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A Likely Winner!

Saturday, September 7, 2024 9:00
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Likely shines on opening night for the Ravens

No one should be surprised by the outcome of Thursday Night’s NFL debut at Arrowhead. To beat the Chiefs, the raucous red Chiefs Kingdom and their real 12th men, aka, the officiating crew, it takes a near flawless performance. And the Ravens effort last night was hardly one without imperfections — imperfections that were nearly overcome by a Likely source.

Concerns about the offensive line were prevalent. Concerns about the Ravens defensive coaching staff, understated. Both reared their ugly heads at Arrowhead and in the end, it cost the Ravens a chance for redemption and an opportunity to put to bed the narrative sweeping across the nation, that the Ravens can’t beat the Chiefs. Lamar v. Mahomes has become the modern-day version of Peyton v. Brady.

So, unless the teams meet in the playoffs and the Ravens dethrone the defending champs, thwarting their aspirations for a 3-peat, the song remains the same.

And Roger Goodell, Cris Collinsworth, Tony Romo, Jim Nantz and Taylor Swift got exactly what they hoped for.

All that said, the Ravens late rally and ability to overcome extreme adversity, provides hope moving forward. There are errors to correct – errors that are always magnified in Week 1, just like the accomplishments. The Ravens are a good team. They can be a very good team. But there’s a lot of work to be done.

THE GOOD

For 90% of the game, Lamar Jackson was magnificent. What he was able to do in the face of relentless pressure thanks in large part to a sieve called the right side of the Ravens offensive line that is as leaky as the underwear of a 95-year old man with questionable continence, was nothing short of a miracle. He is one of one. Even the great Patrick Mahomes would fail behind that line.

Lamar somehow managed to post a passer rating of 90.8 (it should’ve been better) and rushed for another 122 yards, 395 yards of total offense. If you don’t buy my take on Lamar’s brilliance, look at this All-22 evaluation of Jackson’s performance from Chase Daniel, 14-year veteran NFL QB and now an analyst with The Athletic.

Derrick Henry was limited to 13 carries and 46 yards to go with a TD, but his touches were held back in part by game situations and the inadequacies of the team’s run blocking…Justice Hill is dependable, smart and has great awareness. He was clutch as a receiver out of the backfield and filled in at right tackle in an admirable way. He was this week’s Big Crab Cake!

Zay Flowers is a great player. He has suddenness and quicks that are uncommon. Unfortunately, his offensive coordinator forces him to operate in a phone booth way too often, pinballing his way through a bunched-up defense thanks to the predictability of play design. At his current pace, Zay will need 161 receptions to crack the 1,000-yard mark. He did have a few opportunities to make plays that were either thwarted by the O-line’s inability to protect (he was wide open on a deep crosser during Chris Jones’ strip-sack) or Lamar’s inaccuracies…Rashod Bateman made a great catch for a 38-yard gain along the sideline, deep in the Chiefs red zone, to help set up a potential touchdown. Maybe use him more?

Tyler Linderbaum was the best of the offensive linemen…Andrew Vorhees was much better in pass pro than he was during the preseason – so progress is being made there…Ronnie Stanley, BS alignment penalties aside, looked closer to his former Pro Bowl form than he has in years.

Odafe Oweh provided steady pressure, had a QB hit and made a nice tackle scraping down the LOS for no gain…Nnamdi Madubuike had a nice push throughout the game, splitting a sack with Trenton Simpson and had a couple other pressures on Mahomes…Travis Jones had a pressure that disrupted Mahomes throwing motion, leading to the Roquan Smith INT…besides his ½ sack, Simpson had a couple of PD’s and looked impressive in coverage…Nate Wiggins didn’t appear fazed by the bright lights of opening night. His role should be expanded in weeks to come…Jordan Stout averaged just 37.5 yards on two punts but one was killed at the 10, the other at the 9-yard line. That’s progress.

[Related Article: Ravens Risers/Fallers After Week 1]

The Bad

Lamar has yet to develop as a consistent deep ball thrower. Maybe that’s who he’ll always be. He had opportunities on deep connections to Flowers, Likely and Bateman and missed badly. His hiccup on the game’s next to last play, missing a wide-open Flowers in the end zone, is the kind of play he needs to make v. quality opponents to silence his many critics.

