (nine catches for 110 yards), with most of the damage coming in the second half. The Ravens looked tired, particularly cornerbacks Brandon Stephens and Marlon Humphrey. Starting safety Kyle Hamilton missed several tackles and appears to be struggling with a shoulder injury. Regardless, when the Ravens needed to come up big in crunch time, they didn’t deliver. There is something still missing on the back end of the defense as far as scheme or communication. Grade: C Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens fall to 0-2 with stunning 26-23 loss to Raiders in home opener Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 26-23 loss to Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2 Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders game briefly halted after chain gang member collapses on sideline Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders, September 15, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders live updates: Reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 26-23 loss in home opener Special teams At the beginning of last season, the Ravens couldn’t make proper decisions on when to return kickoff and punts, and they have the same problem this year. Justin Tucker missed a 56-yard field goal attempt, which sailed wide left. The biggest mistake might have come near the end of the game when Jordan Stout shanked a 24-yard punt, which allowed the Raiders to start their game-winning drive at the Baltimore 43-yard line with 2:21 remaining. For years, special teams have helped carry the Ravens, but those units need to improve from here on out. Grade: C Coaching The Ravens started off strong, but M&T Bank Stadium lacked energy. There were a lot of empty seats and a lot of Raiders fans behind the Las Vegas bench. Coach John Harbaugh failed on two challenges, and the Ravens didn’t make any serious adjustments on offense or defense in the second half. Despite the NFL being a pass-happy league, the game is still won on the offensive and defensive lines. If there are weaknesses, the coaches have to make adjustments, and the Ravens haven’t made any in the first two games. Losing to the Raiders in the home opener is almost unforgivable. Grade: D View the full article

On a warm and sun-splashed afternoon Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, the pomp and pageantry of the Ravens’ home opener had all the promise of a perhaps majestic performance for the heavily favored hosts with the NFL’s two-time Most Valuable Player, Lamar Jackson, and two-time league rushing leader, Derrick Henry. If only. Baltimore’s performance against an overmatched but gritty Raiders team belied the setting, leaving the Ravens still searching for their first win of the young season. Behind 110 yards and a touchdown from wide receiver Davante Adams, 98 yards on nine catches from rookie tight end Brock Bowers and a 38-yard field goal with 31 seconds remaining from Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Ravens, 26-23, in front of a crowd of 70,762. The victory moved the Raiders to 1-1, while Baltimore fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2015. Just as crushing for the Ravens was what could have been. After holding the Raiders to just 43 yards in the first half — their fewest in a first half since 2015 — and taking a 16-6 lead early in the third quarter, Baltimore struggled to move the ball down the stretch and couldn’t stop the Raiders from doing so. On the Raiders’ opening possession of the second half and trailing by 10, they marched 45 yards to Baltimore’s 25-yard line, aided by a 25-yard completion to Bowers. On 4th-and-2, Minshew’s end zone fade to Adams came up short, landing near the receiver’s feet with the three-time All-Pro unable to secure it as it hit off his hands and fell harmlessly to the ground. But two plays later, the Ravens gave it right back to the Raiders, with a pass from Jackson to Rashod Bateman in tight coverage in the middle of the field deflected off the receiver and into the hands of linebacker Robert Spillane. Jackson finished with 292 total yards, one passing touchdown and the interception. That led to an eventual 1-yard touchdown plunge by running back Alexander Mattison to cut the Ravens’ lead to three. Baltimore responded with a touchdown of its own, thanks largely to the running of Henry, who scored from 3 yards out. Henry averaged 4.7 yards per carry Sunday, tallying 84 yards on 18 rush attempts. But the 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter eventually faded away. Carlson added another field goal on Las Vegas’ next possession, and a 1-yard touchdown catch by Adams from Gardner Minshew II that was set up because of a pass interference penalty on Brandon Stephens tied the score at 23. Baltimore committed 11 penalties for 109 yards. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 26-23 loss to Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2 Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders game briefly halted after chain gang member collapses on sideline Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders, September 15, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders live updates: Reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 26-23 loss in home opener Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy ‘optimistic’ he’ll face Raiders; Chiefs trainer reaches out to ‘clear the air’ After Baltimore failed again to move the ball on its next possession and punter Jordan Stout had a 24-yard punt, the Raiders drove 23 yards on six plays to set up Carlson for the winning kick. It’s the Ravens’ 11th loss in the past five seasons when leading by seven or more points in the fourth quarter, the most in the NFL over that span. The Raiders, meanwhile, had lost 49 in a row when trailing by 10 or more points in the fourth quarter. Only two of 32 teams to start 0-2 have made the postseason since the playoffs expanded to 14 teams in 2020, according to the Boston Globe. Only five of those squads finished the season with a winning record. This article will be updated. Week 3 Ravens at Cowboys Sunday, 4:25 p.m. TV: FOX Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 26-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Sunday’s home opener at M&T Bank Stadium. Brian Wacker, reporter: The Ravens’ offense is still searching for an identity, and their offensive line is still figuring out how or even if it can block elite edge rushers. Baltimore couldn’t stop Maxx Crosby all day and paid for it. Then the Ravens’ own defense couldn’t find a way to contain Davante Adams or rookie tight end Brock Bowers when it had to. Derrick Henry got rolling eventually, but was hardly dominant. Zay Flowers had a touchdown catch, but the Ravens’ receiving corps mostly struggled to have much of an impact — and that includes tight ends Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews. With Dallas and Buffalo on tap, that’s not a great sign. Childs Walker, reporter: The Ravens wasted too many opportunities early, and their defense went from overwhelming to overwhelmed in a wildly disappointing home loss. Somehow, their season feels in peril after two weeks. The Ravens dominated the first half, piling up 174 yards to the Raiders’ 43, but led just 9-6 because of their inefficiency on third down and another Justin Tucker miss from 50 yards or more (he had plenty of distance but pushed it left all the way). Las Vegas’ top pass rusher, Maxx Crosby, gave the right side of their line fits early in the game, but the Ravens adjusted, in part by adding an extra blocker on obvious passing downs and in part by subbing rookie Roger Rosengarten for Patrick Mekari. On defense, the Ravens bottled up the Raiders’ running game and punished quarterback Gardner Minshew when he took extra time to look downfield. Outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy (playing 10 days after he fractured his orbital bone) stood out. The Ravens kept the Raiders in the game when Lamar Jackson’s pass to a tightly covered Rashod Bateman was deflected and intercepted, setting up a 46-yard touchdown drive. That’s the formula for not finishing off a lesser opponent. They did come up with a bully-ball answer, handing off to Derrick Henry five times for 34 yards on a touchdown drive that pushed the lead to 23-13. This was the reason they brought Henry to Baltimore. But the Raiders proved difficult to put away. The Ravens could not cover wide receiver Davante Adams or rookie tight end Brock Bowers on a game-tying touchdown drive, and right guard Daniel Faalele couldn’t keep Crosby from slamming Jackson to the ground when they had a chance to answer. Mike Preston, columnist: The sky is falling on the Ravens’ season, and it’s only Week 2. Baltimore lost to the Raiders in a game in which it had superior talent. The Ravens should have won easily but fell apart in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter. There can be no excuses. The Ravens were dull offensively in the first half and got carved up in the final two quarters defensively. Now, the Ravens have to visit Dallas next Sunday and then host the Buffalo Bills a week later. You could say the team has hit rock bottom, but after game No. 2? This team has no identity. Taylor Lyons, reporter: After a field goal fest in the first half, the Ravens seemed to take control in the second with some quick scoring drives to take a two-possession lead late. But then the defense crumbled and the offense cratered, and Baltimore is 0-2. The Ravens had no answer for Davante Adams late. Neither Brandon Stephens nor Marlon Humphrey could slow down the All-Pro receiver. The Gardner Minshew-led unit moved the ball with ease to erase the Raiders’ deficit and take a lead. Meanwhile, Maxx Crosby terrorized the Ravens’ offensive line, which has yet to find itself through two weeks and kept the offense from adding to its lead. Winless through two weeks is not the start Ravens fans hoped for. And it doesn’t get easier with Dallas and Buffalo looming. This is a defeat that creates more questions than they’ll have answers. C.J. Doon, editor: This is stunning. The Ravens’ defense rendered the Raiders’ offense one-dimensional by completely stopping the run. The only problem is they forgot to defend the pass, too. With the game in the balance, Gardner Minshew II got whatever he wanted against a secondary that was supposed to be one of the Ravens’ biggest strengths. Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers wreaked havoc, though Adams was fortunate to earn a pass-interference call against Brandon Stephens before the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The offense is another concern. Maxx Crosby dominated the right side of the offensive line, which was to be expected. Robert Spillane’s tipped interception in traffic on Lamar Jackson’s pass to Rashod Bateman was tailor-made to make fans upset, given the score at the time and the intended target. That would-be tush push with third-string tight end Charlie Kolar under center in the fourth quarter might have been a little too cute, though it’s understandable why Baltimore wouldn’t want to risk Jackson to injury. But with a chance to take the lead with 3:54 to play, Jackson was sacked and the Ravens essentially gave up on the next two downs with a handoff and then a short pass to Justice Hill. On the final drive, Jackson couldn’t make any magic happen. Why was Isaiah Likely in the same spot as Zay Flowers on that potential catch down the sideline in the final seconds? That’s alarming. Can Baltimore make the playoffs at 0-2? The fact that we need to have that discussion after the home opener should tell you everything you need to know. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens fall to 0-2 with stunning 26-23 loss to Raiders in home opener Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders game briefly halted after chain gang member collapses on sideline Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders, September 15, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders live updates: Reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 26-23 loss in home opener Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy ‘optimistic’ he’ll face Raiders; Chiefs trainer reaches out to ‘clear the air’ Tim Schwartz, editor: This has to be up there among the worst losses in recent memory. To let Gardner Minshew II rally the Raiders to victory in the home opener in Baltimore is about as bad as it gets for the Ravens, who couldn’t protect a 10-point fourth-quarter lead. Lamar Jackson did not utilize his legs at all in this one and in hindsight probably should have. Derrick Henry looked like a closer, Zay Flowers surpassed 100 receiving yards, the defense had four sacks and Baltimore still lost. That is serious cause for concern. Historically, teams that start 0-2 just don’t make the playoffs often. This is still a good team, but the Ravens have an uphill climb, and there is no *** I'm stupid for thinking this game is easy *** coming with the Cowboys looming next week. What a sad state of affairs. Bennett Conlin, editor: That’s a disastrous loss for Baltimore, given the opponent and how the game played out. A Super Bowl contender built to run the ball effectively with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry shouldn’t squander a double-digit home lead to Gardner Minshew and the Raiders. The Ravens looked tight in the final 10 minutes, with the defense going from dominant to out of sorts in an instant. Davante Adams looked unguardable, and rookie Brock Bowers was a matchup nightmare at tight end. With games coming up against Dallas and Buffalo, Baltimore needs to clean up its inconsistent play in a hurry. The offensive line needs to improve dramatically, and Justin Tucker needs to regain his form on consistent kicks. Sunday’s loss was avoidable, but the Ravens played a dreadful fourth quarter to squander a home win. It’s hard to fathom how Baltimore let that lead slip away. View the full article

