Diplomatic Immunity

Ravens 10, Broncos 9 : Week 13 – Recap & Grades :

Offense – Another ugly showing by this group as they continue to struggle without LT Ronnie Stanley, RB JK Dobbins, WR Rashod Bateman & now QB Lamar Jackson who suffers a strained PCL at the end of the 1st quarter after being sacked by Broncos LB Jonathan Cooper & will be out 1-3 weeks. Tyler Huntley comes in to replace Jackson & goes 27/32 for 187 yards & 1 INT through the air but also leads the way on the ground as well as he rushes for 41 yards on 10 carries, an average of 4.1 yards per carry , including the game-winning TD w/ :28 seconds left after leading a 16 play, 9-yard drive against the 3rd ranked defense in the league. Kenyan Drake carries it 7 times for 29 yards, also an average of 4.1 yards per carry as the offense rushes for 103 total yards on the day on 28 rushes, an average of 3.7 yards per carry. Mark Andrews hauls in 4 passes for 53 yards, an average of 13.3 yards per reception & Demarcus Robinson catches 7 passes for 41 yards, an average of 5.9 yards per reception, Devin Duvernay totals 43 yards as he rushes for 9 on 2 carries, an average of 4.5 yards per carry & catches 6 passes for 34 yards, an average of 5.7 yards per catch as Tyler Huntley worked the ball underneath a lot & took very few kill shots downfield like Jackson does. The play calling by OC Greg Roman was once again poor & his worst call of the day comes when he dials up a reverse pass on 2nd down at the Denver 29 as WR James Proche II throws into quadruple coverage & gives S Justin Simmons his 2nd INT of the day, just a terrible decision by Roman to call it but an even worse decision to throw it by Proche. The pass protection holds up well despite losing backup LT Patrick Mekari in the 1st half & Rookie Daniel Faalele holds his own once again in pass protection as the Broncos aggressive pass rush registers 4 sacks on the day – 2 on Jackson for a loss of 10 yards, including the one by Cooper that injures him & 2 on Huntley for a loss of 6 yards. The offensive line play was way better when Stanley was starting & has dropped off since he got injured again, RT Morgan Moses has been good but the penalties by him continue to kill this group & RG Kevin Zeitler’s play has also dropped off from last season. They continue to struggle in the red zone but Huntley finally puts an end to that w/ his go-ahead score & the clock issues of breaking the huddle late & getting the plays off seemed to go away as Huntley was in command & they even went no huddle w/ no issues or penalties. This unit struggled to the tune of 3-13 on 3rd down but excelled on 4th down going 3-3 including converting a huge 4th & 2 on the Denver 15 w/ a 3-yard run by Huntley. They hold the ball for 32:29 to Denver’s 27:31 not exactly dominant but they do win the TOP battle, they also run 69 plays to Denver’s 52 & only outgain them 285 to 272. Huntley engineers both scoring drives as he also leads a 10 Play, 62-yard drive that leads to a FG by Tucker in the 2nd quarter to tie the game & despite the struggles of this group in recent weeks no matter who the QB has been, Huntley was able to do enough to lead the game-winning drive & win a game that they almost had no business winning. So now this team faces almost the exact same position that it was in last season when Jackson went down & Huntley took over, going 0-3 in the final 3 games after winning against Chicago a few weeks earlier when Jackson was sick. The difference is this season there is way more talent around him w/ the exception of the WR position & the defense has play makers. Overall, an ugly, gutsy effort that equaled a win but playing like this will not get it done against the AFC’s elite.
Grade : C

Defense – A great effort by this group against an enept offense but they did what they were supposed to do by keeping an offense that has struggled to find the end zone out of it again. They hold the Broncos to just 272 total yards on the day, as former Raven, Latavius Murray runs for 47 yards on 17 carries, average of 2.8 yards per carry & catches 4 passes for 41 yards out of the backfield, an average of 3.5 yards per catch. Russell Wilson passes for just 189 yards, as he goes 17/22 on the day & is sacked twice by the Ravens pass rush for a loss of 5 yards as CB Marlon Humphrey & OLB Odafe Oweh each get to Wilson. They struggle to contain TE Greg Dulcich who hauls in 85 yards on 6 catches, an average of 14.2 yards per reception & that same before mentioned pass rush is dialed back a little bit by a Denver offensive line that is able keep Wilson upright for most of the day. This group registers fewer than 3 sacks for the first time in 8 games as they had really been getting after it as of late but were taken down a notch in this game. What they did best in this game was basically just get stops & force the offense off the field as they Denver goes just 2-12 on 3rd down, including 3 3 & outs but their streak of forcing a turnover ends at 14 games. This group just kept getting after it no matter what despite what the offense was doing as ILB Roquan Smith’s presence continues to be felt to the tune of 11 tackles & despite losing ILB Patrick Queen to a thigh injury late in the game they kept plugging away & keeping the Ravens in the game. They hold Denver to only 3 FG’s as the Broncos have drives of 11 plays, 3 plays, 5 plays, 3 plays, 5 plays, 3 plays, 8 plays, 5 plays, 4 plays, 5 plays, 5 plays & 4 plays on the day to keep them out of the end zone. DC Mike McDonald’s scheme is hit or miss although they’ve been more hit then miss of late they looked great against Carolina & Denver but had a rough one against Jacksonville w/ a Pittsburgh team who isn’t exactly a Juggernaut looming next. This is the time for the defense to carry this team because scoring may be a little down w/ Huntley in although you have to feel good about this team’s chances based on the opponents. If this group can continue to force turnovers & dial up the pressure they can go hand in hand w/ an offense that’s gonna be a lot of ball control, run the football & dominate the clock style of play. It’s time for the leaders on this unit to step up & rise to the occasion because they will be leaned on heavily in the coming weeks. The elite teams in the AFC will pose a way bigger threat then this Broncos team who is offensively challenged, it’s time to get serious as guys are also getting healthy at the right time. Overall, they did their job & played well despite not forcing turnovers or doing anything dynamic while the team earned a win, not too much you can complain about there.
Grade : A-

