ExtremeRavens Posted December 18, 2023 Share Posted December 18, 2023 Here’s how the Ravens (11-3) graded out at each position after a 23-7 win over the Jaguars (8-6) in Sunday night’s Week 15 game at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Quarterback Lamar Jackson completed 14 of 24 passes for 171 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He made more plays with his legs than his arm, but that’s always been the key to his success. Jackson was lucky at times, even it didn’t work out on a throw across his body that was intercepted early in the second quarter. But whenever this offense is out of sync, Jackson comes up with the big plays. He rushed 12 times for 97 yards and was the difference-maker in the game. Grade: B+ Running backs The news of the day was rookie running back Keaton Mitchell leaving early in the fourth quarter with what coach John Harbaugh said is likely a season-ending knee injury. The Ravens can’t afford to lose Mitchell, who can score from anywhere on the field. He had nine carries for 73 yards before being carted off the field Sunday night. Gus Edwards rushed 16 times for 58 yards and a score, and Justice Hill had five attempts for 23 yards. Grade: B Offensive line Guards John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler and center Tyler Linderbaum can hold their own against most opposing linemen, but tackles Morgan Moses and Ronnie Stanley continue to struggle. Stanley has problems with power rushers and can’t get enough support from his surgically repaired ankle to anchor down, while Moses struggles against speed rushers. The Ravens try to support them with chips from tight ends and running backs, but it’s hard to do that when both are struggling because it decreases the number of receivers in the passing routes. Stanley exited in the fourth quarter after a hit to the head and entered the concussion protocol. The Ravens gave up three sacks. Grade: C- Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards (35) tries to get past Jacksonville Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla.(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) kicks a 34-yard field goal as Jacksonville Jaguars safety Antonio Johnson (26) rushes in during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Baltimore Ravens defensive players celebrate after recovering a fumble by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell is taken off the field in the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) is brought down by Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike after Lawrence tried to pass in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is brought down by Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike in the second half Sunday night in Jacksonville, Florida. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, top, makes a reception over Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard (42) in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards (35) scores a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jamal Agnew (39) scores a touchdown on a 65-yard pass reception against the Baltimore Ravens in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones (7) reaches for more distance as he is brought down by Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, right, catches a touchdown pass as he is defended by Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard in the first half Sunday night in Jacksonville, Florida. (John Raoux/AP)Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, left, catches a touchdown pass as he is defended by Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard (42) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Zay Jones (7) catches a pass beyond the reach of Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens (21) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley (0) catches a pass against Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley (0) catches a pass over Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) fumbles the ball as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Arthur Maulet (10) closes in during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. Maulet recovered the ball on the play. (AP Photo/John Raoux)Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards (35) is hit byJacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (33) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs against Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike (92) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, left, is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (23) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) scrambles against Jacksonville Jaguars safety Antonio Johnson (26) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (34) is brought down by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Josh Allen, right, in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (34) tries to get past Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (23) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) gets a pass away as he is pressured by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (33) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Show Caption of Expand Receivers The Ravens didn’t get many explosive plays from this group. Rashod Bateman led all Baltimore receivers with three catches for 39 yards. Tight end Isaiah Likely had another big game replacing injured star Mark Andrews, finishing with five catches for 70 yards and a touchdown, including a leaping grab over two defenders that set up a score in the fourth quarter. The Ravens didn’t get rookie receiver Zay Flowers involved much, as he had only one catch for 7 yards. Grade: C Defensive line The Jaguars had success running the ball early and stayed with a short, vertical passing attack for most of the game. It was surprising that the Ravens didn’t knock down more passes by getting their hands up or jumping into the short passing lanes. The Ravens didn’t get much of a pass rush from this group until the final quarter when the Jaguars were forced to pass. End Justin Madubuike had the Ravens’ only sack, giving him 12 on the season and an NFL-record-tying 11 straight games with at least a half-sack, but Lawrence did escape pressure several times by throwing the ball away. Grade: C+ Linebackers Middle linebacker Roquan Smith led the group in tackles with six, but both he and weakside linebacker Patrick Queen looked out of sync for the second straight game. Queen had four tackles but missed several in the open field. The Ravens started getting pressure on the outside from linebackers Kyle Van Noy (two tackles) and Jadeveon Clowney (three tackles), but their legs don’t appear as fresh as they were earlier in the season. Odafe Oweh had a decent game with three tackles, but the Ravens need more from this group in the final three regular-season games and in the postseason. Grade: B- Secondary Cornerback Brandon Stephens had a strong game and was physical, but came close to being called for pass interference several times. The Ravens controlled Jacksonville for most of the game but did have some communication problems on the back end on several long passing attempts. Cornerback Arthur Maulet played poorly for the second straight game. Safety Kyle Hamilton played well after suffering a knee injury last week and finished with seven tackles. He also knocked down two passes. Grade: C+ Special teams Justin Tucker converted field goal attempts of 43, 26 and 34 yards. Punter Jordan Stout averaged 43 yards on three punts, but the Ravens had trouble containing returner Jamal Agnew, who had one punt return of 17 yards and averaged 30.3 yards on three kickoff returns. The Ravens tried to avoid Agnew, but he once returned a kickoff from 7 yards deep in the end zone. Grade: C Coaching The Ravens have played well in the first quarter of most games but seemed a little sluggish in the first half Sunday night. They played well enough to beat up on Jacksonville, but a stronger performance was expected after a thrilling overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams last week. The Ravens still have some issues to work out on offense as far as pass protection, and the run defense is still a concern. But they did clinch a playoff spot and remain atop the AFC. Grade: C+ View the full article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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