ExtremeRavens Posted October 27 Posted October 27 Here’s how the Ravens (5-3) graded out at every position after a 29-24 loss to the host Cleveland Browns (2-6) on Sunday at Huntington Bank Field. Quarterback If the Browns’ defensive players could catch, Lamar Jackson would have been intercepted four times in the first half alone. Jackson had an off day and made some poor decisions while rolling to his right and throwing back across the middle of the field. That’s a major no-no in the NFL. The Ravens had several drops that would have padded Jackson’s stats, but he also missed a wide-open Zay Flowers on a deep pass near the end zone early in the second quarter and tight end Isaiah Likely wide-open in the middle of the field early in the fourth. Rashod Bateman also dropped what should have easily been a big gain on third-and-14 in the fourth quarter. Jackson completed 23 of 38 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns and finished with a passer rating of 101.8. He led the Ravens on a 91-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, but he couldn’t deliver the game-winning score in the final minute. Grade: C+ Running backs If the Ravens have a strong running game, it opens up the play-action passing game and creates scoring opportunities. The Browns kept running back Derrick Henry under control for most of the game as he rushed 11 times for 73 yards, but one of those attempts netted him 39 yards. Backup Justice Hill wasn’t much of a factor as either a runner or a receiver. Henry had 47 yards on five carries in the first half but wasn’t a factor in the second. Jackson tried to carry the Ravens, but his heroics were too little, too late. To succeed, the Ravens’ running game has to complement the passing game. Grade: C Offensive line The Ravens had trouble with the Browns’ pass rush, particularly defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo, who could play inside or outside. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley, as expected, had problems with end Myles Garrett, one of the better and more complete players in the NFL. But the Ravens also struggled inside, especially center Tyler Linderbaum trying to handle nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. Tomlinson got penetration against Linderbaum several times to ruin plays up the middle, especially the toss to Henry, who tried to cut back up the middle. The false start or illegal formation penalties are getting old. The Browns had three sacks. Grade: C- Ravens vs. Browns, October 27, 2024 | PHOTOS Receivers The Ravens had success at times, but not enough to carry the offense, especially without a strong running game. They dropped too many passes, from Nelson Agholor to Bateman. The Ravens averaged 12.4 yards per catch, including 16.4 by Flowers, who had seven catches for 115 yards. Mark Andrews had five catches for 36 yards and a touchdown and fellow tight end Likely had four for 47 yards, but the Ravens weren’t consistent enough downfield as Jackson was hit 10 times and flushed from the pocket on many occasions. The Ravens like to get Hill involved in the passing game, but he only had one reception for 14 yards. Grade: C Defensive line The Ravens were fairly successful in slowing Cleveland’s running game as the Browns had 80 yards on 23 carries, but halfback Nick Chubb rushed 16 times for 52 yards and had some punishing runs. There were times when he refused to go down. The Browns also did a nice job of having quarterback Jameis Winston throw short and quick, and the Ravens never adjusted. Baltimore had two sacks, but never got consistent pressure. Nnamdi Madubuike finished with two tackles and reserve end Brent Urban (who left with a concussion) had one, but the rest of this group didn’t have a tackle. Michael Pierce also exited with a calf injury. For the Ravens to be successful, this group has to get more pressure from the middle of the line. They were solid, but not dominant. Even if these guys just get their hands up to block passing lanes, it would be helpful. Grade: C Linebackers Middle linebacker Roquan Smith led the group with eight tackles but he didn’t dominate in the middle. In fact, he hasn’t played exceptionally well all season. Weakside linebacker Trenton Simpson finished with four tackles, including one for a loss, but he wasn’t much of a factor, and the same can be said of outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy, Odafe Oweh and Malik Harrison. Oweh and Van Noy combined for five tackles and zero sacks. Regardless of how badly the secondary performed, it makes it even worse when a team can’t get pressure. Grade: C- Secondary Does any player occupy the middle of the field for the Ravens? The Browns were open over the middle all afternoon, from intermediate to deep routes. The Ravens tried to play zone and man-to-man coverage, but nothing worked. The only time the Ravens had success or got consistent pressure on Winston was when safety Kyle Hamilton blitzed off the edge. Hamilton finished with 10 tackles and safety Eddie Jackson also had 10. Safety Marcus Williams was benched. Cornerback Brandon Stephens had trouble with several of the Browns’ receivers, and the Ravens also gave Cleveland too much cushion on the outside. The Ravens’ defensive backs dropped four interceptions, including a drop by Hamilton that could have sealed the win late in the fourth quarter. The Ravens need some more direction, and this poor showing was not because cornerback Marlon Humphrey was out because of a knee injury. Grade: D- Special teams Justin Tucker made a 49-yard field goal attempt in the first half, but his 50-yard try sailed wide left with 13:03 remaining in the game. There will be questions about his leg strength again. Cleveland must have noticed something about the Ravens’ return game because their kickoffs were short and the Ravens averaged just 22.3 yards on six returns, including a long of 24 yards. Jordan Stout averaged 52.3 yards on four punts, including a long of 64 yards. He also put one inside the Browns’ 20-yard line. Grade: C Coaching This became a vintage Ravens performance in which they come in and play down to the caliber of their competition. Offensively, the Ravens did well enough to win but made some boneheaded decisions early in the game by going for it on fourth-and-1 with 8:48 left in the first quarter instead of attempting a field goal. They also put Henry in the Wildcat to take a direct snap, which makes no sense. Why not have Henry and Jackson in the same backfield, which puts more pressure on a defense? The Ravens also tried a quarterback sneak with backup tight end Charlie Kolar, which led to a false start, and then attempted a shovel pass to Likely on first-and-goal in the second half. They tried to get too cute. As for the defense, this group is downright ugly. With or without adviser Dean Pees, this secondary can’t get out of its own way except to disappear quickly for postgame interviews. Grade: C- Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article Quote
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