A member of the chain gang staff collapsed on the Ravens’ sideline and was carted off the field during Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium. The staff member is alert and responsive, the Ravens announced, and will be taken to a nearby hospital. He collapsed after a play late in the second quarter and was conscious as he received medical attention, according to the CBS broadcast. The staff member was tended to for several minutes by medical personnel from both teams and placed onto a stretcher and then a medical cart before exiting the field. He lifted a hand as the cart drove into the tunnel to leave the field, drawing cheers from the crowd. The incident occurred with 2:36 remaining in the second quarter following a challenge by Ravens coach John Harbaugh, prompting players on both teams to take a knee on the field as they looked toward the sideline. Play resumed shortly after the chain gang member left the field. The delay lasted about six minutes. The chain gang is used to mark the down and distance on the field with a set of bright orange markers 10 yards apart. In July, the Associated Press reported that the NFL is moving closer to replacing the chain gang with new technology to measure line to gain. This article will be updated. View the full article

Ravens’ Zay Flowers celebrates his touchdown catch from a Lamar Jackson pass in 3rd quarter of Las Vegas Raiders game at M&T Bank Stadium. Ravens’ Mark Andres joins him in the end zone to celebrate. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Ravens’ Lamar Jackson throws a touchdown pass to Zay Flowers in 3rd quarter of Las Vegas Raiders game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Ravens’ Lamar Jackson throws a touchdown pass to Zay Flowers in 3rd quarter of Las Vegas Raiders game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Ravens’ Derrick Henry, left, runs against the Raiders’ Divine Deablo after a catch in the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker reacts after missing a field goal as the Las Vegas Raiders celebrate during the NFL home opener in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey tumbles with a Las Vegas Raiders interception during the NFL home opener in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) The chain guy gets medical attention on the sideline during the Baltimore Ravens vs. Las Vegas Raiders’ game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) The chain guy gets medical attention on the sideline during the Baltimore Ravens vs. Las Vegas Raiders’ game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Ravens’ Odafe Oweh celebrates his sack of Las Vegas Raiders’ Gardner Minshew II in a game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Ravens’ Odafe Oweh sacks Las Vegas Raiders’ Gardner Minshew II in a game at M&T Bank ..Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Ravens’ Odafe Oweh sacks Las Vegas Raiders’ Gardner Minshew II in a game at M&T Bank ..Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/staff) Ravens kicker Justin Tucker kicks his career 400th field goal in the second quarter against the Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens’ Justin Tucker kicks a field goal in a game against the Las Vegas Raiders. (Karl Merton Ferron/staff) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson high fives young fans as he goes to the locker room to dress up for warm up before game against the Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson warms up before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Field judge Mearl Robinson takes a selfie with fans during pregame before the NFL home opener between the Baltimore Ravens and the Las Vegas Raiders in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker gets a hug during pregame before the NFL home opener aghainst the Las Vegas Raiders in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver/return specialist Deonte Harty looks up during pregame before the NFL home opener between the Baltimore Ravens and the Las Vegas Raiders in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Emily London Jones reacts while she receives a specially stitched rug of her son Jacoby Jones during pregame before the NFL home opener between the Baltimore Ravens and the Las Vegas Raiders in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Emily London Jones receives a specially stitched rug of her son Jacoby Jones during pregame before the NFL home opener between the Baltimore Ravens and the Las Vegas Raiders in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Ravens and Raiders fans make their way along Ravens walk before today’s game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Former Baltimore Raven running back Ray Rice along with his family, make their way to the entrance at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Ravens fan adoring a mask along Ravens walk before today’s game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Ravens and Raiders fans gather for a photo before heading into M&T Bank Stadium for the game. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) View the full article

The Ravens host the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Baltimore’s home opener at M&T Bank Stadium. Entering Week 2 of the NFL season, the Ravens are coming off a 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the league’s season opener, while the Raiders are also 0-1 after a 22-10 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers. Follow along here throughout the game for live coverage. View the full article

Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy said he’s optimistic he’ll play against the Las Vegas Raiders, 10 days after he fractured the orbital bone around his right eye in the team’s season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. “I’m feeling really good,” Van Noy said Friday after returning to practice for the first time since his injury. “I’m feeling optimistic. I still have two days, obviously, and [I’m] just trying to do everything I can.” Van Noy is listed as questionable to play on the team’s final injury report. He added that he’ll wear a visor to protect his eye if he does play and will talk with team doctors and equipment staffers about any other necessary adjustments to his helmet. Earlier in the week, Van Noy criticized the Chiefs’ medical staff as “unprofessional” for taking too long to send a specialist to examine his injury. He laughed Friday when asked if he has more to say on the subject. “Yeah, of course I have more to say, but I’m not going to get into that,” he said. “I’m honestly all focused on the Raiders now. I obviously have a lot to say about it, but at the same time, there’s no point to continue to go back and forth. ‘You’re right or I’m right.’ I’m just focused on the Raiders and excited to potentially play.” Chiefs vice president of sports medicine and performance Rick Burkholder also addressed the situation with Kansas City reporters Friday, saying he had reached out to Ravens coach John Harbaugh to “clear the air.” “We respect the Ravens, we respect their medical staff,” Burkholder said. “I respect Kyle as a player and I’m pretty upset that he was upset. I’ve talked at length with their doctors and actually exchanged text messages with John Harbaugh to clear the air.” Burkholder said the Ravens did not initially request an ophthalmologist after Van Noy was hurt: “They didn’t at the time, they evaluated him and then when they wanted an ophthalmologist, we made the phone call up into the stands and got the ophthalmologist out of the locker room in 12 minutes.” During a Thursday visit to the Ravens’ training facility, NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell said teams are required to be responsive to injuries as “quickly as possible.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens rookie Nate Wiggins in car accident, will not play Sunday vs. Raiders Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to honor Jacoby Jones, Joe D’Alessandris before Sunday’s home opener Baltimore Ravens | Ravens Week 2 betting guide: Count on Derrick Henry against the Raiders Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s home opener in Baltimore? Baltimore Ravens | Justin Tucker’s misses stick in his mind, but the Ravens kicker is more interested in what’s next “I think this was an unfortunate situation where that did not occur,” Howell said. “We just can’t have that.” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy replied that “it’s disappointing the NFLPA would publicize unsupported conclusions without attempting to understand the facts.” McCarthy said the league reviewed Van Noy’s treatment with both teams’ medical staffs and is “comfortable he received appropriate care.” When asked how doctors have treated his injury since the Chiefs game, Van Noy said, “When you have a bone break, it’s just time, right? That’s with any bone, whether it’s a finger or anything like that. You could obviously have surgery, but just time is probably going to be the best.” View the full article

Ravens rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins was in a car accident “a couple days ago” and will not play in Sunday’s home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, coach John Harbaugh said Friday. Wiggins missed Thursday’s practice with a neck injury and was not on the field Friday. The 2024 first-round draft pick was also absent Monday but participated Wednesday and not listed on the injury report until Thursday. “He’s healthy, he’s fine, but not going to be able to play,” said Harbaugh, who did not disclose any other details. The circumstances of the accident were not immediately clear. Wiggins, the No. 30 overall pick out of Clemson, played just 17 defensive snaps in last week’s season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. But the 21-year-old fared well in limited action, lining up almost exclusively out wide and allowing just one catch for 1 yard while recording two tackles. The Ravens have some depth at cornerback with Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, Jalyn Armour-Davis and rookie T.J. Tampa. The Raiders, led by three-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, are coming off a 22-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in which quarterback Gardner Minshew II threw for 257 yards with one touchdown and one interception while being sacked four times. Wiggins is the second Ravens player to be involved in a car accident in the past month. Tight end Mark Andrews was involved in a crash while driving to the team’s facility in Owings Mills on Aug. 14 but did not suffer any injuries despite the two vehicles sustaining “heavy damage,” according to a Baltimore County Police spokesperson. “I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and well wishes,” Andrews said in a statement at the time. “This is a great reminder about the importance of wearing seatbelts and remaining alert while driving a car.” This article will be updated. View the full article

