Biggest risers and fallers after Ravens drum Broncos.
The Ravens got back on track by drumming the 5-3 Denver Broncos by a score of 41-10. Coming off an ugly loss to the Cleveland Browns, the team was extra motivated to prove that their performance last Sunday was nothing more than a blip on an otherwise fruitful season. The Ravens did just that and put together, “their most complete performance of the season”, per HC John Harbaugh. Let’s look at some of the biggest risers after Baltimore’s third 41-point game of the year.
Stock up
Lamar Jackson, QB
Jackson continued his incredible season against a defense many regarded as the best in the NFL. Like many teams have done this year, Denver stacked the box to stop the run. The result? Lamar Jackson’s fourth career game with a perfect passer rating, tying former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger for the most in NFL history, a record that Head Coach John Harbaugh expects Jackson to break. Jackson is playing at the highest level of his career and has clearly been the best player in football this season.
Zay Flowers, WR
Zay Flowers has been on fire as of late. After a slow start to the year, the Ravens’ No. 1 receiver has now put together four 100+ yard performances in the last five games. In the one game he didn’t, he was clearly hobbled by an ankle injury. This is a welcomed sight for a franchise that has struggled finding wide receiver talent through the draft. Flowers will have another opportunity for a big game against a Bengals secondary he torched in Week 5.
Todd Monken, OC
Monken once again devised a perfect game plan to attack the Broncos’ top-ranked defense. Baltimore can threaten opponents in so many ways and Monken takes advantage almost every week. The biggest development from last year has been the implementation of the screen game. The Ravens have torched teams with their screen game, taking advantage of over aggressive defenses that sell out to pressure and disrupt Jackson. Baltimore’s offense is on a historic roll through nine weeks and while the players deserve a lot of credit, Monken’s role in orchestrating the show must be acknowledged.
John Harbaugh, HC
Credit must be given to Harbaugh for consistently rallying the troops after difficult losses. The Ravens’ resilience during Harbaugh’s tenure is admirable and they almost never go on extended losing streaks. While the second longest tenured coach in the NFL has had his bad moments this year, we must also realize that he is usually able to get great performances out of his team, especially vs. good opponents.
Tavius Robinson, DE
The Ravens pass rush has been extremely disappointing as of late, however, the development of second-year outside linebacker Robinson is a welcomed sight. Robinson had two sacks on Broncos QB Bo Nix and has been effective as a run defender all year. Robinson hopes to be the next in a long line of Ravens mid-round defenders who develop into productive starters.
Stock Down
Pass rush
The Ravens pass rush continues to be a no-show. While the team’s coverage mistakes have been well documented, it’s nearly impossible for them to look good when the d-line is generating virtually zero pressure on the quarterback. The confounding thing is that they have proven talent across the defensive front. Nnamdi Madubuike is a reigning All-Pro, Kyle Van Noy is near the top of the league in sacks, Odafe Oweh ranks towards the top of the league in win-rate, and Travis Jones, while banged up, has proven to be one of the most underrated players in the NFL. The Ravens defense as a whole looked improved this Sunday, but it looks more likely that GM Eric DeCosta will have to trade for a pass rusher before the trade deadline.
Roquan Smith, LB
The reigning first team All-Pro doesn’t look like the same player he was last year. Smith is still playing well, however, that isn’t the expectation for a player that has been universally regarded as one of the two best linebackers in football. Smith looked slow and out of position multiple times today, a theme that has been present for most of the year. Smith has still looked great against the run, but his pass coverage has left something to be desired.
Eddie Jackson, S
After a putrid performance against Cleveland last week, the Ravens gave Jackson the Marcus Williams treatment, benching the veteran in favor of the former. With a lot of safety options on the team, it might be difficult for Jackson to find consistent playing time for the rest of the year.
Rashod Bateman, WR
After a crucial drop last week against the Browns, Bateman had another today. While we shouldn’t nitpick one or two drops for a receiver, it looks more and more apparent why the Ravens went and traded for WR Diontae Johnson last week.