The latest news covering the Baltimore Ravens.
The latest and greatest content covering the Baltimore Ravens.
‘Same story’: As Ravens hold on for win vs. Cowboys, their worst tendencies surface yet again
Jonas Shaffer, The Baltimore Banner
By almost every metric, the Ravens had one of the NFL’s best secondaries last year. By almost every metric, they have one of the worst this year. Against two star quarterbacks — the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Cowboys’ Prescott — and a vagabond starter — the Las Vegas Raiders’ Gardner Minshew — the Ravens have allowed an NFL-worst 875 passing yards. The Los Angeles Rams are second worst, with 746 yards. Only six defenses total have given up 700-plus.
Postgame clarity was limited. The Ravens’ locker room cleared out soon after their news conference ended, and a few starters either declined to talk or said they couldn’t, citing obligations elsewhere. Harbaugh, asked whether he was concerned about the team’s late-game defensive struggles despite another favorable late-game script, said only: “We want to get those stops. We definitely want to get those stops.”
Ravens weren’t perfect vs. Cowboys, but they avoid 0-3 start as O-line finds its rhythm
Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic
The Ravens’ had-to-have 28-25 victory over the Dallas Cowboys Sunday at AT&T Stadium didn’t silence any of the questions that grew quite loud amid the team’s 0-2 start. Even after not allowing quarterback Lamar Jackson to get sacked and paving the way for 274 rushing yards, the inexperienced offensive line will remain a question mark until performances like Sunday become the norm rather than the exception.
In the process, the Ravens may have re-established their identity going forward. On Sunday, they ran the ball for 274 yards and three touchdowns on 45 carries. On Baltimore’s first two touchdown drives, it had 10 runs on 12 plays. Mike Zimmer’s Cowboys’ defense never gave offensive coordinator Todd Monken any reason to deviate from the game plan.
5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys
Childs Walker, The Baltimore Sun
For three quarters in Dallas, they answered this threat to their very identity with overwhelming force, running as they pleased and clamping down on any threat from the other side. They led 28-6 to start the fourth quarter, and narratives of a season reborn danced in all our heads.
Then, they did everything they could to toss it away, just as they had a week earlier against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Too many penalties? Check. The Ravens committed 13 for 105 yards, not aided by an embarrassingly misguided roughing call on a routine hit by outside linebacker Odafe Oweh.
Shoddy coverage and missed tackles? Check. Dak Prescott drove the Cowboys to three touchdowns in six minutes.
Special teams nightmares? Check. The Ravens could not corral a slippery onside kick, and Justin Tucker hooked another field goal attempt, this one from 46 yards, outside the left upright.
Vanilla play calling? Check. They went just 40 yards on a pair of fourth-quarter drives that could have extended their lead.
Five Takeaways From The Ravens’ 28-25 Win Against The Cowboys
Luke Jackson, Pressbox
3. The maligned offensive line made a statement.
The Ravens’ offensive line took its share of heat during the team’s 0-2 start, and on Friday, head coach John Harbaugh had suggested there might be changes up front in this game. Whether that was meant to publicly challenge this group is unclear, but the Ravens responded in a big way.
For the first time this season, the Ravens’ line consistently won in the trenches. The line opened up huge holes at times for Derrick Henry. The Ravens averaged 6.1 yards a carry and ran at will at times.
And, to offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s credit, a little misdirection also helped. On Lamar Jackson’s touchdown run, the Ravens loaded up the right side, with left tackle Ronnie Stanley lining up to the right of right tackle Patrick Mekari. Everything signaled a run right, but Jackson scooted left, behind a block from tight end Mark Andrews, for a 9-yard score.
Week 3 NFL Takeaways: Eagles Learning Who They Are
Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated
That was more than just a win for the Baltimore Ravens—in a lot of ways it validated who they can be. We’ve been over this before. There’s a lot of transition happening there this year. Daniel Faalele, Andrew Vorhees and Roger Rosengarten have taken over Kevin Zeitler’s, John Simpson’s and Morgan Moses’s spots on the offensive line. Trenton Simpson is in for Patrick Queen at linebacker. Zach Orr is where Mike Macdonald was as defensive coordinator.
In each of those circumstances, it’s a homegrown talent doing the job for the first time.
Growing pains were to be expected. Accordingly, beating the Dallas Cowboys 28–25 doesn’t mean the Ravens are through those.
But what we saw Sunday was that the Ravens can still be the Ravens. For the first half, at least, Baltimore held Dallas out of the end zone. For the game, the Ravens ran for 274 yards—Derrick Henry wound up with 151 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, and Lamar Jackson had 87 yards and a score on 14 carries. And to finish this one off, and stem the tide of a Dallas rally? The Ravens showed, again, they could lean on their MVP.