The Ravens will honor the late Jacoby Jones and Joe D’Alessandris before Sunday’s 1 p.m. home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium. Jones’ mother, Emily London-Jones, and son, Jacoby Jr., will be on the field for a special honorary moment before team introductions, while family members of D’Alessandris will be honored on the field during the coin toss. Baltimore will also have more than 40 former players — including Jones’ former teammates Vonta Leach, Jameel McClain, Ray Rice, Torrey Smith and Lardarius Webb — serve as Legends of the Game and be introduced out of the tunnel just before kickoff. Fans are encouraged to arrive at their seats no later than 12:40 p.m. Jones, a wide receiver and All-Pro kick returner for the Ravens from 2012 to 2014 who starred in the team’s Super Bowl 47 victory, died July 14 at age 40 from heart disease, a Louisiana coroner ruled. D’Alessandris had entered his eighth season as the Ravens’ offensive line before being hospitalized last month for an acute illness. The longtime assistant with 45 years of coaching experience died Aug. 25 at age 70. The Ravens are also wearing helmet decals to honor both Jones and D’Alessandris this season. Here are the other events planned for Sunday’s home opener: National anthem and flyover Members of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will perform the national anthem. There will also be a flyover by two F-18 Foxtrot Super Hornets, and during the anthem, a large flag will be held by veteran military members who are current Ravens personal seal license holders. In-game recognitions NBA players and Baltimore natives Bub Carrington (Washington Wizards guard) and Haywood Highsmith Jr. (Miami Heat forward) will be in attendance and recognized during the game. The Ravens will also recognize Thea LaFond, a former University of Maryland athlete who won gold in the triple jump for Dominica at the Olympics in Paris. Seats for Service Six first responders from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse are Sunday’s Seats for Service recipients. They will be honored during the third quarter. Jacoby Jones mobile museum The Ravens will debut the Jacoby Jones exhibit in their mobile museum. Fans can view Jones’ display, which features personal game memorabilia and highlights special moments from his career, at Section 126 on the stadium’s main concourse. It will also be on display for the Sept. 29 (Buffalo) and Oct. 13 (Washington) games. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens Week 2 betting guide: Count on Derrick Henry against the Raiders Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s home opener in Baltimore? Baltimore Ravens | Justin Tucker’s misses stick in his mind, but the Ravens kicker is more interested in what’s next Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens stars wish rapper Lil Baby’s son ‘happy birthday’ Baltimore Ravens | NFLPA concludes investigation into Kyle Van Noy eye injury in Ravens vs. Chiefs opener Ravens Q&A Before the game, former Ravens offensive lineman Bryant McKinnie (11:15 a.m.) will partake in a fan Q&A on the RavensWalk Bud Light Stage. Ravens pregame live Hosts Torrey Smith — the former Ravens wide receiver and Super Bowl 47 champion — Shelby Lasso and Garrett Downing return for a live pregame show, beginning at noon near Section 519. Sunday’s featured guest will be former Ravens defensive back Lardarius Webb. View the full article

Despite a Week 1 loss to Kansas City, sports betting oddsmakers still view the Ravens as one of the NFL’s best teams. The respect is understandable, especially with tight end Isaiah Likely and the Ravens coming inches away from earning a potential game-winning 2-point conversion attempt against the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. FanDuel gives Baltimore the fifth-shortest odds (12-to-1) to win the Super Bowl, with only the Chiefs (5/1) holding better odds among AFC teams. Oddsmakers’ respect for the Ravens is evident in Week 2 NFL betting lines, with Baltimore sitting as an 8 1/2-point favorite across most sportsbooks, according to Vegas Insider. Coach John Harbaugh’s Ravens host the Las Vegas Raiders, who lost to Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers in their season opener, on Sunday at 1 p.m. inside M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens are the largest betting favorite of any NFL team in Week 2, with the Detroit Lions (a 7 1/2-point favorite over Tampa Bay) the only other squad favored to win by more than a touchdown. Best bet for Ravens vs. Raiders Plenty of bettors will back the Ravens this week, even with the big spread. Those bettors have good reason to put their money behind Baltimore and Harbaugh, who is 22-12 against the spread in Weeks 1 and 2 over his career, according to Action Network data. That’s the best mark in those weeks of any current NFL coach. While the spread will attract some betting action, a prop bet involving Ravens running back Derrick Henry might offer the most intrigue. Several sportsbooks list a prop for Henry’s total number of carries in Sunday’s game at 17 1/2. Henry only carried the ball 13 times for 46 yards in Week 1, with quarterback Lamar Jackson leading the team with 16 rushes. Jackson hasn’t surpassed 16 carries in a game since 2021, and he said Wednesday he’s “not trying to find out” if his body can sustain the physicality he needed in Week 1. “We’ve got Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, those guys, but I’m going to do whatever it takes to win, and in that type of game, sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” Jackson told reporters. Don’t expect Jackson to lead the Ravens in carries in Week 2, especially against a team far more beatable than the Chiefs. As for Henry, he handled 13 of 14 carries from Ravens running backs in the 27-20 loss to Kansas City. Justice Hill (43) played more snaps than Henry (37) in Week 1, according to Pro Football Focus, but that’s largely because Baltimore leaned on its passing game in the second half to try to erase a deficit. Of Baltimore’s 80 offensive snaps, 57 were either passes or runs by Jackson. Ravens running back Derrick Henry only received 13 carries in Week 1, but he’s in line for a larger workload against the Raiders. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The pregame betting odds suggest that the Ravens could hold the lead in the final quarters Sunday, creating a game script more reliant on Henry and the running game than Jackson’s arm and improvisational scrambling. In Tennessee last season, Henry averaged 14.3 carries in Titans losses and 20.5 carries in wins, as he’s adept at burning clock and icing games when his team holds a lead. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce has talked with his defense about expecting a large dose of Henry. “Grab a couple Advil from [head athletic trainer] Chris [Cortez] in the training room,” Pierce said at Wednesday’s media availability. “It’s gonna hurt.” With the Ravens likely wanting to protect Jackson’s body a little more Sunday compared with the opener against an AFC contender, look for Henry to handle an increased workload in his first home game as a Raven. Best bet: Derrick Henry over 17 1/2 carries View the full article

Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 2 game between the Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Brian Wacker, reporter Ravens 27, Raiders 13: The good news for the Raiders is they still have star edge rusher Maxx Crosby and elite wide receiver Davante Adams. The bad news is they are without pass rushers Malcolm Koonce and likely Tyree Wilson after both suffered knee injuries. That will make make Lamar Jackson’s job that much easier, and M&T Bank Stadium should be fertile ground for running back Derrick Henry after former Raven J.K. Dobbins chewed up Las Vegas for 135 yards on just 10 carries last week. Childs Walker, reporter Ravens 30, Raiders 17: The Raiders held their own in an opening loss to the Chargers. They have skilled playmakers and an elite pass rusher in Maxx Crosby. In other words, enough talent to make the Ravens uncomfortable. But the Ravens have an MVP quarterback, a far more more accomplished coach and more star power on defense. Look for Derrick Henry to break out in his Baltimore debut as the Ravens play from ahead all afternoon. Mike Preston, columnist Ravens 28, Raiders 17: No team wants to lose the season opener, especially to an AFC rival. The Ravens lost to Kansas City last Thursday in a squeaker, but they will rebound Sunday against the Raiders. Las Vegas doesn’t have much of a running game and its passing game is just as bad with quarterback Gardiner Minshew II. Vegas is also making a trip from out west to play in Baltimore. The Ravens’ defense has something to prove after a weak performance in Kansas City, and Lamar Jackson should be able to get more of his playmakers involved in the offense. The Raiders, though, have a strong defensive line, which could be a challenge for the Ravens. C.J. Doon, editor Ravens 23, Raiders 16: Gardner Minshew II left M&T Bank Stadium victorious last year with the Colts. Could the veteran quarterback help lead another upset? Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and rookie tight end Brock Bowers could create some headaches for the Ravens’ defense, and Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins have the potential to have a field day against Baltimore’s work-in-progress offensive line. I don’t think it’s a guarantee that Derrick Henry will be unlocked against a Raiders defense that actually handled the Chargers’ rushing attack pretty well outside of two long runs by J.K. Dobbins. It’s hard to envision the Ravens losing this one and falling to 0-2 when Lamar Jackson is healthy, but there’s a good chance there are some tense moments in the second half. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to honor Jacoby Jones, Joe D’Alessandris before Sunday’s home opener Baltimore Ravens | Ravens Week 2 betting guide: Count on Derrick Henry against the Raiders Baltimore Ravens | Justin Tucker’s misses stick in his mind, but the Ravens kicker is more interested in what’s next Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens stars wish rapper Lil Baby’s son ‘happy birthday’ Baltimore Ravens | NFLPA concludes investigation into Kyle Van Noy eye injury in Ravens vs. Chiefs opener Tim Schwartz, editor Ravens 31, Raiders 17: Baltimore is the far superior team in this matchup. Las Vegas has one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league in Gardner Minshew II and a below-average running game to support him, and the Ravens will be hungry after dropping their season opener in Kansas City. The home crowd will energize Baltimore, which might have trouble with Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby and the rest of their defensive line, but Lamar Jackson and the Ravens should have their way with Las Vegas and win this one easily. A loss at home would sound the alarms, that’s for sure. Bennett Conlin, editor Ravens 24, Raiders 13: Baltimore faces another AFC West team this weekend, but the Raiders aren’t the Chiefs. A 12-point Week 1 loss to the Chargers showed Las Vegas’ many flaws, which include defensive end depth and quarterback play. That’s not an ideal combination against a Ravens team that opened the season with a clunky showing, but still almost beat the defending Super Bowl champs. Look for Baltimore to bounce back and Las Vegas to drop to 0-2, suffering a pair of losses to the Harbaugh brothers. View the full article

