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Trying to interpret a social media post is often a fool’s errand, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh is famously not on X. Yet, when Baltimore’s Zay Flowers reposted a fan noting that the Ravens’ Week 2 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders marked the second straight game in which the second-year wide receiver had a “big” first half but that the Ravens “stopped getting him the ball” in the second half, it was at least curious. After Flowers was targeted nine times in the first half Sunday, he had just two — including one for an 8-yard touchdown — in the game’s final 30 minutes. “Not that I’m aware of,” Harbaugh said Monday afternoon when asked if there’s any frustration or contention from Flowers. “No, Zay’s been great. Had great conversations with Zay. I’m not aware of any of the social media stuff.” By Tuesday afternoon, the 2023 first-round draft pick had removed the repost, thus wiping it from his timeline. That Flowers would get significantly fewer targets in the second half against Las Vegas was not surprising — the Ravens twice led by 10 points and leaned on the hammering of running back Derrick Henry, who had 79 yards and a touchdown on just 11 second-half carries. But through the small sample size of the first two weeks of this season, Flowers has both been receiving a wealth of targets and getting the ball less in the final two quarters compared with the first two. In Week 1 against the Chiefs, for example, Flowers was targeted 10 times in the first half (including on four plays that did not count because of penalties) and on just four occasions in the second, despite the Ravens trailing by three points at the half and twice by 10 in the third and fourth quarters. Against the Raiders, Baltimore led by a field goal at the half and Flowers was targeted nine times in the first two quarters (six catches for 83 yards) and just twice in the final two (one catch for 8 yards). Still, it’s not as if quarterback Lamar Jackson hasn’t been looking Flowers’ way — his average of 10 1/2 targets through Week 2 is fifth-most in the NFL and higher than that of Deebo Samuel, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb and Ja’Marr Chase, to name a few star wideouts. Baltimore’s offense also seems to be searching for its identity, something that will continue to be a topic this week as the Ravens prepare to face the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday. “We’re definitely trying to take this offense to another level with just being able to do stuff on the field with Lamar,” Harbaugh said Monday. “Lamar has the keys to the offense. He’s the driver of that car. He drives it on the field, [offensive coordinator] Todd [Monken] is calling the plays, [and] the staff is putting the plan together, but Lamar has a lot of tools at his disposal, so that’s something that’s going to continue to grow and improve, and we’re going to build on that as we go. I think Lamar is doing a very good job with it, and I’m excited about what we can do with it.” Compared with last season, though, Flowers has been getting the ball a bit less in the second half. During his rookie year, Flowers was targeted 60 times in the first and second quarters and on 48 occasions in the second half and overtime, finishing with a team-high 77 catches for 858 yards and five touchdowns. In the 16 games he played (he sat out the regular-season finale), the Ravens led at the half in 14 of them and in some cases won by a wide margin, yet he still got a healthy amount of targets in second halves. Sunday, however, the Ravens led by a field goal at the half, and they trailed in Kansas City. Near the end of the game against the Chiefs, it was Rashod Bateman who Jackson was looking at when he missed a wide-open Flowers in the end zone. Against the Raiders, Flowers’ touchdown catch came on the first drive of the second half and he didn’t get another target until midway through the fourth quarter. Again, the Ravens twice led by 10 in the second half, including after Flowers’ score, and Jackson spread the ball around in the final two quarters with eight completions for 86 yards to five players. No one had more than two catches. Still, there were opportunities to get Flowers the ball. On Baltimore’s second series of the second half, Jackson tried to jam the ball into Bateman, who had two defenders close by. When the pass was thrown slightly to the inside, the defenders converged with linebacker Robert Spillane ending up with an interception after the ball ricocheted off the receiver’s hands. Midway through the Ravens’ next possession, Raiders cornerback Jack Jones was matched up on Flowers when the receiver gave him a juke and got behind him and the rest of the defense, throwing his hand up to signal he was open. Jackson instead opted for a deep out to Bateman, who appeared to be his first read and was open. Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, bottom right, begins to break open during Sunday’s game against the Raiders, but quarterback Lamar Jackson threw to his first option, an open Rashod Bateman, top right. (NFL) For the rest of that series, Baltimore relied mostly on the legs of Henry, who chewed up yardage and clock and put the Ravens up by 10 again on a direct snap that he took in for a touchdown from a few yards out. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson embraces leadership role after 0-2 start: ‘We’re not moping around’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton misses practice with back injury; CeeDee Lamb absent for Cowboys Baltimore Ravens | Ex-Ravens Terrell Suggs and Marshal Yanda among Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 nominees Baltimore Ravens | Tom Brady will be on the call for pivotal Ravens vs. Cowboys game Sunday Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Answering questions about Baltimore’s 0-2 start | COMMENTARY There were other occasions when Flowers could have been targeted, including on the next series. On the second play of the drive, with Flowers open in the flat for a bubble screen to the left, Jackson instead pulled the ball and ran on the run-pass option. Jackson had a chunk of space to run, but when tight end Mark Andrews couldn’t hold his block, it vanished. Meanwhile, with three Ravens receivers against two defenders on the left, there was room to run had he instead opted to pass to Flowers if that was an option. Then facing a third-and-5 following a false start on Henry, Jackson tried to get the ball to Flowers but was unable to. With defensive end Janarius Robinson bullying Andrews into the pocket, Jackson was off balance and tried side-arming a pass to the receiver cutting across the middle. But Spillane knocked down the low throw, killing the drive. And on each of Baltimore’s final two possessions, Flowers was either bracketed in coverage or the Raiders’ pass rush eliminated any chance of Jackson finding his favorite target, ending any chance for a comeback. In the end, coughing up the lead was a bigger problem than Flowers’ lack of targets in the second half. Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, top left, is well-covered by the Raiders’ defense as quarterback Lamar Jackson is about to come under pressure from the pass rush during Sunday’s game. (NFL) View the full article

Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer fans’ questions in the middle of each week throughout the Ravens season. The Ravens suffered a demoralizing home defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, dropping them to 0-2. Baltimore travels to face the Dallas Cowboys (1-1) on Sunday afternoon in search of their first win of the 2024 season. Here’s Preston’s take on a handful of questions from readers: (Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.) Now at 0-2 this season, how will the Ravens do against Dallas, Buffalo and Cincinnati in the next three weeks? What do they need to do to turn things around? — Ed Helinski It’s not hard to figure out, Ed. I’ve been saying this for decades: If your five big guys beat their five big guys on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, then you will win most games. The Ravens beat the Raiders on the defensive side of the ball, but they couldn’t control Las Vegas, which has one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. Against all three upcoming opponents, the Ravens have to establish the running game and keep three talented quarterbacks off the field in Dak Prescott, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow. It’s not a big secret. The Ravens’ offensive line has struggled in the first two games and that will be a problem all season. The group will get better as the season progresses because timing is a major key for developing an offensive line, but all three of the upcoming opposing quarterbacks have legitimate No. 1 receivers and can score from anywhere on the field. Another key is consistency, not just on the offensive line, but on defense as well. When the game moved into crunch time against the Raiders, the Ravens allowed two field goals and a touchdown on the Raiders’ last three possessions. Ideally, you want your defense on the field in that situation. The Ravens, though, couldn’t match up with Las Vegas despite their secondary playing extremely well throughout training camp. How long will Ravens fans accept mediocrity? How long will Ravens management accept mediocrity? — Carl Wright Sorry, Carl, but I wouldn’t call the Ravens’ play on the field “average.” There are 12 teams that haven’t won a Super Bowl and the Ravens have won two since moving to Baltimore from Cleveland for the 1996 season. Average? Last season, they played in the AFC championship game and suffered a disappointing 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, who might become the first team in league history to win three straight titles. Fans need to calm down. The Ravens are 0-2, and it’s an uphill climb, but it’s not impossible. If they don’t make the playoffs this season, then there is something to discuss. There are still 15 games remaining and a lot of football to be played. In Baltimore, after each loss, fans want to fire coach John Harbaugh, general manager Eric DeCosta and both the offensive and defensive coordinators as well as Poe the mascot. Let’s see how this all shakes out. This league is full of parity, and the Ravens are still in the mix. When will the front office take accountability for poor game decisions? We’ve replaced the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and other coaching positions, but the head coach has remained the same. Do you think Eric DeCosta is too close to Harbaugh so he won’t make the tough decision? It is widely known they are friends and neighbors. — Ryan Chojnowski When the final decision on Harbaugh will be made, if there is one, it will come from owner Steve Bisciotti. He will get input from those close to him, such as Ozzie Newsome and DeCosta, but he will make the final call. I don’t always agree with Harbaugh’s game decisions, especially in the final four minutes, but he has been very successful. Has he lost his voice with this team? I haven’t seen or heard that yet, but Harbaugh is always at his best when the Ravens struggle. He has a knack for rallying his team, so Sunday’s game against Dallas will be interesting. Is the Kevin Zeitler move Anquan Boldin 2.0 in terms of being penny-wise, but pound-foolish? Why is Mark Andrews being criminally underutilized? Why is Derrick Henry not being used as a receiver in space … where he excels? — Allan on X When you pay a quarterback $50 million a season, weaknesses will be exposed. It’s happened before and it will happen again. For this season, those liabilities were on the offensive line. As for Boldin, I thought he played well in the postseason but not necessarily in the regular season when the Ravens won the Super Bowl in the 2012 campaign. Andrews will be used more and so will Henry. In the first two games, the Ravens have been very predictable, but I assume that will change. Regardless, it still comes down to the offensive line. If that group can’t run block, which it didn’t do in the first half against the Raiders, Henry can’t run. If the pass protection isn’t there, what difference does it make if quarterback Lamar Jackson is throwing to Andrews, Rashod Bateman or Henry? Football games are won at the line of scrimmage. That, Allan, will never change. Ravens fans want to see more of star running back Derrick Henry, who has 31 carries through Baltimore’s first two games. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) You have always stated that most games are won (and lost) in the trenches. That was evident in the fiasco against the Raiders. But after allowing three starters from the offensive line to leave after last season, why did the Ravens hierarchy think that the remaining linemen could do just as well as those that left? What were they thinking? And due to Jackson’s massive contract, I assume reinforcements will not be forthcoming this season because of the salary cap. What can the Ravens possibly do? — Bob in NC You work hard and hope the starters develop. If not, then offensive linemen will become a priority in the draft. It’s hard to find good offensive linemen, especially with the development of the passing game in college football. But if a team feels a tackle or guard is the key to getting back into a Super Bowl, I think the Ravens will do whatever is necessary. They gambled this year, but that happens when you roll the dice with a quarterback, regardless if it was Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh or Peyton Manning in Indianapolis. What did Ben Cleveland do to remain in Coach Harbaugh’s doghouse? Whatever it is, it has to be better than the Daniel Faalele experiment at right guard. Is there something we are missing? — Dan from Elkton Nope, you aren’t missing a thing. If Cleveland was better than Faalele, he would be in the starting lineup. That’s it. I have to ask about Faalele. He’s a huge man who gets no push in the run game. He also lacks the agility that you would expect from a converted tackle. What are we missing? If Ben Cleveland is that bad, why can’t you start Rosengarten at right tackle and slide Patrick Mekari to guard? It feels like every year Harbaugh dies on a hill to prove a meaningless point. — Stuart I don’t think he is dying on a hill. Mekari is a veteran and I would have started him against Kansas City in the opener instead of a rookie. Rosengarten is going to be a good player, but needs a strong offseason in the weight room. Mekari could be the starting right guard at some point with Rosengarten taking over the tackle position, but it’s highly unlikely Mekari will make it through the entire season healthy. I don’t like rotating offensive linemen, but I understand what the Ravens are trying to do. They are preparing for the future, and we’re not talking long term. Changes might be made in the regular season. I know it’s early in the season, but so far it doesn’t look like the secondary is playing as well as they did last season. I was more concerned with losing coaches Dennard Wilson than I was Anthony Weaver in the offseason. How much is the loss of Wilson impacting the defense so far? — Paul in Orlando Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson embraces leadership role after 0-2 start: ‘We’re not moping around’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton misses practice with back injury; CeeDee Lamb absent for Cowboys Baltimore Ravens | Ex-Ravens Terrell Suggs and Marshal Yanda among Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 nominees Baltimore Ravens | Tom Brady will be on the call for pivotal Ravens vs. Cowboys game Sunday Baltimore Ravens | Ravens film study: Zay Flowers’ reaction to lack of second-half targets only part of story Losing both Weaver and Wilson hurt the Ravens. From what I saw in the Raiders game, both cornerbacks, Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens, looked tired late in the game. The Ravens sold out the week before in their loss to Kansas City, and it might have caught up with them. I know they had 10 days of rest and Las Vegas was playing on a regular seven-day routine, but the Ravens didn’t have that extra gear. Even Jackson lacked explosiveness on runs off the edge. As for Weaver and Wilson, both were established and had good relationships with the position players. It takes time to build those relationships despite some believing it can be done overnight. It’s not that easy. Is Father Time starting to catch up to Justin Tucker? Since the start of last season, he is 1-for-7 on field goal attempts of 50 yards or more in the regular season. Is it a bump in the road or reason for concern? — Bill C. from Alexandria, Virginia Father Time catches up with all of us and Tucker has been in the NFL since the 2012 season. But under any circumstance, I’d put him up there with any other kicker in the NFL. I’ve seen him practice, and he is still money. 