Special Teams : Justin Tucker connects on his only FG, Jordan Stout has a busy day & this group was solid once again as they helped this team pick up a hard earned win. Tucker hits from 26 yards out in the 2nd quarter to tie the game & watches as the offense fails to sustain drives & his fellow P kicks it away 6 times for 303 yards, an average of 50.5 yards per punt, including a long of 63 yards & 5 touchbacks. Pro-Bowl return man, Devin Duvernay returns 3 kicks for 62 yards, an average of 20.7 yards per return & 1 punt for 3 yards on 7 punts by Broncos P Corliss Waitman, while LS Nick Moore, CB Kevon Seymour & CB Daryl Worley each make big tackles on Broncos KR Montrell Washington who is held to 26 yards on 2 kick returns, an average of 13.0 yards per return & upman, TE Eric Suebert runs back a kick for 6 yards as well for Denver. The defense holds until the final :02 when K Brandon McManus ironically misses from 63 yards as the kick falls short a week after Tucker’s 67-yarder fell a yard or two short in Jacksonville as several Ravens also lunge & leap to try to block the game-winner. Worley & Seymour have carved out roles for themselves along w/ ILB Kristian Welch as this unit continues to roll along as one of the best in the league from the kicking aspect to the smallest attention to detail, this group strives to get even better then they already are behind ST Coach Chris Horton. The names have changed but the results continue to stay the same in Charm City, this group rarely blinks when called upon to do their job & it’s been like that for the last decade or so – of the 3 phases of the game this group comes in #1 just ahead of the defense because they may be the most important part of this team. Jordan Stout is growing into a solid punter in this league after some tutelage from former Raven, Sam Koch & Justin Tucker shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Duvernay is a threat to break one every time he touches the ball & Worley, Seymour, Welch & Hill are all picking up the slack for the veterans who have departed like (Co-Cap) S Anthony Levine & S Jordan Richards who were some of the best in the league. This group continues to shine week in & week out at a time when they need to be nearly perfect, they continue to never disappoint.
Grade : A-

Coaching : The same tired old song from this coaching staff. Playing down to your competition & looking lethargic offensively once again, that’s 3 weeks in a row where an inferior opponent was taken lightly & allowed to hang around for way too long before this team woke up. Lack of preparation, no sense of urgency, getting away from what this team does best & not making adjustments in game. OC Greg Roman’s play calling was very predictable & vanilla once again regardless of who was playing QB until the last drive where Hundley was bailed out by a pass interference call on the 16-play drive in the final 5:02 but the plays did come in faster & the there were no delay of games. Roman is really starting to feel the heat & rightfully so as this offense has hit a wall while he gets mentioned for the HC job @ Stanford. HC John Harbaugh’s message has started to wear thin & it looks like he has shed some of the analytical things he was doing in the last year or so but this team looks unprepared the last few weeks & his body language says the game may have passed him by. DC Mike MacDonald has this defense playing well as of late minus the slip up in Jacksonville & the pass rush & turnovers have come on a regular basis before this game despite the 4 blown leads, you can see the progress that this group has made since the beginning of the season. Something is broken on this team & it looks more & more like it’s leadership & a culture that has gone stale. There is too much talent on this team for it to continue to underachieve the way it has, that points directly at HC John Harbaugh & his staff not using the talent they have in front of them properly. It may the be the message, it may be the preparation, it may be the lack of leadership, it may be the lack of adjustments being made or it may just be poor coaching all around. Whatever it is, this team lacks that killer instinct that it once had, it lacks the swagger & attitude that used to define it & more importantly, it lacks a true leader who knows how to kick his team into another gear when the going gets tough. That guy used to be John Harbaugh but those days have passed him by, if this was 2011 he would be fine but it’s 2022 & the game has evolved while he hasn’t. Nothing will change w/ this team until the person getting that message across is gone & a new voice is heard in that locker room. John Harbaugh might be a breath of fresh air for another team but for this team, his message has worn thin. His inability to take accountability or hold any of his coaches accountable as well as his head trainer, Steve Saunders accountable will be his downfall, he is loyal to a fault it has hurt this football team. It’s time for a change & we may be counting the games he has left to coach.
Grade : C

Overall Grade : C+

🏈🏈🏈
GO RAVENS!!
#DejaVu

Jaguars 28, Ravens 27 : Week 12 – Ravens Recap & Grades :

