Risers and fallers after Baltimore’s wild 35-34 win against Cincinnati
The Ravens escaped with a wild win on Thursday Night Football, edging the rival Cincinnati Bengals 35-34. Just like the two teams’ last matchup, the Ravens fell behind, trailing for most of the game. After a 67-yard Ja’Marr Chase touchdown in the third quarter, things looked bleak. Fortunately, the Baltimore offense was able to snap out of their funk and score four straight touchdowns to pull out the victory. While the Ravens offense continued their brilliance in the second half, the same cannot be said for the defense. Let’s look at some of the biggest movers after Baltimore’s wild, wild win.
Stock Up:
Lamar Jackson, QB
Jackson is a talent that the NFL has never seen. He is having one of the best seasons for a quarterback in NFL history from a passer rating standpoint and is the spear of the Ravens. Even when it seems everything is going against the Ravens, Jackson seems to always rally the troops, creating points out of thin air, and defying every law of what a quarterback should be able to do on a football field. Jackson currently has the 4th best passer rating in NFL history through 10 games of a season (123.2), trailing Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees.
Marlon Humphrey, CB
The Ravens secondary has no shortage of issues – but Marlon Humphrey isn’t one of them. Humphrey is having one of the best seasons of his career, and once again made a game turning play against the Bengals. In Week 5, his late interception set up the Ravens game-tying field goal. On Thursday night, his strip of Bengals RB Chase Brown ignited the Baltimore comeback. Humphrey and S Kyle Hamilton are the only two Ravens playing well in the secondary.
Mark Andrews, TE
Andrews hauled in another touchdown on Thursday night and finished with 6 grabs for 68 yards, including multiple big catches in the second half. Andrews is all the way back and will continue to be Lamar Jackson’s security blanket.
Tylan Wallace, WR
Seldom used in the pass game this year, Wallace broke an 84-yard touchdown in the third quarter that was eerily reminiscent of his game-winning punt return against the Rams last year. Wallace is an unsung hero for the Ravens and seems to find a way to make an impact in special teams, blocking, and receiving.
Nnamdi Madubuike and the pass rush
Despite the loudly-voiced concerns about the Ravens pass rush, the unit is now sixth in sacks per game. Sounds crazy right? On Thursday, Nnamdi Madubuike spearheaded a relentless Ravens pass rush, racking up 3.0 sacks while the team as a total pressured Joe Burrow 40 times (!), tied for most in an NFL game this season according to Pro Football Focus. The return of Travis Jones certainly helped free up Madubuike for more one-on-one opportunities that he promptly took advantage of.
Stock Down
John Harbaugh, HC
Harbaugh once again blew a challenge on a 2-yard completion on the Bengals’ first drive. It was an unnecessary use of a timeout that was then followed by another timeout due to defensive miscommunication. Harbaugh has been one of the worst coaches in the league this year when it comes to clock management, challenges, and the wasting of valuable timeouts.
The secondary
Pass coverage continues to be a complete trainwreck for the Ravens. Once again, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase had their way with Baltimore, and once again, it was a complete lack of awareness and/or pursuit that caused it. On Joe Burrow’s long touchdown to Chase in the 4th quarter, S Marcus Williams looked completely lost, running the wrong way and not noticing Cincinnati’s premier playmaker streaking right past him for the second time this season. A struggling Brandon Stephens was, for some unknown reason, tasked with guarding Chase in man coverage over Marlon Humphrey. In the middle of the field, linebackers Roquan Smith and Trenton Simpson have looked out of place all season, giving up chunk plays nearly every game, while also allowing Burrow to have whatever he wanted underneath. It’s an incredible falloff for last season’s No. 1 pass defense and is a stain on a franchise that prides itself on its consistent defensive acumen. Whether it’s Zach Orr, the players, or somebody else, the Ravens coaching staff needs to make adjustments before this unit costs the team in January.
Justin Tucker, K
Tucker’s kicking struggles continued on Thursday night, missing a game-tying extra point that forced Baltimore to go for two after their next touchdown. Tucker will continue to be a liability for Baltimore – words I’d never thought I’d say.