Ravens Survive Burrow and the Bengals

Ravens Edge Bengals to Advance to (7-3)

During the past two weeks, Lamar Jackson has not been a full practice participant. John Harbaugh told us all that Lamar was simply getting some rest – something that all teams allow for veterans in-season. The designation for such rest is “NIR”, not injury related. Yet beside Lamar’s name on the injury report, sat the designation “back/knee”. The Ravens would offer no further explanation on the official designation. Harbaugh would provide no additional insight for the man at the end of the bar.

But as more games are properly recorded in the history book of the 2024 season, as more games go by where the Ravens defense looks more and more like the broken squad that patrolled Memorial Stadium in the late 90’s, it becomes increasingly clear why Lamar had the words back/knee beside his name. The weight of carrying the team has taken its toll and you have to wonder if he can sustain the uncommon pressure this franchise has placed on him given the disgusting and regular failures of Zach Orr and his collection of underperforming assets. Simply put, if Lamar has a bad game, the Ravens don’t win.

Maybe you think this piece should have a more celebratory tone to it. It will not. The warning signs of future failure are all around. You can choose to ignore them. You can choose to envelope yourself in the glory of a (7-3) record. You can hope for a surprise, happy-ending twist to the season’s end. But until the Ravens fix their defense, the end will be no different than that of recent seasons where the team and its fans are left in utter despair, tortured by thoughts of what could have been. We’ve seen this movie before and all of it, every single blown coverage, every single opposing receiver that hauls in 260+ yards of passes, is so unfair to a generational quarterback who is playing out of his mind – who seemingly does enter the “phone booth” and emerge as Superman, or in the case of last night, Steph Curry.

I marvel at the incomparable feats of this generational player who dominates the game like the best athlete on a playground, only when he does it, it’s on a national stage against the best in the world. Enjoy it. Embrace it, #RavensFlock. @Lj_era8 is without question 1-of-1! pic.twitter.com/0bfIzNAbRi

— Tony Lombardi (@RSRLombardi) November 8, 2024

It would be insanely naïve to expect Lamar to continue his domination of the NFL without some help from his defense. It would be equally naïve to think the Ravens are a championship caliber team unless they figure out a way to make Zach Orr’s unit somewhat competitive. But they’ll have to do it from within. Orr, along with Harbaugh and consultant Dean Pees, must find a way. Who among you is confident that they will? How long before an opponent discovers the kryptonite that can tame the heroics of the Ravens “Man of Steel” and cause him to crumble under the unbearable weight placed upon him by the ineptitude of the Ravens defense.

Inept. Ravens defense. Who would have thought that those words would ever be used in the same sentence? Now they are practically synonyms.

Yes, it was another exciting win that was enjoyed by fans nationwide. But the reality of the situation is that the Ravens, as currently comprised, are NOT a championship caliber team. They have the ingredients to be one. But unfortunately, the chef who prepares the defense is nothing more than a line cook. And if he torches this season with defensive incompetence, he’ll be back on that line flipping burgers at your friendly neighborhood greasy spoon.

THE GOOD

Offense

Derrick Henry will spend some extra time in the cold tub this weekend. He took quite a licking v. Bengals who limited him to an extremely physical 68 yards on 16 carries (4.3 YPC) and a score. These aren’t numbers befitting a king, but given the overt attention given to him by Cincinnati defenders, it was a solid blue-collar effort…Tylan Wallace owns the Ravens sideline when traveling in a westbound direction. That 84-yard catch and run featuring some tight-rope footwork, might impress the gymnasts employed by Cirque de Soleil…Mark Andrews picked up the slack for the injured Isaiah Likely with 6 catches for 68 yards and a score…Rashod Bateman was trusted by his quarterback in key moments, and he delivered. Bate had 6 catches for 54 yards, a couple of key first downs and the score that proved to be the game winner.

Who is Tylan Wallace you ask?

He’s a certified playmaker. #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/e0MEvnzYbj

— ð™•ð™–ð™˜ð™® (@NewEraZach) November 8, 2024

In the first half the Ravens offense ran 22 plays, netting just 71 yards (3.2 YPP). In the second half they ran 36 plays for 318 net yards (8.8 YPP). THAT is stepping up. THAT is adjusting… The Ravens scored 28 points in the second half, an NFL best this season.

Defense

Nnamdi Madubuike hit the trifecta with a 3-sack game. He dominated the Bengals interior offensive line throughout the contest. Hopefully this will emerge into a positive trend because we all know, the Ravens need one desperately on defense…Odafe Oweh had 4 QB hits and stepped up his pressure rate…If there was a bright spot, it was the heat up front that the Ravens placed upon Joe Burrow…

Before injuring his ankle, Kyle Hamilton was all over the field – rushing Burrow, a tackle at the LOS for no gain, PDs in the secondary. He was, albeit temporary, the Ravens Johnny-on-the-Spot…Marlon Humphrey was tight in coverage, forced Burrow off his spot when called on to blitz and he stripped RB Chase Brown in the 3rd quarter to shift the game’s momentum when the Bengals were up 21-7 and with the ball facing a 2nd-and-5 from their own 27…Ar’Darius Washington had a pair of PDs including the most important one during the Bengals attempted go-ahead 2-point conversion. He also was solid during simulated pass rush assignments. And for his size, he’s a very solid tackler.