Offense – Effective enough but terrible in the red zone which was ultimately their downfall. 5 trips to the red zone but only 2 TD’s including FG’s on their first 3 trips as the issues that this team continues to have stem from everything from penalties to bad play calling to dropped passes to delay of games & have really plagued this team the last 2 weeks which is odd because they are just coming off the Bye Week. They out gain the Jaguars 415-332 in total yards, win the TOP 32:39 to 27:21 & out rush them 162-38. & go 8-14 on 3rd down. Lamar Jackson leads the charge on the ground as he rushes for 89 yards on 14 carries, an average of 6.4 yards per carry but also loses the football on a weird 4th & 1 QB sneak which gives the Jags the ball & leads to a TD just 4 plays later. Gus Edwards rushes for 52 yards on 16 carries, an average of 3.3 yards per carry & a TD but also has a crucial fumble inside the 20 that is recovered by Jacksonville & leads to a go-ahead FG another 4 plays later. Jackson goes just 16-32 through the air for 254 yards & a 12-yard TD pass to Josh Oliver that puts the Ravens back ahead w/ 2:02 to go, he is sacked only once on the day though as the pass protection holds up well despite still not having their Pro-Bowl LT Ronnie Stanley. Oliver hauls in 4 passes for 76 yards, an average of 19.0 yards per reception w/ a career-long 40 yarder & a TD to lead the way in the passing game while also making the last catch & running into Jaguars territory w/ : 02 seconds left, giving Tucker a chance to win it from 67. Desean Jackson catches 2 passes for 74 yards, an average of 37.0 yards per catch, including a beautiful 62-yard bomb from Jackson which leads to the TD pass to Oliver a few plays later. This group was able to generate enough offense to win but 2 lost fumbles & failed to score TD’s in the red zone eventually caught up to them in the end. The pass blocking kept Lamar clean for most of the day but the play calling was terrible for the 2nd straight week as OC Greg Roman once again came out passing the ball early & trying to spark a passing game that just hasn’t been there of late. The decision to start an injury prone Edwards over Kenyan Drake who has been healthy & done his job when given the opportunity is a head scratcher. Drake would of been a great start in this game & they could of went more run heavy by using Edwards to spell him but the decision to start Edwards just felt rushed & forced. This offense has got to be able to close out games down the stretch but they just have not been able to sustain the 8-10 minute close out drives of the past to put teams away which is putting a lot of pressure on the defense to have to be close to perfect. This group really misses WR Rashod Bateman right now & it’s starting to show more & more as the weeks go on. His presence took a lot of pressure off of Duvernay & Robinson, allowing them to slide down to the 2nd & 3rd options. James Proche III has really got to step up because 36-year old Desean Jackson is giving it his all, while he & guys like Tylan Wallace are nowhere to be found, that may fall on the coaching staff but it has to he fixed, regardless. Another issue is the lack of use of Duvernay once again although better than last week, still a low number of touches (5) & you start to get the feeling they may be holding him back for the Playoffs while depending on guys like Josh Oliver & Demarcus Robinson to take them there. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the play clock issue that once again keeps showing up & that is a major concern for OC Greg Roman that needs to be addressed – he has got to get the plays in faster & this offense has to break huddle quicker than they are. Things need to improve & fast.
Grade : C-

Defense : Just when you think this group has it together & is starting to gel they have games like this where they flash right back to their habits from earlier in the season. They allow 18 4th quarter points & 2 TD passes to Trevor Lawrence including the go-ahead 2-point conversion w/ 14 seconds left. CB Marcus Peters has an especially rough day as he allows 6 receptions for 55 yards & 3 TD’s on 8 targets including the TD pass to WR Marvin Jones Jr. on the game-winning drive which was reviewed but upheld after a borderline call. They were also put in some tough spots but stood tall, like the Edwards fumble which gave the Jags the ball at the Ravens 16, they were able to force a FG, not a TD which kept them in the game & allowed the offense to take the lead on the next drive. They also had break downs on the back end just like earlier in the season as they lose RB Jamycal Hasty on a wheel route out of the backfield which gives the Jags the lead in the 1st half & gives Hasty his first-career receiving TD. This unit holds the Jaguars to 38 total rushing yards & pretty much eliminate any running game they might of had after RB Travis Etienne leaves the game in the 2nd quarter after just 3 yards on 2 carries, an average of 1.5 yards per carry. Hasty rushes for 28 yards on 12 carries, an average of 2.3 yards per carry & hauls in 5 passes for 67 yards as the Jaguars offense is pretty much one dimensional for the 2nd half but is still able to move the ball against this unit. Lawrence goes 29/37 for 321 yards, an average of 8.7 yards per pass & 3 TD’s despite being sacked 4 times for a loss of 27 yards by the relentless Ravens pass rush but shreds the secondary even while under duress. CB Marlon Humphrey, DT Broderick Washington, DT Calais Campbell (his 99th) & OLB Tyus Bowser all record a sack, including a strip sack & recovery by Bowser that turns into a TD 7-plays later. WR Zay Jones absolutely torches the secondary for 11 receptions & 145 yards in the air as he continues to play well against the Ravens after catching the game-winning TD pass in OT of Week 1 last season for the Raiders in Las Vegas. Leading by 9 points in the 4th quarter this group wanted to pin their ears back & attack but instead Lawrence burned them & the pass rush for 18 points over the final 15 minutes, including the back-breaking 10 play, 75-yard drive in only 1:48 & they once again blew another 2 score game when it was all said & done. This group had made strides in recent weeks but took some major steps back in this game. They hold Jacksonville to 4-13 on 3rd down but fail to get a stop on the most important drive of the game when it mattered most. Odafe Oweh continues to see his snaps decrease so David Ojabo’s presence will be much needed when he & FS Marcus Williams return as this defense needs a boost to the pass rush & needs to sure up a secondary that keeps failing to communicate & continues to have breakdowns at the worst times. This will be up to DC Mike MacDonald to fix soon as the secondary was way to giving once again & these issues will definitely be exposed against the elite of the AFC if they are not corrected because this defense may have to carry this team in January.
Grade : C-

