Grading the Ravens’ position groups in their Week 9 victory over the Broncos.
Offense
Coaching: A
Todd Monken treated M&T Bank like his own personal kitchen on Sunday, frying the Broncos through the air in the first half with his second-half adjustment to the ground game pre-baked into the game plan. Monken returned to his offensive identity in Week 9, smoothly marrying the Ravens’ run game and air attack to keep Denver’s defenders guessing all game. He pulled the right levers against the blitz and the offense never once felt out of control. The effort put forth by entire unit is indicative of Monken’s ability to get his players to buy in and commit to his vision.
Quarterback: S
Lamar Jackson ascended to a new level in Week 9 against the Broncos, dicing up one of the best defenses in the NFL for 280 yards and three touchdowns on just 19 passing attempts. For those unfamiliar, ‘S tier’ represents an accomplishment above an A+, something that is Superb, Superior, or Special. All three apply to Jackson’s performance on Sunday, plus one more: perfect. He reached a 158.3 passer rating for the fourth time in his career, tying an NFL record with incredible pocket management and ball placement, all while making a concerted effort not to tuck and run. Think about that: Lamar Jackson was near-flawless without running the football. His elusiveness behind the line of scrimmage still came into play, but Jackson’s most ‘quarterbacky’ traits – his arm, poise, and field vision – carried the day.
Running backs: A
Derrick Henry finished with 24 touches for 133 total yards and two touchdowns and said this postgame: ““I’m not happy with the way I played. I need to be better the next game.” NFL defenses should shudder at the thought, as Henry broke 13 tackles on his way to his 100th and 101st rushing touchdowns on Sunday. He’s probably referring to some stutters and missteps in the first half and his garbage time fumble, but The King was unstoppable in the second half. He had 14 touches from the start of the third quarter to 14:18 remaining in the fourth, battering a Denver defense that looked like they’d rather be doing anything than trying to tackle Derrick Henry. Justice Hill finished with 43 yards on three catches with his usual contributions in pass protection and a few nice carries to boot.
Wide receivers: A-
Hell has frozen over. Pigs are flying. And the Ravens have a receiver with the fifth-most receiving yards in the NFL through nine weeks. Zay Flowers has blossomed into the playmaker he was promised to be just 18 months ago, racking up 111 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and almost singlehandedly forcing the Broncos into two-high safety looks that set the table for Henry’s dominant third quarter. His 53-yard touchdown might have been the best play of Flowers’ young career, and Rashod Bateman’s score-sealing block highlights how Baltimore’s other wideouts help make the offense so effective without stuffing the stat sheet. Bateman had another drop, but Nelson Agholor drew a hold on Patrick Surtain in addition to his weekly big play.
Tight Ends: B+
The tight ends had a quiet day through the air with just two catches for 26 yards by Mark Andrews, but Patrick Ricard scored his first touchdown of the season. He deserved it after another game blowing holes in the defensive lines with his usual jolly ferocity. Charlie Kolar and Isaiah Likely were quiet as pass-catchers and solid, but not spectacular, as blockers.
Offensive Line: B+
Usually, a get-right game doesn’t involve facing one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL, but that was the task for the Ravens offensive line this week. They rose to the challenge, adeptly handling the Broncos’ blitzes while renewing their commitment to the run game. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t always pretty, but Sunday’s game was a prime example of how high this offense can fly when the big boys up front get the job done.
Defense
Coaching: B+
Orr got his unit together in Week 9, limiting the mental lapses and explosive plays that torched the defense to start the year. His blitz designs still aren’t generating free rushers, but the pass rush and coverage plan showed more synergy and cohesion than in recent weeks. Orr didn’t take an underwhelming Broncos offense lightly and clamped down in the red zone to tie his defense’s best scoring performance of the year.
Defensive line: C+
The Ravens’ shorthanded defensive line hung tough against a strong Broncos offensive line that double-teamed Nnamdi Madubuike to limit his effectiveness as a pass rusher. Broderick Washington played the run well, but he just doesn’t have the disruption capabilities of Michael Pierce or Travis Jones. Practice squad call-ups Chris Wormley and Josh Tupou held up, but this unit isn’t a difference-maker as currently constructed.
Edge rushers: B-
The story of this group stays the same: Kyle Van Noy plays a solid game, Odafe Oweh disappoints, and Tavius Robinson makes a splash play or three. Baltimore flushed Bo Nix out of the pocket on several occasions, but the nimble rookie seemed to surprise the Ravens with his speed on scrambles. Like the interior of the line, the edge rushers are getting the job done, but not taking over any games.
Inside linebackers: B+
Roquan Smith picked up his performance in Week 9, mauling the run and commanding the middle of the field against Nix. He’s still not effective enough as a blitzer, but this was a steadying game from the leader of the Ravens defense. His second-year sidekick, Trenton Simpson, took another bound forward with contributions in all phases of the defense that should keep him on the field for more passing downs as the year progresses. Malik Harrison had one of his best games of the year, too, playing well in a rotational role throughout the game before stepping up alongside Simpson to close it out in garbage time.
Cornerbacks: B-
The reinsertion of Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins into the secondary stabilized the cornerback group. Nix largely avoided Wiggins’ side of the field while Humphrey kept a lid on any big plays out of the slot. Instead, the Broncos took advantage of Brandon Stephens’ ongoing struggle to turn around and locate the ball at the catch point, a recurring issue that could affect his free agency market. Arthur Maulet avoided any major errors but benefitted from Nix’s lack of accuracy on a few throws.
Safeties: A-
There’s not much left to say about Kyle Hamilton at this point. Week in, week out, he disrupts plays in a variety of ways with his ridiculous combination of size, physicality, and technique. He’s finally getting some support from his fellow safeties, with a very solid return from Marcus Williams and a standout game from Ar’Darius Washington. Williams avoided the lapses that plagued him earlier in the season, and Washington secured a much-needed interception to beat the secondary’s recent bout of butterfingers.