Justin Tucker usually knows instantly what went wrong. He’ll watch video of a missed kick to confirm, but he has spent the past 13 seasons chasing perfection, so his senses are acutely tuned to any blip in the operation. What he does not do is replay yesterday’s mistake again and again in his mind. Tucker hooked a 53-yard attempt just outside the left upright in the Ravens’ opening loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Within minutes, his thoughts turned to the next kick. See the ball from snapper Nick Moore’s fingertips to holder Jordan Stout’s hands to his foot, then finish downfield with power though the ball. That’s Tucker’s discipline. “Every next kick is the one that I’m most focused on,” the seven-time Pro Bowl kicker said Wednesday. “The time for reflection is after the season. While you’re in it, you plow ahead. … I am aware that I’ve left a few out there recently. But concerning myself with that more so than just focusing on the next kick is not going to help anybody around here.” It’s unsurprising then that Tucker sees little use in dwelling on his 1-for-6 record on kicks of 50 yards or longer over the past two seasons. He’s dealt with these hiccups before, going from 4-for-10 on 50-yard-plus attempts in 2015 to 10-for-10 in 2016. He sees no reason, physical or mental, why he can’t make a similar leap now. It’s not as if he’s missing short or losing his near-perfect radar on attempts inside 50 yards (he’s missed just one of those over the past two seasons). “The very honest answer is yes, of course I think about it,” he said of the recent misses. “But I can’t let it affect me. I can’t let it affect us. Our body of work from a long period of time shows that we’ve made a lot of kicks from all over the field.” “When you look at those misses, they’re different,” Ravens special teams coordinator Chris Horton said. “Some were 67 yards, some were at the end of games. So I don’t think there’s anything to be concerned about. He’s in a good spot. He’s still a heck of a kicker.” The world around Tucker has changed. He set new standards for precision and power at his position. He’s the most accurate kicker in history and the owner of the longest made field goal. Now, however, he’s a 34-year-old man competing with a younger generation of kickers whose visions of what is possible were shaped by his achievements. The league went 21-for-23 on field goal attempts of 50 yards or more in Week 1, a combination of force and accuracy unfathomable to the generations that preceded Tucker. This was no anomaly. Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey made 10 of 10 attempts from 50-plus in 2023. Kansas City’s Harrison Butker made five of five. Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell made six of seven. In Tucker’s rookie season of 2012, teams averaged 4.7 attempts from 50 yards or beyond and converted at a 61.7% rate. Last season, they averaged 7.2 attempts and converted at a 68% rate. Greater aggression and efficiency are hallmarks of the world he helped create. Justin Tucker has made just one of his last six field goal attempts from 50 yards or longer, but he’s not concerned. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) “I would say the level of talent has increased over the years,” Tucker said. “I think that’s consistent across all positions. The athletes around the league are getting faster and stronger. From the jump, they’re able to contribute in a significant way. That’s not just kickers, but I think it’s fair to point to the stats as a kicker because they are so clear-cut.” For the better part of a decade, Tucker was the reflexive choice for best kicker in the world. It’s not so automatic anymore. When Tucker watches his kicks from the previous game, he often sees himself an inch off on some movement in the intricate operation he conducts with Moore and Stout. “There are certainly things that I can clean up,” he said. “That’s why I work the way that I do out at practice. That’s why we work the way we do. Having an awareness of what happened on the last kick so we can work to make it a point to fix on the next one, that’s always been how we operate. That’s always been our standard.” He’s kicked so many balls now that he has a better feel for what he can learn and what he can’t from dissecting a past kick. When everything goes right, it was the unit. When something goes awry, it was his fault. That’s how Tucker the perfectionist needs to look at it. He has learned that’s an ethic he shares with the great kickers who came before him, from Adam Vinatieri to Phil Dawson. Both those guys kicked past their 40th birthdays. Has Tucker, no longer the fresh-faced rookie who helped kick the Ravens to a Super Bowl win in 2012, thought about how age might take a bite out of his talent? Will he have to tweak his preparations to compensate for older legs? “I don’t plan on changing really anything as far as adapting to the game or changing my technique,” he said. “Now, if I feel like I need to, I will. But as far as changing anything just because I’m quote-unquote getting older, it’s really fun for everybody to point to, ‘Oh, that guy’s 34. It’s a miracle he’s even alive in the world of professional sports.’ But the way I see it is that I feel as good as I’ve ever felt. “As far as my career goes, I plan on running the race as fast as I can and hitting the ribbon with as much speed and as much force and as much intent as I possibly can.” Tucker doesn’t know when he’ll reach said finish line, but he discusses his craft with the same verve he did in year one with the Ravens. “As far as making any adjustments to getting older, I’m not even remotely concerned about that,” he said. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens to honor Jacoby Jones, Joe D’Alessandris before Sunday’s home opener Baltimore Ravens | Ravens Week 2 betting guide: Count on Derrick Henry against the Raiders Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s home opener in Baltimore? Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens stars wish rapper Lil Baby’s son ‘happy birthday’ Baltimore Ravens | NFLPA concludes investigation into Kyle Van Noy eye injury in Ravens vs. Chiefs opener So what about those longer kicks? Why have they deviled him when he knows perfectly well he can drive a ball 55 yards any day of the week? “It should not matter if we’re 45 yards away or 55 yards away,” he said. “If you’re 70 yards away or 65, maybe 60 when the weather turns and the ball straight up does not go as far — unless you’re dealing with something like that, you’re essentially striking the ball the same way. That’s what we strive for.” He compares a longer kick with a longer putt in golf. More can go wrong because the target is the same size but farther away. “I don’t think it’s any less or more than that,” he said. Tucker loathes missing from any distance. “As of right now, in the very, very back of my mind, I’m thinking about how I let that 53-yarder get away from me last Thursday night,” he said. “But you know what makes me feel a lot better? Going out there and just nailing a bunch of 53-yarders in practice.” View the full article

Where can Ravens fans sign up to have Lamar Jackson show up to their birthday party? It appears to help if you’re No. 8 and just turning 9. And if your dad happens to be a superstar rapper who goes by the name Lil Baby, then your guest list can include not only Jackson but also Ravens stars Zay Flowers, Derrick Henry and Nate Wiggins. The quartet each appeared in a birthday bit, making short videos to wish their young fan a happy birthday. View the full article

The NFL Players Association has concluded its investigation into Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy’s claims of the Chiefs medical training staff being “unprofessional” in its handling of an eye injury he suffered during last week’s season opener in Kansas City. “We’ve done our investigation,” NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell told reporters Thursday afternoon in Owings Mills. “We’ve made the necessary parties aware of how we’ve gotta improve and I’m sure we will improve.” Van Noy said on his podcast Wednesday that he suffered a fractured orbital bone early in the third quarter when the top of the pad in his helmet jammed into his eye when he hit the ground during a pileup with Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The veteran outside linebacker left the game, did not return and hasn’t practiced since. Six days after the injury, Van Noy said it took “an entire quarter” for the Chiefs’ in-house ophthalmologist to reach him in the locker room. Per the CBA, Howell said teams are required to be responsive to injuries as “quickly as possible.” “I think this was an unfortunate situation where that did not occur,” Howell said. “We just can’t have that.” The Chiefs, meanwhile, declined comment, and Van Noy declined to speak with reporters when he was approached Wednesday. In a statement from league spokesperson Brian McCarthy, the NFL said “it’s disappointing the NFLPA would publicize unsupported conclusions without attempting to understand the facts.” The league said it reviewed Van Noy’s treatment with both teams’ medical staffs and said it’s “comfortable he received appropriate care.” Howell is in the midst of visiting clubs around the league to address player concerns, among other topics. He also met with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti for two hours Thursday. In an NFLPA survey conducted among 1,706 players across the league that was released in February, Baltimore ranked 15th overall with a B-minus or better in eight of 11 categories. But only 79% of players felt the Ravens have enough full-time trainers (28th overall), 74% felt they have enough full-time physical therapists (25th overall), 80% felt they have enough hot tub space (21st overall) and 76% felt they have enough cold tub space (26th overall). However, Baltimore did make improvements, per the survey, when it came to its strength coaches, which received an F-minus in 2023 and ranked the worst in the league. The Ravens fired Steve Saunders and promoted his assistant, Scott Elliott, before the 2023 results were announced. “It’s clear that Steve [Bisciotti] very much wants to be responsive to what the players are looking for and is making the right investments to do that,” Howell said. “That’s very much the objective of the survey. It’s not to shame an owner but it is to reflect accurately how our members feel.” How players feel about a potential 18-game schedule, however, remains to be seen. Earlier this year, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he favored expanding the schedule to 18 games with the season concluding in a Presidents’ Day weekend built around the Super Bowl on Sunday night. In mid-July, the NFLPA told The Washington Post that it has had discussions with the league at a “very high level.” Howell reiterated Thursday that those talks are a “long way” from becoming reality, however. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens stars wish rapper Lil Baby’s son ‘happy birthday’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ George Warhop providing ‘smooth transition’ amid unprecedented change Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Nate Wiggins misses practice Thursday with neck injury Baltimore Ravens | Shannon Sharpe admits to livestreaming audio of sex act after claiming he was hacked Baltimore Ravens | Staff picks for Week 2 of 2024 NFL season: Bills vs. Dolphins, Bengals vs. Chiefs and more “When you look at how the league makes money, number of games is one of them,” he said. “So we’d all have to be relatively naive to not expect that the league would not ask for more games in a season. But we are long way from even getting to that.” A desire to move to an 18-game schedule anytime soon would also open up the collective bargaining agreement between the league and NFLPA, which doesn’t expire until 2031. Howell said there are other priorities for players that take precedent over an increased schedule, including economic, working conditions, benefits, how rules are established and getting more teams to install grass fields. Currently, only 15 of the NFL’s 32 teams, including the Ravens, play on grass. “So [as of] today, no negotiations, conversations between me and the league as to let’s start talking about the length of the season,” he said. “But it’s out there.” View the full article

George Warhop wouldn’t call Joe D’Alessandris a close friend, but they sure were “good acquaintances,” as Warhop put it. The pair of veteran offensive line coaches spoke often over their careers to exchange information, ask football questions or just to catch up. The Ravens hired Warhop last month after D’Alessandris was hospitalized with what the team called “an acute illness” stemming from a surgery earlier in the summer. And when D’Alessandris died Aug. 25 at 70 years old, Warhop was thrust into an unprecedented situation. Warhop is still learning how to lead a unit shaped by a beloved former coach and live up to his established expectations. Warhop is starting to put his personal touch on the job just a few weeks into his tenure. But he’s still intentional about honoring the impact D’Alessandris left. “What happened here was tragic,” Warhop said. “The fact that John trusted me enough to call me, I’m impressed with that and grateful for that. But the situation I walked into, what Joe had done here, made it very, very easy.” Bits of what made D’Alessandris so adored have remained in the Ravens’ offensive line meetings. Warhop starts each one by asking players about their lives outside of football — families, girlfriends and any other happenings on their mind. That was a staple of D’Alessandris’ time. While most of Warhop’s role is developing young players and scheming and strategizing for the offensive line’s upcoming opponents, part of it has also been making himself available for any grieving player. “Anybody’s that’s dealt with death, and I’ve dealt with it in my family, everybody grieves differently,” Warhop said. “You just gotta make yourself available to them when they’re grieving. Grief is different for every person.” “He made it real clear when he first came in that he’s gonna coach us hard, but he’s also gonna be one of our really good friends off the field,” rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten said. Warhop has led NFL offensive lines since the 1990s, most recently with the Texans in 2022 after three seasons as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offensive line coach. Baltimore is his ninth NFL stop. He has some familiarity with the Ravens’ offense, having worked with coordinator Todd Monken with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2016 to 2018 in addition to his previous relationship with D’Alessandris. Those ties made Warhop an obvious choice for coach John Harbaugh when a spot on his staff opened. “The group is well trained. They’re very smart. They work their tails off,” Warhop said. “That’s what [D’Alessandris] did before I got here. That’s what he built as a foundation.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens stars wish rapper Lil Baby’s son ‘happy birthday’ Baltimore Ravens | NFLPA concludes investigation into Kyle Van Noy eye injury in Ravens vs. Chiefs opener Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Nate Wiggins misses practice Thursday with neck injury Baltimore Ravens | Shannon Sharpe admits to livestreaming audio of sex act after claiming he was hacked Baltimore Ravens | Staff picks for Week 2 of 2024 NFL season: Bills vs. Dolphins, Bengals vs. Chiefs and more Rosengarten didn’t experience much of that foundation but still feels it prepared him for what turned into a heartbreaking rookie summer. His first interaction with D’Alessandris came in a meeting room with protections and assignments already drawn on a whiteboard. That was Rosengarten’s first taste of D’Alessandris’ character, which he said Warhop has matched. Operating similarly to D’Alessandris was a focus for Warhop when he joined the staff with just a few weeks to go before the regular season. He achieved that, but is now inserting his philosophies as he acclimates himself. Warhop’s unit was uneven in the Ravens’ 27-20 season-opening loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was strip-sacked after Rosengarten missed a block on his first career snap and was chased from the pocket often, but the offensive line also helped pave the way for 185 rushing yards. “He’s done a really good job of bringing his ways of teaching things and integrating it with Joe D’s ways of teaching things,” Rosengarten said. “It’s been a really smooth transition.” But foremost to any instruction, Warhop is a friend. Football, as the Ravens have learned over the past month, is secondary. View the full article