Special Teams – This normally reliable unit had a few critical errors that figured into this loss but it’s certainly not all on them. Justin Tucker does his job as the offense continues to struggle in the red zone while he kicks 4 FG’s of 27, 29, 55 & 24 while almost pulling off a game-winning 67-yarder to win it that falls just a yard or two short. Tucker was devastated as he will put it on himself to make that anyway because inside he believes he could & you have to respect that from the Pro-Bowl, Hall of Fame Kicker. Pro-Bowl return man Devin Duvernay makes a critical error by not downing the ball in the end zone, runs it out instead, is tackled at the 6 & Edwards fumbles it on the next play which leads to a Jacksonville FG. Duvernay has 1 kick return for 6 yards, FB Pat Ricard runs one back for 15 yards on the muff kick after the TD & TE Nick Boyle also contributes 14 yards on 1 return. Rookie P Jordan Stout boots it away only once on the day for 53 yards & a touchback as the offense was pretty efficient & kept him on the sidelines. There were no kick or punt returns by the Jags & despite Logan Cooke’s 3 punts there were no punt returns by the Ravens either so both teams were spared a few of their guys getting banged up & any time you can avoid contact you’ll take it. Duvernay made a terrible decision to bring the ball out but it’s possibly his only real mistake all year as he has been one of the best return men in the league the last few seasons & miscues like that are extremely rare for him. You’ll see this unit play at an extremely high level next week as they do not take well to making mistakes or mental errors & not being able to win the game when the team needs them. ST Coach Chris Horton has been amazing w/ this group, he is in charge of one of the best ST units in the league & has them functioning in sync on a consistent basis as they continue to be the backbone of this team. One aspect that would be great to see is more blocked punts or kicks that would really help out the offense by giving them short fields & such. This group is good enough to do things like that & make plays to change a game when needed but let’s not take anything away from how good they have been. Just a few minor hiccups this week but overall a good job of playing their parts & doing their jobs as usual.
Grade : A-

Coaching – This is an issue that continues to rear it’s ugly head as they are the cause of the dysfunctionality that has plagued this team all season. Blown coverages & bad communication is on the coaching. Poor clock management is on the coaching. Lack of preparation is on the coaching. Bad play calling is on the coaching. Blowing leads is on the coaching. Well coached teams don’t continue to make the same mistakes & not learn their lesson, they fix the issues at hand & make sure they never show up again. Coaching has been the main reason for every single one of this team’s issues because the fact that they continue to show up time & time again are proving that they aren’t being corrected. It’s once again time for this coaching staff to look in the mirror the same way they did before they ran off 4 wins in row & looked like they might not lose again based upon how easy the schedule was. Things have once again become much harder than they should be as poor play calling & the inability to get the plays in from the booth to the huddle has become a huge issue & showed up again, costing the offense a delay of game in the red zone & forcing them to kick another FG. There is no excuse for the offense to be breaking the huddle w/ 5 seconds left on the play clock & barely getting the play off almost every single time. OC Greg Roman has got to fix that or it will continue to plague this team at the worst time & HC John Harbaugh has got to address this & fix it instead of talking about it. As for the defense, these breakdowns at the end of games are becoming an all too recurring theme & are the main issue w/ this group. They are stopping the run & forcing turnovers plus getting to the QB but the one issue that has been their achilles heel has been the breakdowns in the 4th quarter & blown leads that just despite how well this defense has played just continue to happen & it’s killing the Ravens softly. It has now cost them 4 games alone & there aren’t many free losses you can just keep handing out in this league. There has to start being some accountability moving forward instead of singing the same old tired song, fix it or watch the season slip away. There is just too much talent on this team to be not utilizing it the way it should be used. John Harbaugh’s message has worn thin & seems like the same tired message that has been delivered over & over. Losing a game like this to a 3-win team a week after barely beating another 3 win team is leaves a lot to be desired. One week it’s the offense bailing out the lost defense & the next week it’s the defense bailing out the enept offense yet they never seem to play well together & put it all together completely. This staff has got to do a better job of getting their message across & having this team ready to go for the ENTIRE 4 quarters, they seem to only know how to play hard for 3. Jacksonville was 0-175 when trailing by 7 in the final minute but due to the Ravens poor coaching & discipline this team made history & became their first win in 176 tries. That is absolutely inexcusable, while also making history they gave Trevor Lawrence & the Jags their coming out party & a moment they will never forget while leaving Ravens fans angry & confused once again.
Grade : C

