Monday Morning QB Talk: Same Old Ravens

New Week, Same Old Ravens

The Ravens offense has been underwhelming since the return of quarterback Lamar Jackson, struggling to convert 3rd downs and red zone opportunities alike, allowing inferior teams to hang around till the end.

It’s been a struggle for all four games, but Week 12 was possibly the lowest point the offense has hit over the month-long stretch since Jackson’s return. The Ravens ended the first half with just 72 total yards of offense, were 0-for-5 on third down, kicked a field goal on their only red zone trip, and averaged just 3.0 yards per play against the league’s 20th-ranked defense. Entering the half trailing 7-3 to a 2-8 New York Jets team was certainly not expected.

Part of the reason for all that may fall on what clearly appears to be a banged-up Lamar Jackson. The 2x MVP doesn’t seem to have that extra gear or willingness to truly take off and extend plays with his legs. Ian Rappaport reported Sunday morning that the Ravens could look into resting Jackson for the remainder of Wednesday practices this season, as Lamar has dealt with hamstring, ankle, and knee injuries in 2025.

The Ravens offense, luckily, turned things around in the second half, primarily on the ground. After just 72 total yards of offense in the first half, Baltimore’s offense put together an 11-play 74-yard scoring drive coming out of the locker room, capped off by a one-yard touchdown run from Derrick Henry, his first of two on the day. It was exactly what the Ravens needed, as Jackson and the passing game continued to look like a unit not in sync.

Lamar finished the game 13-for-23 for 153 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 76.9 passer rating. It’s his third straight game with under a 60% completion percentage and second straight without a touchdown pass. Jackson has also been held to under 200 passing yards for three straight weeks.

The Ravens’ win and the Steelers’ loss, however, puts Baltimore in first place in the AFC North. With Cincinnati heading to town for a Thanksgiving night showdown, and Joe Burrow a possible candidate to return, the offense will need to wake up quickly if they expect to remain atop the North.

Look Around the AFC North

Mason Rudolph was given the keys to the Pittsburgh offense this week as Aaron Rodgers was held out with a wrist injury against a longtime rival of his, the Chicago Bears. Baltimore’s win streak and the struggles in Pittsburgh gave the Steelers just a one-game lead in the AFC North heading into Week 12. The Steelers were able to take some responsibility off Rudolph’s shoulders early, leaning on a run game that totaled 186 total yards on the ground and producing a defensive touchdown off a T.J. Watt sack.

Unfortunately for yinz, it wasn’t anything more than a mediocre day for the Steelers backup quarterback. Finishing the contest 24-for-31 for 171 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, when the game was put into Rudolph’s hands for one last shot, the six-year veteran fell short and put the Steelers a game out of the postseason. Rodgers isn’t expected to be out long, as he even made an effort to suit up for yesterday’s game. The Steelers host a struggling Bills squad next Sunday, before welcoming the Ravens to town the following week in what will be a must-win for both teams.

After a week of wondering about the status of Joe Burrow, the Bengals would ultimately turn to veteran Joe Flacco to make what could be his final start with the team this season. Burrow took reps with the first team offense this week, putting Flacco behind the eight-ball a bit, with an offense that was already missing Ja’Marr Chase due to suspension. Cincinnati’s essentially onto next season already at this point, but had an opportunity to play spoiler to the red-hot Patriots on Sunday. It was, however, just more of the same struggles on both sides of the ball for the Bengals offense. Flacco struggled to stay consistent, finishing 19-for-37 for 183 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. The offense converted just three of their 13 third-down attempts, while also losing the possession battle by nearly six-and-a-half minutes. It was Flacco’s second straight game with a 1:1 TD to INT ratio, and his fourth straight loss with the Bengals since defeating Pittsburgh on October 16.

As for Cleveland, Shedeur Sanders made his highly anticipated first start and helped the Browns to a 24-10 win in Las Vegas over the Raiders. Sanders was a relatively efficient 11-for-20 for 209 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, for a passer rating of 87.3. His touchdown pass, the first of his NFL career, was an interesting one: a screen pass that running back Dylan Sampson took 66 yards to the house. Living up to his reputation as a pocket passer, Sanders scrambled just once, for a loss of a yard. The rookie is nothing if not confident, channeling his father in a post-game interview in which he stated “just one week of practice! So imagine what a full offseason look like, it gets dangerous!” Sanders will get his second start, and first at home, against San Francisco next Sunday.

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