The Ravens’ secondary had its share of struggles in last week’s season-opening loss to the Chiefs in Kansas City, where Patrick Mahomes completed 20 of 28 passes for 291 yards and wide receiver Rashee Rice had seven catches for 103 yards. Now, their defensive backfield has suffered another blow with rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins held out of practice Thursday because of a neck injury. It was the second missed practice of the week for the first-round draft pick, who was also absent Monday but was a participant on Wednesday and not listed on the injury report until Thursday. Wiggins played just 17 defensive snaps against the Chiefs, but he fared well lining up almost exclusively out wide and finishing with just one catch allowed on one target for 1 yard and with one tackle and one assist. Should he not be able to go in Baltimore’s home opener Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens do have at least some depth at the position with Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, Jalyn Armour-Davis and rookie T.J. Tampa. That should help against the Raiders’ receiving combo of three-time All-Pro Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, Ravens stars wish rapper Lil Baby’s son ‘happy birthday’ Baltimore Ravens | NFLPA concludes investigation into Kyle Van Noy eye injury in Ravens vs. Chiefs opener Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ George Warhop providing ‘smooth transition’ amid unprecedented change Baltimore Ravens | Shannon Sharpe admits to livestreaming audio of sex act after claiming he was hacked Baltimore Ravens | Staff picks for Week 2 of 2024 NFL season: Bills vs. Dolphins, Bengals vs. Chiefs and more Baltimore is also in good shape with relatively few injuries elsewhere on the roster, with outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (eye) the only other player not practicing Thursday. Meanwhile, inside linebacker Roquan Smith (shoulder) was a full participant after being limited Wednesday, while outside linebacker Adisa Isaac (hamstring) was again limited. For the Raiders, defensive end Tyree Wilson (knee) and cornerback Decamerion Richardson (hamstring) did not practice for a second straight day. Starting center Andre James (elbow) and starting left tackle Kolton Miller (knee) were both full participants after being limited on Wednesday, while reserve rookie guard Jackson Powers-Johnson (illness) remained a limited participant. Tight end Brock Bowers (shoulder) and linebackers Divine Deablo (shoulder) and Tommy Eichenberg (knee) were all full participants for a second straight day. View the full article

After initially claiming he was hacked, NFL hall-of-famer Shannon Sharpe confessed to mistakenly livestreaming the audio of a bedroom romp to his 3.2 million Instagram followers. His admission came late Wednesday during an episode of his “Nightcap” podcast, which he co-hosts with fellow former footballer Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. “Obviously, I am embarrassed,” a solemn Sharpe said. “As someone that is extremely, extremely private and to have one of your most intimate details — the audio — heard for the entire world to hear, I’m embarrassed for a number of reasons.” The ESPN contributor went on to say that he was disappointed in himself, and acknowledged that there are “a lot of people that count on Shannon to be professional at all times.” Sharpe added: “I always try to be professional at all times, even when I’m behind closed doors.” The sultry clip in question hit the internet earlier in the day Wednesday and almost immediately went viral, after thousands of people began commenting and re-posting the link to Sharpe’s Instagram account. While it does not depict any sex act — or imagery for that matter — an unidentified woman can be heard moaning throughout the livestream. In a since-deleted post to X, Sharpe claimed that his account was hacked before coming clean on his podcast. “Beware my @shannonsharpe84 Instagram was hacked this morning, my team and I are working vigorously to figure this out,” it said. Sharpe also added that he was not aware at any point that his phone was recording, which he blamed on his lack of technology know-how. “I threw my phone on the bed and engaged in an activity,” Sharpe said. “I did not know IG live,” he continued. “I’ve never turned IG live on so I don’t know how it works and all of sudden my other phone started going off.” Eventually, his marketing partner, Jamie Fritz, got ahold of Sharpe and alerted him to the situation. “My heart sank,” he said. “I called my agent, I called the agency, I called ESPN and I [thought] just tell them the truth. My phone wasn’t hacked, it wasn’t a prank, it was me being a healthy, active male.” Sharpe, who retired from the NFL in 2004, won three Super Bowls over the course of his 14-year career. The first two were with the Broncos, in 1997 and 1998, while the third was with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000. Since his departure from football, he has become a fixture in sports media, particularly through ESPN and the podcast he shares with Johnson. View the full article

Baltimore Sun staff writers pick every game of the NFL season. Here’s who they have winning in Week 1: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins (Thursday, 8:15 p.m.) Brian Wacker (13-3 last week): Dolphins Childs Walker (8-8 last week): Bills Mike Preston (14-2 last week): Dolphins C.J. Doon (9-7 last week): Bills Tim Schwartz (11-5 last week): Bills Bennett Conlin (10-6 last week): Dolphins Los Angeles Chargers at Carolina Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Chargers Walker: Chargers Preston: Chargers Doon: Chargers Schwartz: Chargers Conlin: Chargers New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Cowboys Walker: Cowboys Preston: Cowboys Doon: Cowboys Schwartz: Cowboys Conlin: Cowboys Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Lions Walker: Lions Preston: Lions Doon: Buccaneers Schwartz: Lions Conlin: Lions Indianapolis Colts at Green Bay Packers (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Colts Walker: Colts Preston: Colts Doon: Colts Schwartz: Colts Conlin: Packers Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Jaguars Walker: Jaguars Preston: Jaguars Doon: Jaguars Schwartz: Jaguars Conlin: Jaguars San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: 49ers Walker: 49ers Preston: 49ers Doon: 49ers Schwartz: 49ers Conlin: 49ers Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Seahawks Walker: Seahawks Preston: Seahawks Doon: Seahawks Schwartz: Seahawks Conlin: Patriots New York Jets at Tennessee Titans (Sunday 1 p.m.) Wacker: Jets Walker: Jets Preston: Titans Doon: Jets Schwartz: Jets Conlin: Jets New York Giants at Washington Commanders (Sunday 1 p.m.) Wacker: Commanders Walker: Commanders Preston: Commanders Doon: Commanders Schwartz: Commanders Conlin: Commanders Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals (Sunday, 4:05 p.m.) Wacker: Rams Walker: Rams Preston: Rams Doon: Cardinals Schwartz: Rams Conlin: Rams Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Wacker: Steelers Walker: Broncos Preston: Broncos Doon: Steelers Schwartz: Steelers Conlin: Broncos Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Wacker: Chiefs Walker: Chiefs Preston: Chiefs Doon: Chiefs Schwartz: Chiefs Conlin: Chiefs Related Articles NFL | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Answering questions about Lamar Jackson’s running and more | COMMENTARY NFL | ‘Rookie yips’ were only part of Ravens’ offensive line problems vs. Chiefs: ‘Week 1 is tough’ NFL | Ravens overreaction corner: Will Baltimore, Lamar Jackson ever catch up to Chiefs? NFL | Ravens vs. Raiders scouting report for Week 2: Who has the edge? NFL | Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, John Harbaugh are OK with QB inviting contact: ‘Just playing football’ Chicago Bears at Houston Texans (Sunday, 8:20 p.m.) Wacker: Texans Walker: Texans Preston: Texans Doon: Texans Schwartz: Texans Conlin: Texans Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles (Monday, 8:15 p.m.) Wacker: Eagles Walker: Eagles Preston: Eagles Doon: Eagles Schwartz: Eagles Conlin: Eagles View the full article

Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer fans’ questions every Thursday throughout the Ravens season. Baltimore opened the season with a 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and returns home Sunday to face the Las Vegas Raiders. Here’s Preston’s take on a handful of questions from readers: (Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.) After all the anticipation of adding Derrick Henry to the Ravens’ backfield this season, I was greatly disappointed with his production during the loss to the Chiefs. Did the Ravens give up on the running game too early (again)? Do coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Todd Monken deserve criticism for the play calling (again)? Sometimes I think that the coaching staff is determined to prove that Jackson is an elite passer. — Bob K. in North Carolina A lot of tough questions here. Actually, I wasn’t totally disappointed in Henry’s lack of production (13 carries for 46 yards). He is 30 years old and I didn’t think the Ravens were going to run him 30-35 times a game. He would wear down before the end of the regular season with that workload. I thought Monken could have called a better game. I thought his plan was too predictable and involved way too much Zay Flowers in the first half. Jackson an elite passer? Nope. He is a great athlete, a great runner and improvises well. The Ravens’ best play continues to be the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player making something out of nothing with his scrambling, but he isn’t in the elite class as a passer. He isn’t Dan Marino or John Elway, and I don’t think the Ravens want to prove that he is an elite passer. If that were the case, why haven’t we seen Jackson throw any quick outs to the wide side of the field or throw those deep comebacks that receiver Derrick Mason used to run when he played in Baltimore? It’s one game. Offensive line play is about timing, and this group deserves a few more games before a firm critique. Henry deserves time as well. He is playing with a new offensive line in a new offense. The key word here is patience. And when is Jackson going to learn to slide? He took some serious hits in the game and there is no way he can continue to run like that without getting hurt. — Bob K. in North Carolina Jackson is a competitor, the same as Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. With that said, both need to learn to get down because their teams would have catastrophic seasons if they were to get hurt for long periods of time. Jackson rushed 16 times for 122 yards against the Chiefs and completed 26 of 41 pass for 273 yards. He was sacked only once, but was under duress most of the night. I can’t see him keeping up this pace for an entire year and into the postseason. Memo to the Ravens’ offense: Slide Lamar, slide. It seems from all accounts that Daniel Faalele hasn’t been competent at right guard in training camp, joint practices, preseason games or Thursday night. Aside from pure stubbornness regarding how the coaching staff views Ben Cleveland’s work ethic and makeup, is there any rationalization for continuing the experiment? P.S. Does Todd Monken get paid every time the Ravens scheme a pass to Zay Flowers behind the line of scrimmage? — Lee L Lee, believe me, if the Ravens thought Cleveland was better, he would be in the starting lineup. Remember, Cleveland was a third-round draft pick out of Georgia in 2021 and Faalele was a fourth-rounder in 2022. Both are big maulers but both have problems with their knee bend and in pass protection. Neither moves well nor makes blocks into the second level. But the Ravens have to play these guys after losing three starters on the offensive line from a year ago and partially because of Jackson’s new contract signed last offseason. People forget that when you pay a quarterback top dollar, it leaves the team with other weaknesses, and it shows up within a year or two. As for Flowers and Monken, the Ravens went overboard using him in the first half, but at least they got tight end Isaiah Likely and receiver Rashod Bateman involved in the second half. The Ravens have weapons, they just need to learn to use them more often. Early in his career, Patrick Mahomes operated in a bit of a “helter-skelter” highly improvised manner and he won a Super Bowl. Can Lamar do the same? — Words of Dave (@BaltimoreSJam) on X Sure, Jackson can win a Super Bowl, but Kansas City has never had a “helter-skelter” offense under coach Andy Reid, who has been with the Chiefs since 2013. Kansas City has variety in its offense. The Chiefs move Mahomes around, they are creative and they have speed. It’s fun watching Jackson play because of his scrambling ability and the Ravens would be in serious trouble without him, but I would like to see more receivers get open by design, not by improvising. Can the Ravens win a Super Bowl with a running quarterback? Maybe, but Jackson is 2-4 in the postseason. He missed three potential touchdown passes against Kansas City last Thursday with throws NFL quarterbacks are supposed to make, especially deep down the field. It’s a long season, though, so let’s see what happens. Coach John Harbaugh’s clock management and timeout calls leave something to be desired, especially in the Kansas City game. Does anyone in the coaching staff review the clock management and provide suggestions to Harbaugh? — Dan Handley from Elkton, Maryland Every coach has a weakness, and as I’ve mentioned in the past that Harbaugh’s is clock management and late-game decision making. With that said, I think he is a very good coach and goes over every detail of every game. He is very thorough in that regard. He acknowledged Monday at his weekly news conference that those timeouts burned in the first five minutes of the third quarter were because of the Kansas City substitution packages. It’s understandable because the Ravens lost three of their top defensive assistant coaches from a year ago, so some mayhem was to be expected in getting players on and off the field. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh’s clock management received criticism in last Thursday’s season opener against the Chiefs. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Needless to say, it’s his team and he is the coach. I don’t agree with some of his decisions, but I like when a coach takes control and responsibility. Against Kansas City, it seemed like linebacker Malik Harrison struggled to defend receivers like Rashee Rice. Is this on the defensive coordinator playing Harrison out of position? Or is it as simple as Trenton Simpson needing to be out there a lot more instead? — Paul from Orlando Paul, tackling was poor throughout the game. Harrison missed several tackles, but so did safety Kyle Hamilton and middle linebacker Roquan Smith. Before I blame new defensive coordinator Zach Orr, I will look harder at the situation and remember that the Ravens didn’t play many starters in the three preseason games. Players do have to scrape off some rust because game conditions are different than practice time. Now, if this happens against the Raiders on Sunday at home, then we can scrutinize the defense a little more. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Staff picks for Week 2 of 2024 NFL season: Bills vs. Dolphins, Bengals vs. Chiefs and more Baltimore Ravens | ‘Rookie yips’ were only part of Ravens’ offensive line problems vs. Chiefs: ‘Week 1 is tough’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens overreaction corner: Will Baltimore, Lamar Jackson ever catch up to Chiefs? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders scouting report for Week 2: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, John Harbaugh are OK with QB inviting contact: ‘Just playing football’ You previously shared that meeting times were changed so Lamar would be more attentive in the classroom and last week said that Harbaugh “coddles” him. How was this culture created by the Ravens, or is it just how star players are handled in the modern NFL? Also, has this caused division in the locker room? — Nate Nate, there isn’t any division in the locker room and the players have become accustomed to it. Each coach handles star players differently, but I’d like for Harbaugh to say what he really feels instead of coddling his players. For instance, when Jackson struggles throwing the long ball, just say it. Better yet, work on his mechanics. But in fear of irritating Jackson, Harbaugh stays away from criticism. Overall, though, he is around No. 8 more than me, so he knows what can and cannot be said. I prefer honesty. 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. View the full article

An abashed smile stretched across the wide and stubbled face of Ravens rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten as he slipped into a black T-shirt in front of his locker in Owings Mills on Wednesday afternoon. “I got the rookie yips a little bit,” he told The Baltimore Sun. “Obviously you don’t want the first play to go like that, but I guess that’s a welcome-to-the-NFL moment against a really good player.” The player, of course, was Chiefs defensive tackle and two-time All-Pro Chris Jones, and the play was the first of Baltimore’s third series in last week’s season-opening loss at Kansas City. Rotating in for starter Patrick Mekari in the hostile environs of a raucous Arrowhead Stadium with the score tied at 7 and the ball at the Ravens’ 20-yard-line, Rosengarten, the second-round draft pick out of Washington, had no shot. Jones raced past him, as well as late-arriving right guard Daniel Faalele, and strip-sacked Lamar Jackson with a defensive alignment that was different than what Baltimore was expecting on the play, Rosengarten said. Five plays later, the Chiefs scored the go-ahead touchdown and never relinquished the lead en route to a 27-20 victory. “I got the rookie jitters out of the way the first week of the regular season in a really hostile environment,” Rosengarten acknowledged. “My biggest thing is just staying calm. I’ve been playing this game for a really long time and now you’re at the highest level of what you dreamed to be, so just staying calm through it. There’s a reason we’re all here.” As far as Ravens coach John Harbaugh is concerned, there are reasons, too, to be confident about the unit. This, despite three new starters along a line in which Faalele is starting at right guard for the first time in his career, Andrew Vorhees is starting at left guard after being injured all of his rookie year last season, and Mekari and Rosengarten are sharing snaps at right tackle. Never mind that the line was flagged five times against Kansas City — four of them for illegal formation, including three on left tackle Ronnie Stanley, with the other a holding penalty on center Tyler Linderbaum that wiped out a long run by Jackson. And things won’t get much easier this week, with Baltimore facing a Las Vegas Raiders defense anchored by elite edge rusher Maxx Crosby and star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who is coming off a career-high nine sacks (though injuries to defensive ends Malcolm Koonce and Tyree Wilson help). “In regard to the penalties, the refs do what the refs are told to do,” Mekari, who was also flagged for illegal formation, told The Sun. “It’s frustrating that we had so many penalties. It was costly because it was such a close game. “We definitely learned from it [and] don’t plan on it happening anymore. … Those refs were told something, they tried to enforce it that way and we got the short end of the stick.” Ravens offensive line coach George Warhop speaks to linemen Ben Cleveland and Andrew Vorhees at practice Wednesday. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Nearby and nearly a week later, Stanley still steamed from the penalties as he began to get dressed at the end of the open locker room period. Thursday night, he accused Shawn Hochuli’s officiating crew of “trying to make an example of me.” He also wondered aloud why the Chiefs’ tackles didn’t suffer the same fate, saying in Kansas City that he was lined up closer than their right tackle and that all the penalties made him “feel like I’m crazy, [that] I don’t know where I’m lining up.” Penalties aside, other issues needed cleaning up, Mekari said, including better communication and finishing blocks. Protection was also at times a problem. The Chiefs pestered Jackson much of the night, though they had just one sack and one hit on the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, who often escaped trouble with his legs, rushing for 122 yards. The Ravens’ offensive line was also ranked second in pass-blocking win-rate in Week 1, per ESPN. Run blocking, however, was another story. Running back Derrick Henry ran for just 46 yards on 13 carries, an average of 3.5 yards per attempt. Baltimore’s run blocking also ranked 22nd in win rate, per ESPN. “Week 1 is tough,” Mekari said. “You don’t know what guys have been working on. But through the game you get more film, you get more tendencies, you get a better understanding of who [your opponents] are as a player, who you are as a player. “It’s early in the year. There’s so much to grow from Week 1 to Week 2.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Staff picks for Week 2 of 2024 NFL season: Bills vs. Dolphins, Bengals vs. Chiefs and more Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Answering questions about Lamar Jackson’s running and more | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens overreaction corner: Will Baltimore, Lamar Jackson ever catch up to Chiefs? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders scouting report for Week 2: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, John Harbaugh are OK with QB inviting contact: ‘Just playing football’ And even with their struggles up front, the Ravens still had a chance to tie the Chiefs on the game’s final play, with Jackson scrambling and spinning in the pocket to avoid Jones. Mekari was supposed to fan out to block him, but couldn’t hear the call because of the crowd noise, Harbaugh said, and diminutive running back Justice Hill did an admirable job of slowing Jones down long enough for Jackson to find tight end Isaiah Likely, whose toe came down out of bounds in the back of the end zone to end the game. “I’m not too worried about the offensive line,” Harbaugh said. “I watch all the other offensive lines in the National Football League, and I think if you applied some of the same standards to the other offensive lines out there, you’d be like, ‘Oh, boy, that’s a tough position to play against these guys.’ So, our offensive line is going to be really good this year. I believe that, and we’re working hard toward that. “So, I’m not going to sit here and doubt those guys; I’m going to coach those guys, and those guys are going to get out there and play. I think by the end of the season, you’re going to feel really good about our offensive line.” View the full article