Overall Grade : C-

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GO RAVENS!!
#SleepWalking

Ravens 13, Panthers 3 : Week 11 – Recap & Grades :

Offense – Ugly, Just Ugly. This was the worst performance by this group all season, the play calling was terrible right out of the gate & never got any better the rest of the day. Facing a very underrated defense who had their number all game, they were never able to keep any drives going or get the running game revved up for most of the afternoon.
They are held to 115 yards on 30 carries as a team, an average of 3.8 yards per carry as their streak of rushing for over 150 yards for the 8th straight games is snapped – it was the longest streak since the 1985 Bears did it in 9 straight. Kenyan Drake carries it 10 times for 46 yards, an average of 4.6 yards per carry & Lamar Jackson rushes 11 times for 31 yards, an average of 2.8 yards per carry & the days only TD, also goes 24-33 as a passer for 209 yards & 1 INT to DT Bravion Roy but is sacked 3 times for a loss of 16 yards. Demarcus Robinson has his best day as a Raven, hauling in 9 receptions for 128 yards, an average of 14.2 yards per catch w/ a long of 31 yards. Mark Andrews grabs 6 passes for 63 yards, an average 10.5 yards per catch. This group just kept sputtering & sputtering, they amass only 308 total yards, average only 4.7 yards per play & go just 6-15 on 3rd down on a day that they also committed 10 penalties as a team for 93 yards. They averaged minus-0.11 expected points added per play, the third-worst mark any team has posted against Carolina in a game this season & the 13 points are the fewest that the Ravens have scored w/ Jackson as QB. They drive 67 yards on 12 plays on thier third possession of the 2nd half but it only results in a FG but they get bailed out by the Defense forcing a fumble & are able to finally find the end zone 3 plays later after Drake rips off his longest run of the season (29 yards) & Jackson runs it on from 1 yard out 2 plays later to put the Ravens ahead for good. That drive was about the extent of what this group was able to do in the 2nd half against a very underrated Panthers front 7 that kept swarming all day & was also getting help by the terrible play calling by OC Greg Roman. The pass protection has got to be better & LT Ronnie Stanley re-injured his surgically repaired ankle which will be another setback for this unit, who seems to be so great at run blocking but is still trying to find it’s footing against the pass rush. Calling 33 pass plays on a windy day against a good pass rush made no sense, the game plan should of been more of the same from the running game early & often mixed w/ some of Lamar’s legs as well. The lack of production in the red zone is just unacceptable, going 1-4 against a 3-6 team was unacceptable & the penalties were a major reason for the ineffectiveness. Also lost in all of this is the fact that WR Devin Duvernay touched the ball only twice for a combined 7 yards, he had 1 carry for 4 yards & 1 reception for 3, just completely unacceptable to have a guy w/ his skill set being non-existent, he has rarely been targeted in the 2 games since WR Rashod Bateman has been out of the lineup & that is going to have to change. He will have to be a focal point of the offense going forward if this team wants to make a serious run in January. Overall, just a lackluster performance by a group that can be so much better but keeps being inconsistent week in & week out. They were supposed to win this game convincingly but once again they made it way harder on themselves than it should if been.
Grade : D

Defense – This was vintage Ravens defense & brought back memories of the glory days.
Flying around & hitting anything that moved, getting constant pressure on the QB & forcing turnovers. The Roquan Smith effect has turned this entire defense into a completely different animal & they definitely look primed to be a Championship Caliber group. They hold RB D’Onta Foreman to just 24 yards on 11 carries, an average of 2.2 yards per carry & hold the Panthers to just 36 total yards rushing on the day, an average of just 2.1 yards per carry. Shutting down the ground game meant teeing off on QB Baker Mayfield & they did that too – they sack him 4 times for a loss of 27 yards while getting constant pressure all day from a relentless front 7 that is finally starting to round into shape & they never let up all day long. ILB Roquan Smith, OLB Jason Pierre-Paul & DE Calais Campbell each register 1 sack each & ILB Patrick Queen & OLB Justin Houston combine for another as Mayfield is harrased all day long, passing for just 196 yards (4.6 yards per pass) & 2 INT’s to go w/ being sacked 4 times. This unit holds Carolina to just 3 for 12 on 3rd down & a TOP of 26:46 on 54 plays. They force all 3 Carolina turnovers in the final 8:14 to seal the deal after the offense kept stalling & the Panthers didn’t have a single drive top 40 yards until their garbage-time sequence on the final possession. CB Marcus Peters strips WR Shi Smith after a 4-yard catch & at the 29 & CB Marlon Humphrey recovers on the Carolina 31 w/ 8:22 left, Humphrey picks off Mayfield at the 41 w/ 3:35 left & Pierre-Paul catches a deflected pass by DT Broderick Washington for a pick w/ 0:49 left to seal the deal. They do allow 76 yards on just 3 receptions by WR Terrace Marshall Jr. but that was the extent of the damage done by the passing game all day. The difference that Smith has made in the middle is absolutely ridiculous, him playing the MIKE allowed Queen to slide to the WILL & has changed the entire dynamic of how this defense looks up front while allowing the now healthy pass rush to get pressure which has allowed the secondary to play at a high level as well – they all go hand in hand. This group is good enough & has enough depth to be a Super Bowl defense now, they are getting healthy & they are starting to gel together & more importantly DC Mike MacDonald is figuring out how to dial it up in the NFL. This is as good as this defense has looked all season, all be it against a lesser opponent but the difference is still night & day compared to the first half of the season. The turnovers are coming at a rapid rate as this unit keeps getting them by the bunches, they have become much more opportunistic of late & it has become infectious of late, forced fumbles, strip sacks, interceptions – it doesn’t matter to this group, they just keep on forcing turnovers while waiting on probably their best ballhawk, Marcus Williams to return soon. Sky’s the limit for this group, they’re good enough to go up against any offense which brings back the days of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs & company which has been quite a long time coming. This is who this team is, this had always been who they are. They got away from their identity & turned into something they weren’t, now they have come full circle & channeled the days of Ravens past. Defense. Defense & more defense.
Grade : A+