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Each week of the NFL season, The Baltimore Sun will recap the best and worst from around the league. Here are our winners and losers from Week 2: Loser: Ravens You’re going to hear this stat a lot this week: In three seasons since the NFL moved to a 17-game schedule, 21 teams have started 0-2. Only two have made the playoffs. After a stunning 26-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Sunday’s home opener, the Ravens will try to defy the odds and join that exclusive group. “We will be defined by the next 15 games,” coach John Harbaugh said. About those next 15 games. Up next are the Dallas Cowboys, who before suffering a surprising blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday had a 16-game home winning streak during the regular season. Then it’s a visit from the Buffalo Bills and NFL Most Valuable Player candidate Josh Allen on “Sunday Night Football.” In Week 5, the Ravens go to Cincinnati to face the AFC North rival Bengals, who nearly beat the two-time defending Super Bowl champs on Sunday in Kansas City. There’s a world in which the Ravens sweep those games and are right back in the playoff conversation. There’s another in which they lose all three, perhaps in heartbreaking fashion, and are effectively eliminated from postseason contention before Halloween. Harbaugh and the Ravens don’t sound worried, which is to be expected. This team has won a lot of games with Lamar Jackson as the starting quarterback — 60, to be exact, including the postseason — and won’t throw in the towel after two tough losses. But there are perhaps more reasons to be concerned than ever with Jackson under center, namely a porous offensive line with three new starters, head-scratching game management from Harbaugh and a revamped coaching staff. The defense, expected to again be one of the league’s best, couldn’t stop a one-dimensional offense led by journeyman quarterback Gardner Minshew II. The Jackson-Harbaugh partnership has a long track record of success in the regular season, including a league-best 13-4 record last year and a 14-2 campaign in 2019 that included a franchise-record 12 straight wins. They deserve the benefit of the doubt, but that could all change in the next three weeks. Baltimore’s defense couldn’t slow down Las Vegas’ receivers in the second half, with tight end Brock Bowers, right, catching nine passes in the Raiders’ win. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Winner: New Orleans Saints What got into Derek Carr? Last year, he was booed at times by his home crowd during a stale 9-8 campaign that ended short of a postseason berth. This year, he’s the toast of the town as the Saints have raced to a surprising 2-0 start. In Sunday’s 44-19 win over the Cowboys, Carr threw for 243 yards on just 11 completions, including a 70-yard touchdown pass over two defenders to Rashid Shaheed in the first quarter. For a quarterback who has often been criticized for his hesitancy to throw the ball downfield and settle for checkdowns, that’s stunning. Carr’s newfound aggressiveness has lifted a team that many picked to finish behind the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South. Don’t forget about Alvin Kamara, either. The 29-year-old running back scored four touchdowns and totaled 180 yards from scrimmage in Sunday’s win, while the defense intercepted Dak Prescott twice and recorded three sacks. New Orleans scored points on its first 15 drives of the season, making offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak the early favorite for Assistant Coach of the Year. The Saints might be more than the default winner of one of the league’s worst divisions. They could be a legitimate contender in the NFC. Loser: Indianapolis Colts This was supposed to be a layup. The Green Bay Packers entered Sunday without star quarterback Jordan Love, who injured his knee in the season opener. In his place stepped Malik Willis, now on his second team after a failed experiment as the starter in Tennessee. In 67 career attempts, Willis had never thrown a touchdown pass. The 2022 third-round pick was known more for his rushing ability and was considered one of the worst backups in the league. So what did he do Sunday against the Colts? He was incredibly efficient, completing 12 of 14 attempts for 122 yards and his first NFL touchdown pass while rushing for 41 yards in a 16-10 win. Meanwhile, Anthony Richardson, the Colts’ ballyhooed young starter, completed just 17 of 34 passes for 204 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions, the last coming on a Hail Mary in the final seconds. Indianapolis was only a 2 1/2-point favorite, so it’s not a shocking upset. But this was an opportunity for the Colts to build some momentum with their young quarterback and keep up with the rising Houston Texans in the AFC South. Richardson is incredibly raw, having only started 13 games in college before declaring for the NFL draft. But at some point, he’s going to have to prove that those flashes of talent can translate to winning games. Behind running back Josh Jacobs, the Packers rushed for 261 yards, their most since 2003, on Sunday against the Colts. (Morry Gash/AP) Winner: Running the ball Passing and scoring numbers are down across the league through the first two weeks, a sign that defenses might finally be catching up. But that hasn’t stopped teams from running the ball effectively. According to The Ringer’s Riley McAtee, teams are averaging 123.5 rushing yards per game, the highest mark since 1987. The average yards per carry mark of 4.5 would tie 2022 for the all-time high. In Sunday’s win over the Colts, the Packers rushed for 261 yards, their most since 2003. The Packers gained 164 rushing yards in the first quarter alone, the highest first-quarter total for any NFL team since the Denver Broncos had 167 against the New England Patriots on Dec. 18, 2011, according to The Associated Press. The Saints’ 91 points through the first two games are the second-most this century, in large part because of a rushing attack that has totaled 370 yards. Defenses will have a chance to adjust, but the cyclical nature of the league suggests that running the ball might be an effective counter against lighter and faster units designed to stop the pass. Loser: Caleb Williams Before he entered the league, much of the talk about Williams was that he was entering one of the best situations ever for a No. 1 overall draft pick. It was easy to understand why. The Bears finished the 2023 season 7-10, but they got the top pick via the Bryce Young trade with the Carolina Panthers the previous year. The defense had made significant improvement after acquiring defensive end Montez Sweat midseason and was poised to become one of the league’s best. Chicago acquired Keenan Allen and drafted Rome Odunze, filling out a deep group of pass catchers alongside DJ Moore and tight ends Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ secondary has been one of worst in NFL, while foolish penalties pile up Baltimore Ravens | ‘I don’t think that way’: Ravens coach John Harbaugh explains two missed challenge calls in Raiders loss Baltimore Ravens | Pro Football Focus can help explain the Ravens. But what do the numbers mean? Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 26-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders Baltimore Ravens | Ravens blame another late collapse on sloppiness, penalties: ‘It’s time to sharpen it all up’ Well, the offensive line leaves a lot to be desired. In Sunday night’s 19-13 loss to the Houston Texans, Williams was sacked seven times and hit 11 times. It was bad enough for fans to wonder whether he’ll be able to avoid getting seriously injured if this keeps up. Miraculously, the Bears still had a chance to win after taking possession at their 20-yard line with 1:37 to play, but Williams was under constant pressure and could not convert a fourth-and-17 with 34 seconds left. Not every team will have as fearsome of a pass rush as the Texans, who boast Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, but Chicago must figure out a way to better protect their franchise quarterback before it’s too late. View the full article