No NFL game is disposable. That’s the genius of pro football as an entertainment product. Because each team gets only 17 shots at its season, no week is unimportant, no matchup unworthy of analysis. It’s so much more difficult for one of 162 baseball games or one of 82 NBA dates to feel like an event. There is another edge to that sword, however, and it’s our instinct to draw grand conclusions from a mere 60 minutes of football. How much can we really know based on a game that could have swung the other way if not for a slightly misplaced toe? That example is germane to the Ravens after they lost to their archnemesis, the Kansas City Chiefs, in a prime-time opener that came down to the last play: Isaiah Likely’s almost-touchdown catch in the back of the end zone. A rematch of the AFC championship game with a dramatic ending and wild swings involving two of the most famous quarterbacks in the world? The takes were bound to fly hot and heavy. Now that we have a few days’ perspective, it’s time to ask which of these scorching conclusions merit our attention and which will be forgotten as soon as the Ravens suit up for Week 2. So we’ll take them one by one: Overreaction or properly concerned? Take: The Ravens haven’t caught up to the Chiefs, and maybe they never will The Ravens were the best team in football going into the last week of January. Every metric said so, as did the thrashings they inflicted on the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins in key late-season matchups. The Chiefs, meanwhile, seemed incapable of finding their stride. They could easily have lost in Buffalo and never played for the AFC championship in Baltimore. But that was all quickly forgotten as Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce wove their magic and the Ravens forgot to run the ball. The Chiefs went on to win another Super Bowl and reclaim big brother status, peering down at the Ravens and the rest of the league. Eight months later, the stakes were lower, but the Ravens at least had a chance to claim a foothold against the rival they’ll probably have to upend to achieve their championship ambitions. So it was understandably dispiriting for Baltimore fans to watch them fall short again, with Mahomes punishing a blown coverage for a pivotal touchdown and Jackson failing to answer at the end, when he had receivers open in the end zone on three straight plays. If anything, the Chiefs looked more potent than they had in January, with speedy rookie Xavier Worthy adding a home run element they had lacked since Tyreek Hill left for Miami. Meanwhile, national pundits jabbed at the Ravens’ lack of a clear offensive identity, wondering how they’ll integrate Derrick Henry’s power into an attack that thrives on Jackson’s improvisations. The Chiefs still seemed inevitable. The Ravens, 1-5 against Kansas City in the Jackson-Mahomes era, still seemed to be searching. But the past is not inevitably prologue. We learned this the last time the Ravens won the Super Bowl, going through the same New England Patriots who had haunted them a year earlier. The Ravens aren’t that far behind the Chiefs. As terrifying as Mahomes is, Jackson poses equally daunting problems for the Kansas City defense when he’s playing with the freedom and fury he displayed last Thursday night. The Ravens have the playmakers to keep up, and it’s hard to imagine their best defenders playing as poorly as they did in the opener if these teams meet again in January. Would the Chiefs be favored in a rematch? Yes. Are the Ravens so hopeless against this one opponent that we’ll never see them break through? Their most recent lost suggested otherwise. VERDICT: Overreaction Take: As great as Lamar Jackson is, he’s not precise enough on the throws that decide a game Rarely will you find a more perfect encapsulation of the beautiful frustration posed by Baltimore’s defining athlete of the moment. Jackson was a marvel in Kansas City, feinting, spinning and gliding away from defenders, unleashing clutch throws on the run, lowering his shoulder for crucial yards because he hungered for victory. If the Ravens had a chance, it was because, for much of the fourth quarter, he and not Mahomes was the most compelling player on the field. Jackson guided them to the cusp of a touchdown that would tie or beat the Chiefs. He had time for three throws. The first, with Likely open in the corner of the end zone, sailed out of bounds. The second sliced harmlessly between a wide-open Zay Flowers and Jackson’s intended target, Rashod Bateman. Both were easy plays compared with ones Jackson had already made that night. He did not convert. His final throw found Likely’s hands in the back of the end zone, but Likely could not quite keep the tip of his toe inbounds. And that was that — fodder for another referendum on Jackson’s wonders and limitations. The Ravens can’t win without him, but can they win the biggest games with him? Some of the greatest quarterbacks in history waited just as long as Jackson to break through. If he keeps giving himself chances, odds are that he will deliver spectacularly in the playoffs one of these years. But it’s also true that as of now, Mahomes is a better bet to connect on a decisive throw. We know it based on the playoff results and the head-to-head. We know it in our guts. He remains the standard Jackson is chasing. VERDICT: Reasonable concern From left, Ravens offensive linemen Ronnie Stanley, Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele watch from the sideline during the season opener against the Chiefs. (Reed Hoffmann/AP) Take: The Ravens will be undone by the risks they took in overhauling their offensive line This was the story of the offseason as the Ravens waved goodbye to three starters, including veteran stalwarts Kevin Zeitler and Morgan Moses, and steered into a youth movement. Would it be too much change for a team designed to win the Super Bowl now? The Ravens did not flinch, throwing Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees into the fire as first-time starting guards against the Chiefs and rotating rookie Roger Rosengarten as a junior partner to Patrick Mekari at right tackle. Their plan produced mixed results. The Chiefs successfully attacked Mekari and Rosengarten on the right edge, producing a strip-sack and several pressures. Henry averaged just 3.5 yards per carry in his Ravens debut, finding no room to run on several attempts. At the same time, Vorhees and Faalele exceeded expectations, holding up well as pass blockers, especially in the second half. A healthy Ronnie Stanley showed he’s still more than capable of protecting Jackson’s blind side, and we saw no lingering effects from the neck injury that sidelined center Tyler Linderbaum for much of training camp. “The baseline is pretty darn good,” Harbaugh said, noting how his young blockers stood up to a talented defense in front of a manic road crowd. Fair enough. We’re going to see hiccups from this unit, but their debut could have gone worse. VERDICT: Reasonable concern, but graded on a curve, overreaction Take: Zach Orr’s defense wasn’t nimble enough in adjusting to the Chiefs’ attack Mahomes went after the Ravens’ linebackers and safeties to great effect, betting they had no chance to keep up with slanting wide receiver Rashee Rice, who finished with seven catches on nine targets for 103 yards. Even with Kelce held relatively in check, Kansas City feasted in the middle of the field. The Ravens struggled through some expected malfunctions in Orr’s first game as coordinator, with Harbaugh acknowledging their substitutions were sluggish. On Mahomes’ 35-yard touchdown pass to Worthy in the fourth quarter, cornerback Marlon Humphrey handed off coverage to a safety who wasn’t there. “We were trying to play a lot of different guys and get them in there, situationally, against a no-huddle team,” Harbaugh said. “We didn’t do a great job … They were subbing guys in at like 18 seconds on the game clock and calling their play really quick.” He did not perceive a lack of schematic adjustment to Mahomes’ underneath strikes, saying “we changed which side we were rolling the coverage to, and it cleaned up.” The Ravens’ two best defensive players, All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith and All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, weren’t good. Smith allowed five catches on six targets in coverage and missed a pair of tackles. Hamilton, who split time between nickel and strong safety, missed three tackles. It would be a shock if those guys don’t clean up their play, and there’s no reason to think Orr — a smart, disciplined coach who knows Ravens defense inside and out — won’t smooth out his operation. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Staff picks for Week 2 of 2024 NFL season: Bills vs. Dolphins, Bengals vs. Chiefs and more Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Answering questions about Lamar Jackson’s running and more | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | ‘Rookie yips’ were only part of Ravens’ offensive line problems vs. Chiefs: ‘Week 1 is tough’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders scouting report for Week 2: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, John Harbaugh are OK with QB inviting contact: ‘Just playing football’ VERDICT: Overreaction Take: Mark Andrews isn’t even the Ravens’ best tight end anymore Andrews has endured more than his share of awful luck over the past year, from the ankle injury that derailed his 2023 season to the scary car wreck that interrupted his training camp. When he caught just two passes for 14 yards in the opener, fantasy owners sent up panic signals. A review of the game tape, however, showed the Chiefs double-teaming Andrews relentlessly, daring Jackson to beat them by targeting others. He did, finding Likely nine times for 111 yards. This was actually a heartening sign that the Ravens’ top two tight ends can play off one another. In past seasons, Likely’s best games came when Andrews was out. In this case, he took advantage of the attention his senior partner commanded. Andrews was the best pass catcher on the field plenty of days during camp. He played 59 snaps against the Chiefs, six more than Likely, so it’s not as if the Ravens are phasing him down. He’ll have big games this season. It’s just that there are more guys around him capable of being Jackson’s No. 1 target on a given day. VERDICT: Overreaction View the full article