Special Teams – Death, taxes & Ravens ST. Devin Duvernay is held to just 5 yards on 2 punt returns, an average of 2.5 yards per return despite 6 Carolina punts & kept completely off the box score on kick returns because Carolina only kicked it off twice all day long as both teams struggled to put points on the board. Justin Tucker connects on both of his FG attempts from 32 & 37 yards, the 2nd of which breaks the tie in the 3rd & puts the Ravens ahead for good on a windy day which made routine kicks anything but easy. Rookie P Jordan Stout punts it away 7 times for 251 yards, an average of 35.9 yards per punt including 4 inside the 20 & a touchback w/ a long of 52 yards. Panthers Rookie RB Raheem Blackshear returns 1 kick for 8 yards & WR Shi Smith totals -3 yards on 2 punt returns as the kick coverage is solid all day long as usual. ST Chris Horton has full grasp of this unit, he has is guys ready to go week in & week out without flaw as they continue to be one of, if not the best ST unit in the NFL. Led by Pro-Bowlers Duvernay & Tucker while also getting solid contributions from guys like LS Nick Moore & gunners like RB Justice Hill, CB Kevon Seymour & LB Kristian Welch who have all played well when given the chance. Seymour makes a huge play on a punt by Stout when he swipes the ball out of the end zone & downs the ball at the 6 after the initial call was a touchback & it gives Carolina the ball in their own territory. The play wouldn’t really matter in the long run as the Panthers would pick up a 1st down 2 plays later but still a heads up play by Seymour as plays like that will only earn you more time. This is a group that has always been very tight knit & despite the faces changing the results still remain the same. The comrade amongst this group is amazing, they all have each other’s backs & they all like to have fun but they’re all about business at the end of the day, from the old school to the new school this phase of the game has always been a Ravens specialty. Tucker is the seasoned vet & has taken the reigns as the best Kicker in the league while still having humility & staying humble, he is the epitome of what Ravens special teams is. Guys who like to laugh & have fun while also doing their job better than anybody else in the league. From the snapping of the football to kicking it, from fighting off blockers downfield to running back kicks, from staying in their lanes & sticking to their assignments to making plays without the football, this group never misses a beat. They have faced a few good returners this season & held their own, they’ve had some slip-ups here & there like a blocked kick or 2 but those occurances are a rare instance & happen once in a Blue Moon. This group never disappoints, it’s usually the same thing week in & week out, the only thing that may change is the amount of snaps by Nick Moore. Nothing to see here, just the Ravens ST being themselves.
Grade : A

Coaching – This is who needs to take the blame for this ugly win. It has to be, 100% on the offense not doing their job like they normally do. HC John Harbaugh did not have this team ready to go like they should of been, at least offensively. He’s now 12-3 coming off of Bye & this might have been the worst one in recent memory. Just a lethargic outing to start the garne by OC Greg Roman & it never improved until the last quarter if you even want to call if improved or bailed out by the defense. The defense appeared to have gotten the message that this was an important game but the offense missed the memo. Sometimes 1 side of the ball plays better than the other, that’s understandable but to look so bad offensively against a team that has already fired it’s HC & had a fire sale by dumping some of their best players & doesn’t know who it wants to play QB is a little concerning. One could argue that Harbaugh & his staff was outcoached in this game by an interim Coach in Steve Wilks, as the Panthers had a real game plan & tried to beat the Ravens at their own game. They ran the ball & played hard nosed defense while Harbaugh & his staff looked uninterested for most of the afternoon. DC Mike MacDonald had his defense playing well from the start & single handedly keeping the Ravens in the game while Greg Roman’s group continued to disappoint. Ot using players like Devin Duvernay & going pass heavy to start the game were both head scratchers & signs of flat out poor coaching. This was a game that this team should of came out of the gate fresh & ready to go coming off of the Bye but they fell flat early & had to force themselves off the mat instead of taking control early. It looked like a combination of rust, wind, poor play calling & a defense that was better than they thought – which resulted in an ugly win that this team might of needed as a reality check. Let this be a lesson as to the fact that there are no easy wins in this league & when you underestimate your opponent & play down to your competition, you can get caught slipping if you don’t have your guard up. The offense has got to be more consistent moving forward if they want to compete in January, the schedule is very easy down the stretch but not if this team is sleepwalking offensively. Playing like this will not get it done against the likes of Buffalo, Kansas City, Tennessee & others. This team has got to get more disciplined & that has been a huge weakness of this team in recent years – 10 penalties for 93 yards hurt them in this game & has seemed to rear it’s head when this team plays poorly, that falls coming on the HC. One area where Coach Harbaugh got it right was winning 2 challenges on 2 borderline calls that could of gone either way & that was eye catching but it didn’t really factor into the outcome of the game. This offense has to find another gear in the coming weeks or they will falter against better opponents but for now this team is 7-3 & every win isn’t going to be pretty but there are some measuring stick games & this one was hard to gage, if they run they finish strong down the stretch against inferior opponents then we won’t know how good they really are until January. Lots of room for improvement here, time to put their foot on the gas & accelerate, no time for sputtering against losing teams.
Grade : C

