ExtremeRavens Posted November 8 Posted November 8 Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 35-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Thursday night’s Week 10 game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: C.J. Doon, editor: Leave it to Lamar Jackson to pull this team out of the fire. Or maybe we should credit Marlon Humphrey first? With the Ravens trailing by two touchdowns at home for the first time in three years, the veteran cornerback harkened back to his old “Fruit Punch” days and ripped the ball from running back Chase Brown’s hands to give the Ravens possession. Four plays later, Jackson pulled another Houdini act in the backfield, escaping a crowd of defenders and tight-roping down the sideline to set up Derrick Henry for a 1-yard touchdown plunge. It was reminiscent of his wild TD pass to Isaiah Likely against these same Bengals earlier this season, when he dropped the ball before putting Sam Hubbard on a poster with a pair of stiff arms. Who else in the NFL can do what he does? Not to be outdone, Jackson connected with Tylan Wallace for a ridiculous 84-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter that included 78 yards after the catch — 77 more than expected given the location of the defenders on the field, per Next Gen Stats. It was, surprisingly, the longest pass of Jackson’s career, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Shades of Wallace’s game-winning punt return touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams last year on that play, too. And how about Jackson going back to Bateman for the game-winning touchdown after a missed connection in the end zone on the previous play? That’s a level of trust that should put some chemistry concerns to bed, at least for a little while. That’s the thing about these Ravens: They are maddeningly inconsistent, capable of stunning heroics and stunning mistakes. We can’t ignore how poorly they played at times. The offense looked out of sorts early, committing several penalties that put them behind the sticks, and the defense failed to cover the middle of the field all night. Safety Marcus Williams got cooked on not one but two long touchdowns by Ja’Marr Chase, raising more concerns about his play entering the second half of the season — especially if Kyle Hamilton is out for an extended period with his ankle injury. (Chase has 457 receiving yards against the Ravens this season, the most by any player in a season against any team in NFL history.) The Ravens’ defense struggling is nothing new, but the offense having trouble finding any rhythm is a bit of a shock. This is an offense that, through nine games, was on par with the 2007 Patriots and 2018 Chiefs in terms of efficiency, according to DVOA. And yet we heard boo birds from the M&T Bank Stadium crowd in the second half after another failed series ended with a declined penalty. That’s pretty remarkable. Of course, such consternation was premature. Leave it to Jackson to make more than defenders look silly. Ravens beat the Bengals 35-34 | PHOTOS Tim Schwartz, editor: Thursday night games tend to be a bit of a mess. This one was for all kinds of reasons, but it turned into one of the most entertaining games of the year. A defensive slugfest in the first half gave way to an offensive shootout in the second with Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, perhaps the NFL’s two best quarterbacks right now, putting on clinics. The defenses? Woof. Tylan Wallace took a short throw 84 yards to the house for the longest touchdown pass of Jackson’s career. Ja’Marr Chase got behind every Ravens defender twice for long scoring catches. But Jackson simply never blinked in this one. Down 14 in the second half, he took advantage of a key turnover with a much-needed touchdown drive, then got a play from an unlikely hero. With the game tied late, Jackson calmly put together the game-winning drive, capping it with a 5-yard score to Rashod Bateman. This offense is dominant right now. If the defense (and, uh, special teams) can be even league average, this is going to be a tough team to beat. But their ceiling is so high because this defense was the league’s best last year. Something needs to change in the defensive backfield, but they have Superman at the top of his game playing quarterback. Bennett Conlin, editor: It’s a shame these teams only play twice each season because Joe Burrow vs. Lamar Jackson is appointment viewing. The Ravens’ offense woke up in the fourth quarter after a sluggish start. Lamar Jackson hit Tylan Wallace — among the unlikeliest of targets in an offense filled with an endless array of offensive weapons — for an 84-yard touchdown to open the quarter. Wallace made several tacklers miss on the sideline, turning a short throw into the longest pass of Jackson’s career. Baltimore desperately needed its offense to come to life because Joe Burrow and the Bengals found plenty of passing success. The Ravens have been unable to slow teams down when they’re passing over the middle, and Thursday was no different. Burrow took checkdowns when he had them, and he found guys like Ja’Marr Chase all over the place. Chase had a 67-yard touchdown reception and later a 70-yard touchdown catch, finishing with 264 receiving yards and three scores. Still, Jackson and the Ravens answered every time. The two-time MVP quarterback got lucky when a near-interception hit the turf on the team’s game-winning drive, but even the greatest players benefit from luck sometimes. Jackson did what was needed to win the game. With Baltimore’s defense, a lot was needed. Jackson delivered. John Harbaugh’s team still has major defensive woes. An injury to Kyle Hamilton depletes the weak secondary — the Ravens need him back healthy as quickly as possible. Until the pass defense improves, Baltimore will rely on its offense to win games. Through 10 games, that strategy seems good enough to at least contend for the AFC North. View the full article Quote
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