THE BAD

Offense

The Ravens offense was flagged 6 times and twice on first down to put them behind the sticks from the series’ jump. The team on whole was flagged 11 times for 81 yards and it probably should have been more. The Bengals were flagged just 3 times for 23 yards.

Defense

You’ve probably heard the expression, “she was a 2 at 10 but a 10 at 2” from guys looking to hook up in the bar scene late at night. Well at no point in the game was the Ravens defense ever a 10. They were a 2 (or worse) from the jump. So, with that being said, let’s just skip to the ugly here, shall we?

THE UGLY

The offense will get their fair share of criticisms that I’ll file under coaching. So, let’s just get to this deplorable defense.

I can’t speak for all of you, but it is abundantly clear to me that the Ravens 2024 season is finite. In other words, the road to New Orleans for the Ravens is anything but clear sailing thanks to a historically bad defense. The path is a thoroughfare littered with lane closures for construction; rubbernecking inspired by rotting carcasses on road shoulders (Hey look, it’s Marcus); and DUI checkpoints that can bring things to a screeching halt. If this Ravens defense isn’t fixed soon, that road will be nothing more than a boulevard of broken dreams, mostly those of Lamar Jackson who is laser focused on the big prize. But he can’t do it all, although he certainly is trying.

Here’s a reality check for you. No Super Bowl winner has ever fielded the league’s worst passing defense. Through Week 10, guess who has the NFL’s worst passing defense? Never mind. Rhetorical question…

Let’s recap. The Bengals offense posted:

• 470 yards
• 75 plays
• 421 net passing yards
• 3 for 3 in the red zone
• 2 for 2 in goal-to-goal situations

The Ravens allowed touchdown passes of 67 and 70 yards to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase who by the way. posted 11 catches for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns. On the season, the Ravens have pushed their total of 25+ yard completions to 28. TWENTY. EIGHT. It should surprise no one that that too is an NFL-worst.

Brandon Stephens settled down somewhat in the game, but he’s been but a shell of the player who dressed for Mike Macdonald in 2023. With the addition of Tre’Davious White who is said to be a depth piece, maybe the Ravens should put White and Nate Wiggins on the boundaries and let Humphrey be the slot corner where he can handle some of the run blitz and pass blitz calls normally assigned to Hamilton who is likely to miss the Steelers game on November 17. And then move Stephens to safety where he can’t possibly be any worse than Marcus Williams or Eddie Jackson. GM Eric DeCosta should ask his good buddy Eric Weddle to come out of retirement before putting Williams on the back end of a defense. He looks like he’s running in quicksand and at this point, I’d rather see a scarecrow propped up in the secondary than No. 32.

Here is a bit of rare behind-the-scenes footage of Williams from last night, trying to defend the Bengals.

The Ravens and DeCosta need to admit that they whiffed on Williams. The money is already wasted. It’s time to cut the losses. There’s not a single thing that he does that suggests he’s better than anyone else on the roster. Want proof? His awareness on this play reminded me of some over-served patrons stumbling out of pubs in Canton at closing time on a Saturday.

Marcus Williams pic.twitter.com/PnzZvrUh2G

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) November 8, 2024

Special Teams

Objectivity is essential to journalism, but I just can’t help feeling horrible for Justin Tucker. No one saw this atrocious (for him) season that he’s now experiencing. And it reminded me of my golf game, and those moments when I’m wide left off the tee, scrambling around in the woods looking for my ball that wants no part of me – hidden under a pile of leaves.

The yips take time to cure. Some emerge from the land of yips. Others never do. Here’s to Tuck getting it right but for now, if it’s 4th and 4 and the Ravens are on the opponent’s 35-yard line, down by a point, I think I’d put the ball in the hands of Lamar Jackson and not on the foot of Tucker. How did we get here?

And Justin Tucker MISSES the extra point. The Ravens could’ve tied it with a made XP. pic.twitter.com/7p9ZWUowyS

— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) November 8, 2024

COACHING

It didn’t take long for John Harbaugh to fire me up. On the Bengals first possession they faced a first-and-goal from the 5-yard line. Burrow hit Mike “The Flopper” Gesicki with a 3-yard out to put the ball at the 2. Had the play been ruled incomplete, the call would have withstood a challenge. But it was called a catch on the field and the replay provided nothing definitive to overturn it. Well, not according to “Who’s Got it Better Than Us?” For 3 stinking yards on a FIRST DOWN in a goal-to-go situation, Harbaugh saw something that no one in the country saw. Irrefutable evidence. A few moments later it was still second and goal from the 2 only then, the Ravens lost a challenge and a timeout. One play later, the Ravens burned their second timeout since they had too many men on the field. Letting that go would have moved the ball into a 3rd-and-goal at the 1 instead of the 2. Four yards, in goal-to-goal situation were deemed to be more important than two timeouts. And then they failed anyway. 7-0 Cincinnati.