Overall Grade : C

🏈🏈🏈
GO RAVENS!!
#WakeUpCall

Ravens 27, Saints 13 : Week 9 – Recap & Grades :

Offense – Another impressive performance by this group despite being short handed for the 2nd straight week as they get production from all the backups & don’t miss a beat in the process. They rush for over 150 yards for the 8th straight game, rushing for 188 on 40 carries, an average of 4.7 yards per rush. Kenyan Drake leads the way w/ 93 yards on 24 carries, an average of 3.9 yards per carry & 2 TD’s, Lamar Jackson rushes for 83 yards on 11 carries, an average of 7.5 yards per carry & also goes 12-22 as a passer for 133 yards & 1 TD. His only TD pass comes on a beautiful rollout 24-yard throw to TE Isaiah Likely on a flag pattern for the first score of the game (Likely’s only catch) but he makes a few tough throws in the pocket, including a 16-yard pass to the newest Raven, WR DeSean Jackson, the only catch of the game for the veteran. He is sacked 3 times against a tough New Orleans pass rush but only for a loss of 2 yards, as the pass protection holds up well but the run protection on the other hand absolutely took control of the game from the beginning & just kept mauling. Jackson orchestrates a 12-play, 81 yard drive in the 2nd quarter in which he runs for 7, 16 & 12 yards & Drake runs it in to the end zone untouched to add to the lead while the Saints defense is left scratching their heads as to how to put a stop to the running game & Jackson who just kept having their way all night long. This group converts on 9 of 15 3rd downs & amasses 319 total yards while winning the time of possession 37:47 to 22:13 as they just kept pounding away at the Saints front 7 time & time again. Jackson spreads the ball around to 10 different receivers w/ 2 of his main targets out & continues to do it even after losing DeSean Jackson to a hamstring injury in the 2nd half. This group was amazing all night long considering the personnel they had & being on the road on Primetime but the bright lights were not too big for this unit. WR James Proche catches 2 passes for 22 yards, an average of 11.0 per grab & TE Josh Oliver hauls in 1 pass for 19 yards as well as Jackson had the passing game moving the chains when they weren’t gashing the Saints on the ground. This was an impressive performance all around as the continued running of the football & use of play action when needed just ripped out the heart of the Saints defense & nearly had them waving the white flag. If this group can run the ball & assert their will on teams the way they did in this game they can beat anybody on any field, in any stadium, just a very impressive performance by this unit given the circumstances.
Grade : A

Defense – Where do we start? This unit was absolutely amazing all night long. They turned in one of the best performances of the season as the pass rush was relentless, the front 7 flew around & made plays & the secondary had the back end on lock. Going against a pretty good Saints offense, they hold RB Alvin Kamara to just 30 yards on 9 carries, an average of 3.3 yards per carry & hold the Saints to just 48 rushing yards on 15 carries, an average of 3.3 yards per carry. They hold New Orleans to just 243 total yards & QB Andy Dalton to just 210 yards passing while sacking him 4 times for a loss of 28 yards as OLB Justin Houston leads the charge w/ 2.5 sacks & records the only interception on a tipped pass by DT Brent Urban that lands in Houston’s arms & is returned 5 yards to the New Orleans 17. OLB Tyus Bowser also made an impact in his season debut after being activated from the PUP list as his presence is felt on more than one occasion in the pass rush & CB Marlon Humphrey picks up 1 of the 4 Ravens sacks on the night while leading the way w/ 7 tackles & DT Calais Campbell also registers .5 a sack, including 2 tackles. The real story is the impact of ILB Roquan Smith who registers 5 tackles & makes his presence felt 5 minutes into the game when he stuffs Kamara on a 3rd & 1 on the Saints 2nd drive of the game & forces a punt which leads to an 11-play, 76-yard TD drive for the offense. This was vintage Ravens defense at it’s finest & a throwback to what this group used to look like on a weekly basis. The Saints go just 3-11 on 3rd down & are held to just 49 total plays, while only holding the ball for just over 22 of the 60 minutes as this unit forces 5 punts in 10 possessions. They allow a late TD in garbage time on what looked like a busted play but the final score doesn’t even reflect the level of dominance that this group displayed all night. DC Mike McDonald’s defense now ranks 3rd in total takeaways w/ 16, ranks 4th in sacks w/ 27 & is holding teams to just a 33.7% 3rd down conversion rate, which ranks 6th in the league. After struggling early & blowing 2nd half leads, this group has come together nicely in recent weeks & really started to gel as of late while only getting better w/ the new addition of Smith & adding Bowser w/ even more help on the way. If this group plays like this then the sky’s the limit for what they can do against any team in the league, they can rush the passer now, they can stop the run & even w/ the loss of FS Marcus Williams they can defend in the secondary. This group was the real highlight of the night, they played w/ a tenacity that we haven’t seen since the days of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed & Terrell Suggs & company. This Ravens defense looks familiar, this Ravens defense looks Championship Caliber.
Grade : A-