The Ravens missed a potential game-winning touchdown by the tip of tight end Isaiah Likely’s toe in their season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Las Vegas Raiders gave up 175 rushing yards and turned the ball over three times in a 22-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Which 0-1 team will have the advantage at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon? Ravens passing game vs. Raiders pass defense Lamar Jackson kept the Ravens in the game against the Chiefs, completing 26 of 41 for 273 yards and a touchdown, but missed on three straight attempts at a tying or winning touchdown, badly overshooting Likely on the first and looking past a wide-open Zay Flowers on the second. Jackson’s gifts for buying time and turning broken plays into big ones were on full display, but he wasn’t precise with the game hanging in the balance. With the Chiefs regularly double teaming Jackson’s favorite target, Mark Andrews, Likely stepped up to catch nine passes on 12 targets for 111 yards and a touchdown. His 49-yard catch-and-run touchdown was the play of the game for the Ravens. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman made a leaping 38-yard grab to set up Jackson’s red-zone shots on the final drive, reminding everyone why he deserves a larger role in the offense. The Ravens’ inexperienced offensive line, with Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele starting at guard and Patrick Mekari rotating with rookie Roger Rosengarten at right tackle, didn’t give Jackson enough time to work in the first half but performed better late in the game. All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones had his way in limited engagements with Rosengarten. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley, trying to bounce back from a disappointing 2023, played well. The Ravens will face a Raiders defense that ranked eighth in DVOA against the pass last year despite blitzing infrequently and ranking 24th in pressures per dropback. They held Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to 144 passing yards on 26 attempts in Week 1. Maxx Crosby is an elite edge rusher who led the Raiders with 14 1/2 sacks and 31 quarterback hits in 2023 and picked up where he left off with four pressures against the Chargers. He’ll be a problem for Stanley and Mekari as he cherry picks the best matchups. Las Vegas is thin on the edge behind Crosby, with 2023 standout Malcolm Koonce on injured reserve. The Raiders don’t have stars in the secondary, but their cornerbacks, led by Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs, played well against the Chargers, and safety Tre’Von Moehrig is a playmaker. EDGE: Ravens Raiders passing game vs. Ravens pass defense Quarterback Gardner Minshew completed 25 of 33 for 257 yards against the Chargers but led the Raiders to just three points after the first quarter. Minshew has always straddled the line between starter and backup. He did lead the Indianapolis Colts to a 22-19 win over the Ravens last September. He’s working with real weapons in former All-Pro Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers (807 yards, 8 touchdowns last season) and rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who caught six passes for 58 yards against the Chargers. Raiders tackles Kolton Miller and Thayer Munford Jr. graded decently, per Pro Football Focus, but Minshew was sacked three times and hit six. He’ll face a Ravens unit that defended the pass better than any other in 2023 but struggled to lock down the middle of the field against the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes and wide receiver Rashee Rice took advantage of subpar games from All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith and All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton. Rookie Xavier Worthy exploited blown coverage for the decisive touchdown. The Ravens did muster decent pressure, led by outside linebacker Odafe Oweh and defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, though they could be without edge rusher Kyle Van Noy (eye) against the Raiders. Their cornerbacks played better than their linebackers and safeties. EDGE: Ravens Ravens running game vs. Raiders run defense The Ravens ran for 185 yards on 32 attempts against the Chiefs, with Jackson, looking fast and fearless, accounting for 122 of those. The team’s major offseason addition, Derrick Henry, played a lesser role with 46 yards on 13 carries. That might not have been the case had the Ravens not played from behind for most of the game. The Jackson-Henry partnership worked best on the first drive of the game as Jackson faked handoffs to set up a pair of outside gains, then gave the ball to Henry from under center for the running back’s first Ravens touchdown. Henry actually played fewer snaps than Justice Hill, who thrived as a receiver out of the backfield. Henry will need more help from the Ravens’ offensive line to increase his efficiency. Coach John Harbaugh has said he won’t carry the ball 30 times a game as he did during his busiest stretches with the Tennessee Titans. The Raiders, meanwhile, will look to avoid the run fit mistakes that left former Raven J.K. Dobbins room to break loose for gains of 46 and 61 yards on Sunday. Las Vegas allowed just 69 yards on the Chargers’ other 25 carries, but those two chunk plays led to 10 points that blew open a close game. The Raiders have a very good middle linebacker in Robert Spillane (10 tackles, one for loss against the Chargers) and one of the league’s best defensive tackles in Christian Wilkins. EDGE: Ravens Raiders running game vs. Ravens run defense The Raiders said goodbye to Josh Jacobs in the offseason, handing their No. 1 running back spot to Zamir White, who averaged 4.3 yards per carry last season. The Chargers held White to 44 yards on 13 attempts Sunday. Minshew doesn’t get many designed carries but is a threat to scramble if left unattended. Baltimore linebacker Roquan Smith, left, didn’t perform up to his potential in a season-opening loss to the Chiefs. (Charlie Riedel/AP) The Ravens held the Chiefs to 72 yards on 20 carries, with 21 of those coming on an early end-around score by the speedy Worthy. Smith and Hamilton missed five tackles combined and will need to clean that up. On the interior, Travis Jones played 33 snaps to 20 for Michael Pierce, but Pierce remains the more dependable run defender. EDGE: Ravens Ravens special teams vs. Raider special teams Justin Tucker missed from 53 yards in Kansas City and has now made just one of six attempts from 50 yards or beyond over the last two seasons. He’s made 33 of 34 from inside 50 over that span. The NFL’s new kickoff rules played little part in the Chiefs game. The Ravens did not return a single one, and the Chiefs returned just two, achieving minimal field position advantage. Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson made more than 90% of his field-goal attempts every year from 2020 to 2022 but went 1-of-3 from 50 yards or beyond last season and missed from 49 in the loss to the Chargers. Ameer Abdullah is one of the most experienced kickoff returners in the league, and A.J. Cole III is a two-time All-Pro punter. Las Vegas ranked 13th in special teams DVOA last season, 10 spots behind the Ravens. EDGE: Even Ravens intangibles vs. Raiders intangibles The Ravens never lost two games in a row last season and will be motivated to put their agonizing opening defeat behind them. They’ll have a rest advantage over an opponent crossing two time zones to play them at 1 p.m. Harbaugh’s teams have traditionally won at a high rate when playing with such advantages, and Jackson, with a 58-20 career regular season record, will be the best player on the field. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce went 5-4 last season after Josh McDaniels was fired, and the former NFL linebacker has promised to restore the franchise’s intimidating aura. Former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis offers a voice of experience as the assistant head coach. Pierce took widespread criticism Sunday for punting on fourth-and-1 in Chargers territory with his team down six in the fourth quarter, but he portrayed the decision as an act of faith in his defense. The Raiders went just 2-6 on the road last year; they did win in Kansas City on Christmas. EDGE: Ravens Prediction The Raiders held their own in an opening loss to the Chargers. They have skilled playmakers and an elite pass rusher in Crosby. In other words, enough talent to make the Ravens uncomfortable. But the Ravens have an MVP quarterback, a far more more accomplished coach and more star power on defense. Look for Henry to break out in his Baltimore debut as the Ravens play from ahead all afternoon. Ravens 30, Raiders 17 View the full article

Lamar Jackson slumped forward slightly and thumped his shoulder pad into his hand. He flashed a grin and let out a soft-spoken, “Boom!” The agile quarterback carrying a summer’s worth of dialogue about slimming down mimicked his particularly physical performance from the Ravens’ Week 1 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He rushed for 122 yards on 16 carries and invited contact with every scramble, having been tackled on 13 such attempts. Jackson was absent from Monday’s practice for what he downplayed as simply a day off. “I feel great,” he said, returning to the field Wednesday after the team didn’t practice Tuesday. He was not listed on the week’s first injury report. The hit Jackson recounted came early in the second quarter of Thursday’s season opener at Arrowhead Stadium. He stepped up into the pocket, then zipped out to his right to pick up about 5 yards. When Jackson neared the sideline, Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson appeared to decelerate. That’s when Jackson, still in bounds, barreled his head and shoulder into Watson. “I’m just playing football,” the two-time and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player said. “I didn’t want to get hit. … I think I’ve [gotten] hit like that before — going on the sideline [when] I’m about to step out and somebody hits me. So, it was like, ‘I’d rather hit you before you hit me.’” It’s an aggressive energy he chalked up to competitive spirit. That, coupled with thinking back to all the times he slid on a run or avoided contact and still took a hit without drawing a penalty. Is that type of physicality sustainable for five-plus months of football? “I don’t know. I’m not trying to find out,” the 27-year-old Jackson said. “But I’m going to do whatever it takes to win, and in that type of game, sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.” Harbaugh showed no signs of concern either. “I’m comfortable with a physical football team,” he said. The last time Jackson rushed more than 16 times in a single game was 2021. He did it thrice that season: 16 carries in Week 2 against the Chiefs, then 21 carries in Week 8 and 17 in Week 11. In Week 14, Jackson suffered a season-ending injury when Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah brought him down by his ankles as he scrambled away from pressure. (Jackson also missed the final five regular-season games and a wild-card-round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022 with a sprained knee.) Jackson is also far different from his 2021 counterpart — and Harbaugh noted earlier this week how malleable Baltimore’s offense can be. “I feel like an offensive identity is definitely something that you develop over the course of time,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve had a lot of iterations of offensive identities over the years, especially since Lamar has been here, but they do start with your quarterback.” After battling the Chiefs’ Chris Jones a week ago, Jackson and the Ravens will see a similarly dominant defensive lineman in Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby. Crosby had four tackles and two sacks in his only career game against Baltimore, a 33-27 overtime win by the Raiders in the 2021 season opener. He finished with five tackles and a sack last week in a 22-10 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. Harbaugh called him a “game-wrecker” and a high-energy, “very unpredictable player.” Jackson, with distasteful memories of that matchup three years ago, still recalls the friendly trash talk they exchanged in that meeting at Allegiant Stadium. “He was trying to get after me and I was talking trash back, and he was like, ‘But I love your game, Lamar!’” the quarterback recalled Crosby saying. “He’s a great edge rusher. My hat’s off to him. He has a high motor. He was just going at it all game.” Injury report Veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who exited Thursday’s loss in Kansas City after suffering an orbital bone fracture, missed Wednesday’s practice with an eye injury and was the Ravens’ only absentee. Middle linebacker Roquan Smith was a limited participant with a shoulder injury. Rookie outside linebacker Adisa Isaac was limited with a hamstring injury. On his podcast Tuesday, Van Noy expressed frustration with the Chiefs medical staff’s handling of his injury, calling the treatment he received “unprofessional.” Harbaugh said Wednesday that he has not had a conversation with Van Noy regarding his treatment and didn’t offer any details on the veteran’s recovery timeline. “I didn’t hear the quotes or comments at all,” Harbaugh said. “They were sent to me. I read them. And that’s about as far as I can get on it.” Smith, who practiced Monday, is a new addition to the injury report. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Staff picks for Week 2 of 2024 NFL season: Bills vs. Dolphins, Bengals vs. Chiefs and more Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Answering questions about Lamar Jackson’s running and more | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | ‘Rookie yips’ were only part of Ravens’ offensive line problems vs. Chiefs: ‘Week 1 is tough’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens overreaction corner: Will Baltimore, Lamar Jackson ever catch up to Chiefs? Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Raiders scouting report for Week 2: Who has the edge? Isaac did not play Thursday but could have an expanded role if he returns this week. The Ravens, now possibly without Van Noy for some time, were already dealing with thin outside linebacker depth. “I feel probably the best I felt since coming in OTAs,” said Isaac, a third-round pick in April’s draft. “I feel ready, feel prepared. It’s definitely been a little challenging being patient.” Cornerback Nate Wiggins and wide receiver/returner Deonte Harty, who were not on the field for the viewing portion of Monday’s practice, returned Wednesday and are not listed on the injury report. Arthur Maulet, who is on injured reserve and will miss at least three more games, worked out with trainers on a side field Wednesday. The 31-year-old cornerback had arthroscopic knee surgery in August. Raiders defensive end Tyree Wilson (knee) and cornerback Decamerion Richardson (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday. Starting offensive linemen Kolton Miller (knee) and Andre James (elbow) and reserve rookie guard Jackson Powers-Johnson (illness) were limited participants. View the full article