ExtremeRavens Posted September 15 Posted September 15 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. Ravens vs. Raiders live updates: Reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 26-23 loss in home opener 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. 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 Quote
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