The strange 4th-and-3 play call from the 50-yard line at the 9:45 mark of the 2nd quarter, resulting in a 1-yard completion to Flowers, had the look of a blown assignment from Nelson Agholor…Mark Andrews looked off. Maybe his lackluster outing stems from his car accident this summer. Who knows? John Harbaugh treats such information as if it’s vital to our nation’s security. On a 3rd-and-4 from the KC 25 in the 4th, Andrews was alone in the right flat for what looked like an easy first down. But Andrews looked awkward, cradling the ball in the fetal position a yard short of the sticks.

Although he had the game’s only interception, Roquan Smith was unusually pedestrian in this contest. That’s probably bad news for the Raiders…Justin Tucker was 1 of 5 on field goal attempts from 50+ yards in 2023, and now 0-1 in 2024, missing from 53. In practice he regularly crushes those kicks. Sort of reminds me of my own accomplishments at the driving range that never find their way to the golf course. FORE!

The Ugly

The right side of the offensive line, including Patrick Mekari, Rosengarten and Faalele, were as cohesive as the O-line of an electric football game. Faalele, aka Olay-Lay (thanks Pat), looked like he was playing in a set of shackles. He was about as fleet afoot as a US Navy Master Diver at 50 feet below…Rosengarten looked like he was playing on roller skates and Mekari wasn’t much better. The run blocking was abysmal.

Malik Harrison looks stiff on the field and if he isn’t providing run support along the edge, someone should hide his helmet. In open space, he looks like a blind-folded kid trying to whack a pinata…The blown coverage on Xavier Worthy looked like it was missing help from a single-high safety (Ar’Darius Washington). But why does it seem that such mishandled assignments regularly have connectivity to Marlon Humphrey?

Coaching

Todd Monken must have really liked his game plan against the Chiefs in the AFCCG. It looked like he used it again after the game’s first drive, with similar results. The Ravens couldn’t get anything going on the ground that didn’t involve Lamar, yet Monken did little in the first half to spread the field. No slants, no screens, no waggles, no deception to try and slow the Chiefs defensive front. Comparatively speaking, Andy Reid’s offense is a Lamborghini to Monken’s Model T Ford.

Zach Orr’s failures were predictable. His first game as a play caller going up against one of the all-time great play callers in Reid, was a mismatch from the jump. The blown assignment on Worthy and the coverage mismatches defending Rashee Rice were embarrassing. Orr apparently dictated his play calling with certain personnel packages and the Chiefs were ready. How else do you explain Smith and Simpson covering Rice? Where was the slot corner, usually part of the team’s base defense.

John Harbaugh, like he has so many times before, allowed emotion to pollute clear decision making. Giving the Chiefs the ball at the 50 after a failed 4th-down attempt in Q2, trailing 10-7 and the Chiefs receiving to start the second half, amounted to a big risk. Fortunately, Jones and Smith bailed Harbaugh out on the very next play when Mahomes was picked off.

Watching the Ravens play the Chiefs, it becomes obvious that Kansas City just plays smarter than the Ravens. They don’t deliver late hits; they don’t make decisions fueled by emotion; they maintain their composure. That’s a reflection on the guy at the top of the Ravens coaching food chain.

John Harbaugh
John Harbaugh signals to go for two following a would-be TD pass from Lamar Jackson to Isaiah Likely

Front Office

“If I’m going to be asked to cook the meal, I’d like to be able to pick the groceries.” ~ Bill Parcells

Eric DeCosta’s first draft as the team’s GM was in 2019, a little over five years ago. Of the eight players selected that offseason, only Justice Hill remains with the team. And since the 2019 NFL Draft, DeCosta has selected the following offensive linemen:

• 2019 G Ben Powers 123rd Pick
• 2020 G Tyre Phillips 106th Pick
• 2020 G Ben Bredeson 143rd Pick
• 2021 G Ben Cleveland 94th Pick
• 2022 C Tyler Linderbaum 25th Pick
• 2022 T Daniel Faalele 110th Pick
• 2023 T Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu 199th Pick
• 2023 G Andrew Vorhees 229th Pick
• 2024 T Roger Rosengarten 62nd Pick
• 2024 C Nick Samac 228th Pick

Six drafts. Ten linemen. Five guards. Three tackles (2 of which have been converted to guards). Two centers. The amount of draft capital invested in the offensive line is embarrassing. They seemingly ignore the importance of the offensive line. The returns on the investments made in Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, are compromised by the inefficiencies of the offensive front.

