The latest news covering the Baltimore Ravens.
The latest and greatest content covering the Baltimore Ravens.
NFL Week 9 Under Review: Midseason Awards Edition
Sheil Kapadia, The Ringer
Lamar Jackson is the midseason MVP.
A funny thing happened on Sunday afternoon. Jackson faced a Broncos defense that had been performing like one of the best units in the league and shredded it, completing 16 of 19 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns. The ball barely hit the ground. The Ravens had nine real possessions, and those resulted in five touchdowns, two field goals, and two punts. Again, this was against a really good defense! And guess what? No one was really surprised. This has become the expectation for Jackson and the Ravens. Based on DVOA, the Ravens have the best offense in the NFL, and it’s not particularly close. The difference between them and the no. 2 Commanders is roughly the same as the difference between the Commanders and the no. 13 Eagles.
Jackson has never looked better. He’s first in expected points added (EPA) per pass play and dropback success rate. He’s also tied for 17th in the entire NFL with 505 rushing yards. Is it all Jackson? Of course not. Derrick Henry has been terrific, and we’ll have more on him in a minute. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken has done a good job. And the pass catching group has performed well. But let’s be real: There’s no argument that the supporting cast is lifting Jackson up. It’s so clearly the other way around. Jackson is in full control of the most reliable offensive unit in the NFL. I know what some of you are saying: He’s got to do it in the playoffs. If we’re talking about Jackson’s legacy, I completely agree. But if we’re discussing who the MVP has been through the first nine weeks, he’s the clear choice.
Ravens trade for Tre’Davious White: Baltimore lands ex-Pro Bowl CB from Rams; grading the deal
Bryan DeArdo, CBS Sports
Ravens: C+
Baltimore traded next to nothing to get a player who could possibly help its porous pass defense. The Ravens tried to acquire Marshon Lattimore, who was ultimately dealt to Washington. Lattimore would have been a game-changer for their defense. Instead, Baltimore is rolling the dice with White.
Ravens trade for Rams CB Tre’Davious White with aim to address secondary concerns
Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic
The Ravens were in talks with the New Orleans Saints about standout cornerback Marshon Lattimore, but they were unwilling to offer the quality of draft capital that the Washington Commanders ultimately did. The Ravens have the No. 32 pass defense in football and they’ve struggled during the season to keep their cornerbacks healthy. Veterans Marlon Humphrey, Arthur Maulet and Jalyn Armour-Davis, first-round pick Nate Wiggins and fourth-round pick T.J. Tampa have all missed time during the season with various injuries.
This year has been a struggle for White, but it seems highly unlikely that he’ll have a prominent role unless Baltimore has a few more cornerback injuries. White is a well-respected veteran and he has plenty of experience. A future seventh-round pick swap, about the lowest compensation you can have, was worth it to the Ravens to add a veteran insurance policy.
Tre’Davious White trade grades: How did Rams, Ravens fare in deal?
Michael Middlehurts-Schwartz, USA Today
Ravens grade: C+
Nothing more than a low-cost flier here. If White somehow becomes a viable contributor to a maligned secondary, great. If not, Baltimore can move on without worrying about what it gave up in the deal. The Ravens would have been better off poking around for a pass rusher, but a relatively tight salary-cap outlook likely precluded any moves more significant than this.