ExtremeRavens Posted 17 hours ago Posted 17 hours ago Here’s how the Ravens graded out at every position in their 28-24 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday night at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: Quarterbacks Starter Lamar Jackson left the game with two minutes remaining in the first half after taking a knee to the back. Until that point, Jackson had played well, connecting on 7 of 10 passes for 101 yards. Replacement Tyler Huntley completed 9 of 10 passes for 65 yards but was basically a game manager as the Ravens were content to hand the ball off to the running backs. It will be interesting to see what the Ravens do with Jackson from this point on as far as a possible contract extension. He has been hurt most of the season, suffering almost every injury imaginable in the lower half of his body. After eight years, have the Ravens had enough? Grade: C Running backs The Ravens controlled a lot of the game with running backs Derrick Henry and Keaton Mitchell. Henry had 128 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns but also lost a fumble in the first half with Baltimore seeking a two-score lead. Mitchell had nine carries and finished with only 13 yards, but he forced the Patriots to spread out their defense with his sheer speed. With the injury to Jackson, both backs helped the Ravens control the game in the final two quarters. The Ravens, though, should have stayed with Henry late in the game. They gave up on him way too early, and the Patriots couldn’t stop him. Grade: A Offensive line The Ravens did a good job of sustaining blocks, maybe their best effort of the season as far as maintaining blocks after initial contact. The entire group did well, and the Ravens were successful in terms of “gut running” in the first half. In the second half, the Ravens did exactly what was needed with both tackles playing well and guards Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees dominating the middle of the field. Pass blocking will always be a liability with this team, but the Ravens finished with 171 rushing yards (5.2 per carry). They allowed only one sack but did surrender five quarterback hits. Overall, they didn’t need much else because the running game was strong. Grade: B Receivers Tight end Isaiah Likely had a great block to spring receiver Zay Flowers on an 18-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The Ravens dominated New England’s defense, especially since the Patriots were missing middle linebacker Robert Spillane, the team’s leading tackler. The Ravens, though, used the play-action pass to Flowers well. He had seven receptions for 84 yards, but his fumble after a catch over the middle in the final two minutes basically sealed the win for New England. Flowers is a great playmaker when used properly, but he needs to hold on to the ball. DeAndre Hopkins had a big game, at least compared with previous outings, with four catches for 41 yards. The Ravens didn’t need this group to step up because they ran the ball so well and the Patriots were content on backing up and giving the Ravens space. But the bend-don’t-break approach worked for New England. Grade: C Defensive line The Ravens’ core group of tackles John Jenkins and Travis Jones and ends Brent Urban and Dre’Mont Jones held the Patriots to 79 rushing yards, but they didn’t get a lot of pressure on Drake Maye. And when they did, it mostly came from the outside linebackers. The Ravens need to rebuild this group by using some first- and second-round draft picks on linemen who can do more than just one thing, which is stop the run. This group played well enough to win, but wilted in the final quarter. We’ve seen this before. Grade: C- Linebackers Middle linebacker Roquan Smith led the Ravens in tackles with 10. The Ravens, though, did some bizarre stuff, such as having outside linebackers like Kyle Van Noy and Trenton Simpson in coverage. Both handled the extra duties well, but both should have been victimized by touchdown passes in the right corner of the end zone. Jones, who doubles as an outside linebacker, played well and finished with one sack and two pressures. Fellow outside linebacker Tavius Robinson didn’t stick out despite playing well a week ago. Simpson had seven tackles, including one sack and two tackles for losses. This is another area where general manager Eric DeCosta has to invest in some talent. If a team can’t provide pressure in the postseason, especially with the front four, all the exotic blitzes won’t work. Grade: C- Ravens vs. Patriots, December 21, 2025 | PHOTOS Secondary Overall, the Ravens struggled in coverage, even though Maye threw some great passes, especially early in the game. But the Ravens had no one who could cover veteran receiver Stefon Diggs. He has been disgruntled for years, but he worked the Ravens over for nine catches for 138 yards. As expected, the Patriots went after cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who might need to move to safety next year. Humphrey gave up a 37-yard touchdown reception to rookie Kyle Williams with 9:01 left in the game, and he was burned by Diggs several times across the middle. Humphrey did have an interception deep in Ravens territory in the first quarter. After the Ravens got the 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter, they were content to give up the dink-and-dunk passes as long as they tackled well, but New England riddled the secondary with crossing patterns. The Ravens left the field with New England fans chanting “MVP” for Maye after the game. The Patriots lit the Ravens up for 453 yards of total offense, including 380 through the air. Grade: D Special teams Jordan Stout averaged 42 yards on two punts and had a long of 45 yards. He planted one inside the 20-yard line. The Ravens averaged 24.5 yards on four kickoff returns and rookie LaJohntay Wester still looks indecisive when returning punts. He had only one return for 11 yards. Rookie Tyler Loop converted a 36-yard field goal, but his 56-yard try fell short. The Ravens were fortunate to play against New England, whose special teams play was horrendous. The Patriots failed on a fake punt late in the third quarter that Baltimore turned into a touchdown for a 24-13 lead. Grade: C Coaching Of course it’s hindsight, but the Ravens should have stayed with Henry, even late in the game. The Patriots had no answer for him, but the Ravens tried to use the passing game, which was disappointing. Baltimore appeared ready for this game, and even had a five-play, 65-yard touchdown drive on its opening series. But there was no passing game to complement the running game, and the defense was giving up big plays on the back end. Coach John Harbaugh said after the game that the Ravens had played hard all season, but that’s not true. They didn’t play hard once the injuries started mounting early in the year and they tried to compensate for Jackson’s absence with a good running game. Overall, they had no passing game, and the coverage in the secondary and the pass rush were brutal. 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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