Lamar was outstanding last night. But that style of play isn’t sustainable. He’ll take too many hits and eventually miss time. And the missed time is a drain on the salary cap, particularly given Lamar’s pay grade. Add it all up and the dearth of offensive line talent eats away at the fabric of the team’s potential. It represents roster management malpractice.

It’s probably too late to do anything about it this season. The team will just have to coach up the players they have and hope they stay healthy. There’s always hope, right?

Officiating

The Chiefs are like those blue blood kids with well-connected parents that always seem to get their way. Even if they get in trouble with the law, Mommy and Daddy know someone of authority who can make it all go away as if it never even happened no matter how egregious the infraction. And as time goes on, their collective sense of entitlement deepens. If the cash flows, the perps are protected. And they even get to bring their celebrity girlfriends to prop up like trophy wives.

And that in a nutshell describes the Kansas City Chiefs and the diplomatic immunity that is seemingly bestowed upon them by the league and the officials employed by it.

Why wasn’t the Chiefs offensive line flagged for the same penalties as the Ravens? Why does an assistant coach get to call a timeout, an obvious infraction, without consequence? Why is Mahomes protected more than other QB’s, to the point of the league’s favorite son, just like Tom Brady before him?

For the NFL, it’s all about money. The larcenous souls of the league’s owners look past the improprieties if it lines their pockets with Benjamins. They don’t care that it’s obvious. They know that the game and the games within the games like fantasy football and gambling apps are the equivalent of crack for fans. And they’ll keep coming. Like James Earl Jones’ character Terrence Mann in Field of Dreams proclaimed:

“They’ll come for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn into your driveway, not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door, as innocent as children, longing for the past. “Of course, we won’t mind if you look around.” You’ll say. “It’s only twenty dollars per person.” And they pass over the money without even thinking about it. Whereas money they have, and peace they lack…”

In a way, we are all NFL sheeples. If you’re reading this, you’re probably one. I’m one. But when is enough, enough with this league?

If you’re not a Ravens fan, you’re probably thinking that I’m whining. But others not affiliated with the Ravens are concerned as well:

And there’s more…

The Player of The Game

For several years we’ve posted this Good, Bad, Ugly & The Megan Fox piece here on RSR. We added the Megan Fox because it never seemed right that the traditional Good, Bad & Ugly consisted of 2 negatives and a positive. So, we added Megan, clearly a positive, to represent the game’s best player and balance the inequities.

But Megan’s time has come and gone. She’s a cap casualty. It’s time to ramble on (if you’re keeping score that’s two Led Zeppelin references in this piece). Who will replace Megan? Tune in next week following the Ravens v. Raiders.

This week, we present the final Megan Fox Award to a rather likely recipient.

During his 49-yard TD reception, Isaiah Likely had a calmness about him. Calmness is the byproduct of confidence – and his is an uncommon confidence, especially for a player who has been a backup during his two seasons in the league. He’s not a backup anymore.

Isaiah is special. Ignore the fact that he was the 139th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft; ignore the fact that he played college ball at the unheralded Coastal Carolina. Instead, focus upon the development. Focus upon his maturation. Some players reach their peak later than others. Likely is one.

Likely played that 4th quarter with the confidence and poise of a 5-time All Pro. He finished with 9 catches for 111 yards and a score, but it very easily could’ve been 10 for 121 and 2 TD’s if he had worn a size 11 shoe. What is lost in the failed toe-tap, is just how great that play was. Lamar avoiding Chris Jones while Justice Hill pretends to be a right tackle, and then launches an off-balance dart, threading the needle to Likely for an apparent touchdown.

Just because the great effort didn’t become a game-tying play, it should not diminish the excellence displayed.

You know, maybe Patrick Mahomes advice to Likely isn’t such a bad idea, NFL fashionistas be damned!

And in other news…

The post A Likely Winner! appeared first on Russell Street Report.


Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2024/09/07/the-good-bad-ugly-and-the-megan-fox/likely-nearly-saves-the-day/


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