I love John Harbaugh the man, a man of faith. I admire his compassion and respect his managerial skills when he’s not on the sideline. So, with that in mind, I’ll share this. You are free to interpret this as you will.

“I love all y’all. Keep fighting, keep working.” pic.twitter.com/3ZK8DI386c

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 8, 2024

Todd Monken

The first half was a cluster. All the things that Monken did to exploit a crowded box against Denver, he neglected against the Bengals. He continued to run out of 12 personnel when it wasn’t working, opting not to allow the freight train named Henry to run out of spread formations. Play action throws were in order as were the successful boots and short throws to the perimeter off the waggles – all ignored before intermission.

During the second half, Monken adjusted but the decision to throw the ball at the 2:00 mark while facing a 2nd-and-goal from the Bengals 5 and Cincinnati clinging to 1 timeout, was a gift to the opponent. Following the Bateman TD catch, Burrow had 1:49 to navigate 70 yards AND he had a timeout to burn which helped keep the playbook wide open. Sixty-eight seconds later the Bengals scored a TD with a chance to win the game and a timeout STILL in their pocket.

Zach Orr

“Hello sports fans! You are looking live at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the vaunted Baltimore Ravens defense.”

When I heard the news that Orlando Brown, Jr. and Tee Higgins would miss the Thursday Night game against the Bengals, two thoughts immediately came to mind. Throw a few looks at the replacement left tackle that might trigger confusion and open the door to a sack or three of Joe Burrow. And two, with Higgins out along with reserve receiver Charlie Jones, I would have bet the house that Orr would bracket Chase throughout the game and let average players like Mike Gesicki try to match points with the Ravens offense.

Seems like a simple but effective plan, right?

Well apparently, not to Orr or his mentor Dean Pees.

Instead of M&T Bank, the stadium became Chase Bank. All. Night. Long. Chase hit up the Ravens ATM for nearly 3 Benjamins. I take it that Orr, more likely Harbaugh, brought on Pees to implement his bend but don’t break style of defense. Unfortunately, they only got it half right. The Ravens under Orr are a bend AND break defense. And each week following yet another disappointing outing, we are treated to word salads like this when discussing the defensive effort:

“I’m proud of those guys for that, because it’s the kind of heart they have. They didn’t get down. They didn’t point the finger. Nobody pointed any fingers out there, but we have to get better. That’s just not the standard. I think I heard many guys say … That’s what the defensive guys were saying in the locker room, that that’s not the standard. We have to be much better. We have to take pressure off our offense, too. We’re required to do that on the defensive side, but for them to keep fighting the way they did and find a way to win the game, that’s really … At the end of the day, that really is the important thing. I’m really proud of those guys for that.” ~ John Harbaugh

The truth be told, Harbaugh let the wrong defensive minds walk out of the building after last season and in doing so, a better opportunity to fulfill Lamar’s insatiable pursuit of The Lombardi.

[Related Article: Knee Jerk Reactions From the Ravens 35-34 Win Over Cincinnati]

The Paige Spiranac Award

Obviously, there’s no suspense here. We have the distinct pleasure of watching this spectacular athlete put a team on his back and carry it to victory.

Lamar spread the ball around to Andrews, Bateman, Flowers, Agholor and even Wallace. He surveys the field with laser focus while escaping containment with ease to buy even more time to make a big play. He rose to the occasion when needed, particularly after a sluggish first half, by going 15 for 19, 219 yards, 3 scores and a 154.3 passer rating following intermission. And during crunch time, he was even more impressive while connecting on 11 of 13 passes for 197 yards, 3 scores and a perfect passer rating of 158.3.

Perhaps more appropriate for this space is just to document Lamar’s brilliance visually.

Please enjoy this generational athlete.

People criticize Lamar Jackson and he’s just genuinely out there having fun. pic.twitter.com/3vGf4Ej2RM

— Ravens Nation ð™‡ð™„ð™‘𙀠(@LIVERavenNation) November 8, 2024

Lamar Jackson needs studied.

Man is insane. pic.twitter.com/R1YPGCy270

— Ravens Nation ð™‡ð™„ð™‘𙀠(@LIVERavenNation) November 8, 2024

Lamar Jackson had 4 passing TDs tonight.
He has 24 passing TDs on the season (only 2 INTs)
He had 24 passing TDs all of last season.

MVP x3? @Lj_Era8 pic.twitter.com/ds1FRbcPji

— NFL (@NFL) November 8, 2024

Odds & Ends

NFL officials are wretched. The #Ravens have had their share of bad calls, last night included. But on what planet is this not roughing-the-passer? Give Joe Burrow props. He had at least 3 opportunities to whine like the #Chiefs #15. Instead he got up w/o a word. #Respect pic.twitter.com/Gt3xw1lMO6

— Tony Lombardi (@RSRLombardi) November 8, 2024

Joe Burrow gets hit in the facemask again and the refs don’t throw a flag.

These refs need to be fined.pic.twitter.com/g1BYhBx71S

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 8, 2024

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