Patrick Mahomes II Gardner Minshew II is not. Yet, there Minshew was down the stretch in Sunday’s Ravens home opener at M&T Bank Stadium leading the Las Vegas Raiders back from not one but two 10-point deficits, including one in the fourth quarter, to pull off a stunning 26-23 upset of Baltimore. He completed 79% of his passes for 276 yards, but was especially lethal in the fourth quarter, going 2-for-4 for 56 yards to set up Daniel Carlson’s 25-yard field goal, then 6-for-9 for 62 yards and a touchdown to Davante Adams after cornerback Brandon Stephens was flagged for pass interference on Adams, putting the ball on the Ravens’ 1-yard line. Of all Baltimore’s multitudinous problems during an 0-2 start to the season — a shaky offensive line and boneheaded and drive-crushing penalties among them — the most stunning has been the play of the secondary. Last season when the Ravens became the first team in NFL history to lead the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed per game, their defensive backfield was at the heart of the success. Baltimore allowed the fourth-lowest completion percentage (60.5), sixth-fewest passing yards per game (191.9) and was tops in the league in fewest yards per pass attempt (4.7). Through the small sample size of two games, those rankings have been effectively the opposite. Their 257 passing yards allowed per game is the most in the NFL, while a 75.8% completion rate ranks 30th and the 7 yards per pass attempt ranks fifth-most. “The secondary overall is on track, but we’re not consistent … and it’s not just a secondary, we’re talking about pass defense,” coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “Pass defense is at all three levels. “The linebackers are involved in that and the pass rush is involved in that. We can play coverages better. Sometimes it’s a one-on-one thing where they make a good play. … There’s other plays where we’re not, you know, we don’t play it as well as we could. We’re not in position. We don’t see it quite the same way. We react a little late. … That happened, especially kind of down the stretch in the 2-minute stuff. … Certain situations, especially in the fourth quarter, that you can’t let the quarterback out of the pocket, because it just extends plays and makes it impossible. … So everybody takes responsibility for pass defense.” In Week 1, the Ravens could perhaps be given something of a pass facing Mahomes, the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and three-time Super Bowl MVP and a restocked Chiefs offense in Kansas City. He is the best player in the sport playing on the best team in the league. But Minshew, a journeyman, bears no resemblance to Mahomes. Yet after holding the Raiders to just 43 total yards in the first half, the defense and in particular the secondary collapsed over the final 30 minutes. While Baltimore’s defense allowed only 23 rushing yards in the second half, Minshew threw for 194 yards on 16 of 22 passing. The Raiders also converted three of their six third downs (while the Ravens went 0-for-3) and Baltimore was again vulnerable in the middle of the field. While all three levels of the Ravens’ defense might be interconnected, the secondary — a unit that was touted as a strength with plenty of depth — has been one of the NFL’s worst thus far. Over the first two weeks, Baltimore allowed Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice 103 yards on seven catches and Raiders receiver Davante Adams 110 yards on nine catches. Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers also had 98 yards on nine catches, and there have been blown assignments and coverage busts, including one that resulted in the decisive touchdown against the Chiefs. Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, right, recorded nine receptions for 98 yards against Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Sunday, Stephens and fellow cornerback Marlon Humphrey allowed five and six catches on seven and nine targets, respectively, per Pro Football Focus. Safety Kyle Hamilton and inside linebacker Trenton Simpson, meanwhile, allowed seven and six catches on an equal number of targets. And safety Marcus Williams gave up three catches on as many targets. The Ravens were also without cornerback Nate Wiggins (neck/concussion) and have been without slot corner Arthur Maulet (knee) since before the start of the season. It’s also worth mentioning that the Ravens are operating with a first-year defensive coordinator in Zach Orr after Mike Macdonald became the coach of the Seattle Seahawks. They’re also without highly regarded defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson after he bolted for the Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator opening, leaving defensive backfield responsibilities to passing game coordinator Chris Hewitt and new secondary coach Doug Mallory. “It’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish,” safety Eddie Jackson said Sunday. “Right now, I feel like we’re gonna have to rally around each other more than ever.” And not just in the secondary. Offensive line concerns On offense, the line, with three new starters at both guard spots as well as right tackle, has struggled mightily. Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones and Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby are among the NFL’s best at their positions, but Baltimore’s problems up front have extended beyond protecting against elite pass rushers. “We’re just too inconsistent, and you talk about the offensive line, I think that’s a fair evaluation is inconsistent,” Harbaugh said. “It’s almost randomly inconsistent.” Things won’t get any easier with games against the Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals on tap. Asked if he has seen progress with first-year left guard Andrew Vorhees, first-year right guard Daniel Faalele and rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten, Harbaugh said there are going to be growing pains. He also is bullish, however, on keeping Faalele in over the more experienced Ben Cleveland. “If Ben had earned the job right guard, he’d be the starting right guard,” Harbaugh said. “You look at the tape, you know, he didn’t beat out Daniel or anybody. I think Ben’s a good player. I like Ben. I want Ben to take the next step. “Ben knows what he needs to do. If he wants playing time, he knows how he needs to play and he knows how he needs to practice when he gets that chance. So, our evaluation right now is that Daniel outplayed Ben, just fact, straight up.” Penalties are still a problem Sunday, the Ravens had 11 penalties totaling 109 yards. In Week 1, they had seven for 64 yards. And that doesn’t include the ones that were declined or offsetting. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 2: Ravens staring at potential 0-5 start Baltimore Ravens | ‘I don’t think that way’: Ravens coach John Harbaugh explains two missed challenge calls in Raiders loss Baltimore Ravens | Pro Football Focus can help explain the Ravens. But what do the numbers mean? Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 26-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders Baltimore Ravens | Ravens blame another late collapse on sloppiness, penalties: ‘It’s time to sharpen it all up’ It hasn’t just been the volume of the penalties, either. It’s been the critical nature of them, be it Derrick Henry’s false start midway through the fourth quarter on a third-and-1 that ultimately led to a punt or Stephens’ pass interference on Adams that led to the game-tying touchdown. “It’s a massive point of emphasis,” Harbaugh said of addressing penalties with his players. “It’s just not OK. “You can talk about some calls here, talk about a holding call, definitely talk about a call that was called as a facemask. You can talk about one of the pass interferences; those are game-changing plays, no doubt about it. But you can’t talk about a false start. You can’t talk about obvious holding, you know, things like that, you can’t talk about not lining up correctly.” “We cost ourselves more plays than our opponents do right now on both sides of the ball and that’s something that just we have to clean up.” View the full article

Ravens coach John Harbaugh has a simple theory on the use of challenge flags: The best way to maintain a winning percentage is to keep that red flag tucked into your belt line. “But I don’t think that way,” he said. Since 2008, Harbaugh has challenged 129 calls. He’s gotten 54 successfully overturned, compared with 75 upheld. That’s the most losses on a challenge among active NFL coaches, eking out Andy Reid’s 72 losses on 143 attempts. Bill Belichick, the third winningest NFL coach ever, lost 78 out of 131. Harbaugh reached for his challenge flag twice during Sunday’s 26-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. And twice, he was unsuccessful, costing the Ravens a pair of timeouts and momentum as they dropped to 0-2 for the first time since 2015. Harbaugh has lost six consecutive challenges, with his last successful challenge coming on Jan. 1, 2023, according to Pro Football Reference. “I’m not worried about the record,” Harbaugh said Monday afternoon. “I’m trying to think about the opportunity in the game to see if we have a chance to use a challenge to our advantage and try to win the game.” His first challenge came in the second quarter on a low throw to Zay Flowers against the left sideline. Rules analyst Gene Steratore called it a “pretty clean short hop” on the CBS broadcast but microphones near the field picked up Flowers repeating, “That’s a catch!” “That’s probably a situation where I don’t mind taking a chance there on that one because Zay did have his hand under the ball,” Harbaugh said. “Maybe there’s a chance they’ll turn that over. I thought it was probably less than 50-50 when I saw it. “I looked at it. I saw it. I knew what happened right away. I thought, you know what? I don’t mind the timeout right here, let me see if we can get them to turn that one over.” Lamar Jackson threw an incomplete pass on the next play. Then Justin Tucker sailed a 56-yard field goal try wide left and the Ravens failed to turn a three-point game into a two-possession contest heading into the final two minutes of the first half. Ravens coach John Harbaugh lost both of his challenges in the team’s 26-23 loss to Las Vegas. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Harbaugh’s second challenge was more costly. He threw the flag to review an impressive Davante Adams’ toe drag along the sideline, a play that Harbaugh said “was moving fast.” “I saw it from afar and I saw it quickly on the replay board,” Harbaugh said. “It was a quick shot in the replay booth. I thought to myself, ‘It’s really close. There’s a good chance his toes are still on the ground but there’s a chance his toes are off the ground.’ And we didn’t have enough time to get another look at it.” He made a split-second decision to go for it behind the thinking that if they could get it overturned it would have helped close out a win. And if it didn’t get overturned, he hoped the lost timeout wouldn’t be a difference-maker. Las Vegas kicker Daniel Carlson connected from 25 yards four plays later to trim Baltimore’s lead to 23-16 in the fourth quarter. Because of the lost challenge, the Ravens didn’t have a timeout when they got the ball back with 27 seconds and a final chance at saving their fourth-quarter collapse. Harbaugh’s philosophy of whether to challenge a call extends beyond simply not caring about his record. In a situation like that where Adams’ catch required a flash decision, he’ll normally — and he pressed a fist to his chest as he said this — only throw it when he’s sure. “I decided on that one to take a shot,” Harbaugh said, “and it hurt us because we didn’t have the timeout at the end of the game.” View the full article

In Week 4 of the 2019 season, Ravens coach John Harbaugh spoke to reporters about how useful analytics can be to illustrate football production and inform decision-making. “You can dig up a lot of information,” he said. “And if you’re a reporter or if you’re on the radio, I would think that would be part of your job to do something like that and to explain to the fans exactly what the math is and how it works. It’s not hidden.” Harbaugh is right, it’s not hidden. The amount of available data has drastically shifted sports discourse over the past decade. For the NFL, Pro Football Focus is among the top analytics sites and it can get a little complex. When Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh finished last season with five sacks, he wasn’t just tied for 85th in the league in number of times dragging down the quarterback. He was 14th in the NFL in pass rush win rate among edge rushers, per PFF. Or look at Baltimore’s 2023 offensive line, a positional group that can be hard to quantify. They allowed 160 total pressures, a number provided by PFF, which ranked 25th. PFF prides itself on evaluating every player on every play. According to its website, “that attention to detail provides insights and data that cannot be found anywhere else.” Sometimes sifting through charts and rankings — or even taking numbers at face value without understanding the math — can feel a little like Zach Galifianakis counting cards in “The Hangover.” What is PFF? Neil Hornsby founded PFF in 2006. To him, it began merely as a hobby. Nearly two decades later, it’s grown into much more. It’s a colloquialism for football nerds. PFF is the preeminent analytics provider with detailed data on all 32 NFL teams and more than 100 NCAA teams. Cris Collinsworth, a former NFL wide receiver and Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer, bought the Cincinnati-based company in 2014 and it now counts every NFL team as clients. According to Front Office Sports, PFF charges each team $150,000 annually for its services. That includes its prized possession: an intensive player-grading system, which differentiates the site from the NFL’s Next Gen Stats; positional and league rankings; and quirky stats not found in a common box score (hello, elusive rating). How does grading work? Against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, Isaiah Likely’s 111 yards on nine receptions and a 49-yard touchdown earned him a PFF grade of 91.8, which was calculated using all 14 of his snaps during run plays and 39 snaps on pass plays. His A- was the best grade for an NFL tight end in Week 1. Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely earned the highest PFF grade of any NFL tight end in Week 1. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Tyler Linderbaum was another standout. His 73.8 grade was the third best among all centers. He also clocked a run blocking score of 80.9. Linderbaum trailed only Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey (79.4) and Erik McCoy (90.7) of the New Orleans Saints. That’s a lot of numbers and not a lot of explanation. The basics of calculating that number are straightforward. On any given snap, each player receives a grade from minus-2 to plus-2 in 0.5 increments, with 0 being the “expected” grade because not every player does something positive or negative on a given play. Each position group has its own set of rules, but that’s the basic draw. Those grades are tied to the player’s contribution rather than the result of the play. And they are not adjusted for quality of competition. PFF’s example of a plus-2 is Eli Manning’s throw to Mario Manningham along the sideline in Super Bowl 46. If Likely had gotten his toenails trimmed, his near-fourth-quarter touchdown would have presumably garnered at least a plus-1.5. The sample minus-2 comes from the 2009 NFC championship game when Brett Favre threw across his body for an interception that ultimately cost the Minnesota Vikings the game. A checkdown completion would qualify for a 0. At the end of the game, each number to the 10th place is averaged out for a raw score. Then PFF converts it to a more reader-friendly grade that better resembles a test score on a 0-100 scale. Grades 90 or above are considered elite, 80 is good, 70 is above average. Anything in the 50s is below average, 40 is poor and 30 or lower is very poor. More than 600 PFF employees and analysts with months, and sometimes years, of training decide the grades. They rely on a 300-page training manual and use every camera angle available, including the all-22 coaches’ tape to pick the number. “We understand that PFF grade is not perfect,” the site reads, “but it’s also a unique look at a player’s production, and when paired with PFF’s advanced data, it’s one of the most powerful tools in the game.” View the full article

The Ravens blew a 23-13 fourth-quarter lead in a disastrous home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders that dropped them to 0-2. Here are five things we learned from the game: The Ravens concocted the perfect recipe for a shocking defeat, and their season is already in peril Here are the ingredients to a demoralizing loss that no one on the Ravens and no fan in M&T Bank Stadium saw coming: • Eleven penalties for 109 yards, including a Derrick Henry false start that halted a fourth-quarter drive and a pass interference on Brandon Stephens that set the Raiders up for a game-tying touchdown from the 1-yard line. • Two failed challenges from coach John Harbaugh — neither on a call that seemed controversial — that left the Ravens short a timeout at the end of each half. • A missed 56-yard field goal from Justin Tucker, who has made one of his last seven attempts from 50 yards or more. • A shanked 24-yard punt from Jordan Stout when the Ravens needed to pin the Raiders as far back as possible with the game tied in the fourth quarter. • A defense that allowed 43 yards before halftime, 217 after. • Lamar Jackson’s interception in the third quarter that blunted the Ravens’ momentum when they seemed ready to build on a 16-6 lead and handed a short field to Las Vegas’ sputtering offense. • An offensive line that allowed Maxx Crosby two sacks and four tackles for loss, even though everyone in the stadium knew blocking Crosby was priority No. 1. That covers about every corner of a football team’s operation. The Ravens can stare forlornly into the mirror together because almost every one of them contributed to this mess. A last-second road loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs? That hurt but in an understandable way. “This one felt more self-inflicted,” Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley said. And now this team that was the best in football less than a year ago, that fully expected to play deep into January, faces real peril. It’s not impossible to start 0-2 and make the playoffs. The Houston Texans did it last year, the Cincinnati Bengals the year before that. But the Ravens have dug a real hole, and their next two assignments — a visit to Dallas and a prime-time home game against the 2-0 Buffalo Bills — don’t look like an easy path out of the deep. Jackson has never started a season like this. Everyone will look to him over the next few days. Will he change his message or shout it louder in hopes of creating a spark. “We are going to see; we are going to see,” he said. “I’m definitely going to talk to my guys, though, because we’ve got to find our mojo. We’ve got to find [it], and do what we do because that’s not us at all.” With the loss to Las Vegas, Lamar Jackson is 0-2 for the first time in his NFL career. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Harbaugh has confronted an 0-2 start (in 2015, when the Ravens finished 5-11), but it’s not familiar territory for him either. “We’re going to play a 17-game season, and we will be defined by the next 15 games,” he said, the only message left to him after the Ravens self-combusted in every phase. The Ravens defense dominated — until it didn’t Odafe Oweh left his blocker in the dust on the first play of the game, slamming into Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II and knocking the ball from his grasp. For more than a half, that play felt like an apt tone-setter for an afternoon of crushing defensive theater. Anytime Minshew took more than a couple of seconds to look downfield, Oweh and fellow outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy were on him. No one could have guessed Van Noy fractured his orbital bone 10 days earlier. Not only did he get after Minshew; he set a tough edge, forcing Raiders running backs to the middle, where Ravens defensive linemen smothered them. Las Vegas averaged 1.8 yards per play in the first half. The Ravens should have led by more than three at halftime, but no one sensed the Raiders were sitting on a big comeback. Perhaps we should have remembered last September when Minshew rallied the Indianapolis Cols past the Ravens with a pair of late-scoring drives after he ate five sacks. Just because the guy ain’t great, don’t assume he’s going away. Minshew has real playmakers to work with in wide receiver Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers. Once the Raiders created a little time by rolling Minshew out of the pocket, the Ravens could not stay glued to his top targets. Adams and Bowers combined for 18 catches on 21 targets for 208 yards, almost all of those after halftime. They exploited mistakes, but they also beat good coverage. The Ravens had legitimate arguments against a few penalties, including a face mask on Nnamdi Madubuike that helped the Raiders dig out of poor field position on a fourth-quarter drive that ended with a field goal. Harbaugh felt Stephens employed good technique against Adams on the crucial pass interference call that set up the tying touchdown. Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens, right, is called for a pass interference penalty against Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams in the fourth quarter Sunday. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) But the Raiders carved up a proud defense enough that whistles won’t stand as a primary explanation. First-year coordinator Zach Orr and his top players are going to face difficult questions about why they haven’t carried over their dominance from last season. “I think just extending the plays,” linebacker Roquan Smith said when asked what changed against the Raiders. “I think extended plays [and] penalties and some of [their] guys winning their matchups.” We saw a glimpse of Derrick Henry as the hammer When it looked like the Ravens would put their mistakes behind them and close out a win, Henry was the major reason. He carried five times for 34 yards on the drive that put them up 23-13, knifing through inside gaps and swinging around the edge with force. We even got our first glimpse of the vaunted Henry stiff arm when he galloped 29 yards down the sideline to set up a Zay Flowers touchdown catch on the first drive of the second half. This was the Henry we envisioned when the Ravens signed him in the offseason — a hurricane on two legs who would unleash hell on tired defenses and put leads in the bag. Send him behind battering ram fullback Patrick Ricard and watch them crumble. Henry felt it too, disappointed though he was with the final result. “I felt like we were starting to get momentum,” he said. “We were executing, moving the ball, and just things were going the way we wanted to, as far as in the run game. I thought Pat did a great job, and I thought we had a lot of momentum once we got going.” It seemed like Ravens running back Derrick Henry, right, was going to close the game for Baltimore. Instead, Las Vegas erased a 10-point deficit and upset Baltimore. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) As we learned across his magnificent seasons in Tennessee, Henry is a good inside runner, but he’s an all-time-great outside runner. The Ravens made the right calls to unlock that facet of his game in the second half, which portends well for their offense in the coming weeks. The Ravens adjusted to Maxx Crosby, but he got them in the end With the score tied at 23 and 70 yards of field in front of him, Jackson needed breathing room to get the Ravens rolling toward a go-ahead score. Instead, Crosby stunted to the inside, flew past right guard Daniel Faalele, who might as well have been stuck in tar, and slammed Jackson to the ground for a 9-yard loss. The Ravens never recovered. The one guy the Ravens knew they had to block made the defensive play of the game. “I’m not the one who’s having to block [Crosby] or anything like that or talking on the line,” Jackson said. “But we had the right protections up. Sometimes, you’ve got to have those one-on-one fights. Sometimes we’ve got to win those.” It was as close as you’ll hear him come to criticizing an offensive lineman. That said, Crosby tormented many blockers on his way to two sacks and four tackles for loss. The Pro Bowl edge rusher lined up to attack right tackle Patrick Mekari and drew blood early, beating Mekari with a simple outside move to sack Jackson for a 6-yard loss that derailed the Ravens’ opening drive. For all our focus on the Ravens’ inexperienced starting guards, the more seasoned Mekari has played just as unevenly over the first two weeks. He allowed four pressures in the opener. On the Ravens’ second drive, Crosby bolted in untouched to drop Henry for a loss on first down. It looked like Andrew Vorhees was supposed to pull from the left side to pick him and simply did not make it. On drive No. 3, it was tight end Isaiah Likely who could not stay in front of Crosby on another tackle for loss. The Ravens got a handle on Las Vegas’ defensive star for a chunk of the game. Rookie Roger Rosengarten subbed for Mekari and did a nice job staying in front of Crosby, allowing Jackson to dance around the pocket long enough to find Zay Flowers for 21 yards. The Ravens kept Rosengarten in for their last drive of the first half, and he again neutralized Crosby. Mekari came back for the beginning of the second half and held up better, sometimes with help, sometimes one-on-one. That will be cold comfort when the Ravens watch film of Crosby flattening Jackson with the game hanging in the balance. Justin Tucker missed another long field-goal attempt, and he’s getting tired of the subject During a conversation last week about his recent misses from 50 yards and beyond, Tucker explained that he sees no value in dwelling on past failure. He’s a perfectionist. It makes him angry in the moment. He knows his peers at the top of the kicking profession rarely miss from any distance. But he can’t do his job if his mind is locked anywhere but the next kick. Tucker maintained the same stance after he hooked a 56-yard attempt left — plenty long but seemingly outside the left upright all the way — against the Raiders. He also seemed agitated that he could not put this story to rest. Justin Tucker missed his lone field goal attempt from beyond 50 yards on Sunday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) “As simply as I can put it, it’s not my favorite topic of discussion, but I just missed the kick,” he said. “I don’t want to continue having this conversation. When I go out on the field, I’m confident that I’m going to nail every single kick, no matter where we are on the field. Today was no different. We got off to a pretty good start kicking the ball. The ball was coming off my foot pretty nicely. Nick [Moore] was throwing back good snaps and Jordan [Stout] was throwing back good holds. And then, I just misfired on the one from 56.” He split the uprights perfectly from 48 and 42 yards. He hit from 70 in warmups and as mentioned, put plenty of mustard on the 56-yard attempt. So what gives? Why is the most accurate kicker in NFL history, the owner of the longest field goal ever, suddenly fallible from distances that have never bothered him? As if to highlight Tucker’s struggles, his Las Vegas counterpart, Daniel Carlson, hit from 53 and 51 yards. That meant the Ravens operated from a deficit in an area they expect to dominate. Nobody knows that better than Tucker, who has forgotten more about the craft of kicking than most of us will ever know. “I left three points out there that we certainly could have used down the stretch in this game, but at the exact same time, trying to overanalyze or dwell on a mistake or a performance that is not up to our collective standard, that’s not going to do us any good,” he said. “What is going to help us is continuing to trust the process, and just come together as a team, and get to work.” What else is there to say for now? The Ravens have no choice but to, as Harbaugh said, maintain the “utmost confidence” in Tucker. Week 3 Ravens at Cowboys Sunday, 4:25 p.m. TV: FOX Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM Line: Cowboys by 1 1/2 View the full article

A shared sense of sloppiness reverberated throughout the Ravens’ locker room Sunday after their 26-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders dropped them to 0-2 on the season. The defense blamed its inability to slow quarterback Gardner Minshew II and wide receiver Davante Adams late in the collapse on it. Lamar Jackson, Ronnie Stanley and Derrick Henry cited self-inflicted mistakes as reasons for their fourth-quarter collapse, too. “When you’re going through your week of preparation, there are certain things you’re going to think about more than others,” said Stanley, Baltimore’s starting left tackle. “We as a group need to put more collective focus on these details. It’s time to sharpen it all up and make things more disciplined and more clean because these are types of games we can’t lose.” Baltimore is winless through two weeks for the first time since 2015. It was a loss that felt eerily similar to a few last-minute crumbles a year ago when answers eluded the Ravens late and resulted in devastating defeats. After another one Sunday, it’s clear the Ravens are still searching for themselves in several facets. “We’ve got to find our mojo,” said Jackson, the NFL’s reigning Most Valuable Player. “That’s not us at all.” The fourth quarter, in which the Ravens coughed up a 23-13 lead in less than 10 minutes, was full of mistakes. Nnamdi Madubuike’s facemask penalty (though replay reviews showed he grabbed Minshew’s shoulder) erased a sack and energized a Raiders drive that ended in a field goal. Baltimore faced a third-and-1 on its next possession, but the short-yardage situation was lost after a false start on Henry. The running back’s miscue forced Baltimore to punt one play later. Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, right, is called for a facemask penalty on Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II in the fourth quarter Sunday. Baltimore was penalized 11 times for 109 yards Sunday. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) The Ravens committed 11 penalties for 109 yards, a 94-yard disparity from the visiting team. Three of those calls gave the Raiders first downs. Cornerback Brandon Stephens’ end zone pass interference on Adams on a near-impossible third-and-goal from Baltimore’s 17-yard line set up the game-tying touchdown. (CBS Sports rules analyst and former NFL official Gene Steratore said he disagreed with the call.) Others negated large gains or important stops. “I’m not a ref or an official, but felt like a couple of those were kind of BS calls,” safety Eddie Jackson said. “But that’s not my job, I’m a little biased.” But in the end, it wasn’t a penalty that gave the Raiders prime field position for their go-ahead field goal. Jordan Stout’s 24-yard punt, which traveled half the distance of his average 2023 punt, meant Las Vegas only needed 23 yards before handing it over to Daniel Carlson. And when the Ravens knew clock-killing runs were coming, the Raiders easily got their kicker within range. There were versions of Sunday’s loss in 2023. In the Ravens’ four regular-season losses, they were tied or held a lead entering the fourth quarter in all of them. There was the overtime loss to Minshew’s Indianapolis Colts. They were outscored 14-0 in the final quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers. And a 14-point blown lead handed them a loss to the Cleveland Browns. Sunday’s defeat followed a similar script. Afterward, standing in front of microphones and cameras at the podium or their lockers, players blamed their own mistakes. Related Articles 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 Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: ‘How did they lose to the Raiders?’ | VIDEO “There’s a lot to clean up,” Stanley said. “I think it’s our own lack of discipline that’s causing these problems on ourselves. I’m very confident we’re gonna figure it out. Those details are making a difference for us right now. “This just felt more self-inflicted,” he continued. “Feel like there was many, many opportunities for us to really put the nail in the coffin, and we just didn’t end up doing that.” Sloppiness, players said, was at fault for the Ravens’ second loss. While penalties and errors surely aided the opposition, the Ravens only have their own shortcomings to blame. “They were the better team. That’s why they won,” Henry said. “We didn’t make the plays when we needed to.” View the full article

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The sky isn’t falling in Baltimore yet, but there are some dark clouds hanging over this city. The Ravens lost to the Las Vegas Raiders, 26-23, on Sunday in the home opener at M&T Bank Stadium, and a sense of panic is about to set in. It’s one thing to lose to former NFL great Tom Brady or Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, but the Ravens were beaten by a quarterback named Gardner Minshew II. Let’s say it again: Gardner Minshew II. Go ahead, exhale slowly. It just sounds so ridiculous. Not only did the Ravens lose to the Chiefs in last week’s season opener, but they had 10 days to prepare for the Raiders, who were flying from out west after losing to the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday. Duh? This was virtually a gimmie, a lock, and the Ravens still lost because they allowed two field goals and a touchdown in the final 12 minutes, including a 38-yard kick by Daniel Carlson with 27 seconds left. Maybe the announced crowd of 70,762 knew what to expect because there were a lot of empty seats around M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday. There were also a lot of Raiders fans who flew into Baltimore sitting behind the Las Vegas bench in the final minutes. Hopefully that’s not a sign of things to come, but the Ravens’ next opponent will be the Dallas Cowboys, and that team will be incensed after the 44-19 spanking they took from the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Then the Ravens host the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Josh Allen the following week in a Sunday night game here at M&T Bank Stadium. There is the potential for things to get ugly. Real ugly. “It was a disappointing loss, a tough loss. Could have gone our way for sure, but we didn’t get the job done,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We’re 0-2. We’re going to play a 17-game season, and we will be defined by the next 15 games, so that’s going to be our objective — to play the best 15 games we can, be the best football team we can be, and if we do that, then we’re going to have a really good season, have a shot to win a lot of games and get in the playoffs and make a run, so that’s what we have to do. “Big picture — short-term — we have to go back and look at every little thing, continue to clean up the things that we know we can clean up and get better at the things that make a difference in games.” The Ravens needed to get off to a strong start this year, especially with a second-half schedule that includes three games in 14 days, and another three in 11. Needless to say, the Ravens have dug a deep hole going 0-2 for the first time since 2015. Worst yet, they couldn’t finish off the Raiders. When it came time for the Ravens to close out the win, they couldn’t stop rookie tight end Brock Bowers or All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, who combined for 18 receptions and nearly 200 yards. Granted, the Ravens gave up field position, allowing the Raiders to start at their own 30-yard line twice and Baltimore’s 43 on their last three drives. Offensively, there was no magic wand waved by quarterback Lamar Jackson. A week ago, he almost single-handedly carried the Ravens to a victory by rushing 16 times for 122 yards and completing 26 of 41 passes for 273 yards in a loss to the Chiefs. But there was no way Jackson was going to maintain that pace for the entire season. The Ravens have no offensive identity. Running back Derrick Henry finally found his niche, especially as a closer. He finished with 84 yards on 18 carries after gaining only 5 yards on seven attempts in the first half, but he couldn’t save the Ravens either. Despite the NFL’s reputation of being a pass-happy league, the basic formula for success will not change. For a team to win in this league consistently, it has to dominate on the offensive and defensive lines. On Sunday, the Ravens won with their defensive front for most of the game, but their offensive line was not very good. It’s a gamble that both Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta made at the beginning of the season by saying goodbye to three starters on the offensive line from a year ago. 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: ‘How did they lose to the Raiders?’ | VIDEO Jackson has virtually no time to throw. Even when he does have an opportunity to go downfield, his passes are usually off the mark or thrown behind his receivers. If he doesn’t complete a pass early, he either has to run or often holds the ball too long. On the Ravens’ last three possessions of the game, they picked up only one first down. The assumption here is that Harbaugh will go over the game film and might be able to find some areas to improve. He can point out that the Raiders’ offensive line got better throughout the game, especially in the second half. In fact, Las Vegas played like the Ravens in previous seasons. The Raiders weren’t pretty, but they certainly were more physical. In the end, the Ravens caved and appeared to tire in the final two quarters. That’s a sign of a team that wilted under pressure. “They were just the better team; that’s why they won,” Henry said. “We didn’t make the plays when we needed to, as an offense. We’ll just go back to the drawing board, look at the film and correct the mistakes. The execution just has to be better. We just didn’t execute as an offense [and] as a team when we needed to, and they did. That’s why they won.” A young Ravens fan reacts in disbelief after the Raiders defeated Baltimore, 26-23, on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) View the full article

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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