Special Teams – Just another day at the office for this unit as Justin Tucker kicks FG’s of 32 & 41 yards, Rookie P Jordan Stout punts it away 4 times for 193 yards, an average of 48.3 yards per punt, including 2 inside the 20 as he continues to fill in nicely for Sam Koch who’s help working w/ Stout in the off-season after retiring has shined through. Pro-Bowl returner, Devin Duvernay doesn’t get a chance to return anything but RB Justice Hill returns a kick 9 yards while the coverage is solid once again, holding WR Rashid Shaheed to 41 total return yards, 33 on 2 kick returns, for an average of 16.5 per return w/ a long of 20 while gaining just 8 yards on 1 punt return. This group has been solid week in & week out, they continue to do the underrated things that nobody sees like holding their position on kick coverage, not committing dumb penalties & being solid in communication as a unit. As mentioned before, this group has lost some key pieces in recent years but hasn’t missed a beat while continuing to be great on a weekly basis despite the new names & faces. They are still the only unit in the league w/ a kick return TD, thanks to Duvernay & have the best FG% thanks to Tucker. Not a lot to talk about w/ this group & that’s a good thing, that means they just continue to do their job every week & know their assignments, they are a reliable, trustworthy group that has been performing at a high-level for a long, long time. There are 3 guarantees in life, death, taxes & the Ravens special teams, while the offense & defense have taken a dip at times or underperformed here & there, this unit has been as sturdy, if not sturdier than any group in the league year in & year out. From the old Wolfpack to the new, the new faces to the old, from coach to coach, gunner to gunner, Kicker to Kicker & Punter to Punter, one might argue this may be one of the best ST groups the Ravens have ever had in the last 20+ years, going back to the Matt Stover, Kyle Richardson & Jermaine Lewis days. Coach Harbaugh being a special teams guy has helped but it has been the veteran presences & solid gameplanning of ST coach Chris Horton in recent years that has put this group at the top of league every single season. Overall, this game was just another day in the life for this group who made it business as usual, under the lights, in a dome or under the sun, outdoors it doesn’t matter where or how….this group will always get it done.
Grade : A

Coaching : This game was the absolute best this coaching staff looked all season. This was their most impressive & consistent game in every phase as the team looked ready to go from the beginning despite missing some key pieces & didn’t miss a beat on offense. This team has discovered it’s identity & it begins w/ running the football & playing stout defensively – OC Greg Roman was able to continue the success on the ground but also dial up a few surprises like the TD pass to Likely on the flag pattern that looked like a designed run & moved the defense up enough for Likely to get behind. The designs of the running game & sustained success on the ground all night long was a thing of beauty as Roman’s use of the pistol & relentless running attack allowed the offensive line to win in the trenches & keep mauling until the Saints front 7 nearly tapped out. The coaching staff used their talent properly in every aspect, they attacked weakness on both sides of the ball & kept it coming all night, this was a flashback to the days of old where the defense & offense went hand in hand & helped each other out, bludgeoning teams w/ their physicality & just wearing them down mentally. It looked like this coaching staff used the 10 days off to tweak some things & start coaching to this team’s strengths, they are utilizing their talent to the fullest no matter who is on the field & they are using what they do best to step on team’s throats & never letting up. DC Mike MacDonald has this defense in absolute attack mode, they are hitting anything that moves & are starting to return to form, they are rounding out nicely as a unit as key parts of this pass rush have emerged or returned from injury & are now playing 60 minutes of football every week. They have learned how to get back to closing teams out & are doing it now w/ relative ease. Remaining undefeated in the Superdome is no easy task but it seems like that building seems to bring out the best in the Ravens for some reason, this team just goes to another level in the Big Easy. Overall, a great performance by this coaching staff, just an absolute masterpiece on Prime Time where this team is now 2-0 this season, they look like for now they have fixed all the issues that were plaguing them early – penalties, bad analytics, blown coverages & miscommunication have all drastically been reduced & it is showing in the results from week to week. The Ravens now have a 3-game winning streak & it’s due to health, improving, players starting to get in a rhythm & guys getting on the same page but more importantly it’s because of this coaching staff finally molding this squad into a team w/ an identity, something they were searching for since the season started. This coaching staff is the reason for the success in recent weeks & they have this team playing better than they have all season despite missing some key parts, it’s a pretty impressive job.
Grade : A-
Overall Grade : A-

🏈🏈🏈
GO RAVENS!!
#PuttingItAllTogether

Ravens 27, Buccaneers 22 : Week 8 – Recap & Grades :

Offense – The gameplan here was a little puzzling. Passing it 30 times in the 1st half against a team who loves to blitz like the Bucs instead of sticking w/ the ground game that was so successful last week was a little bit of a head scratcher but it ended up working out in the end. They rush for 231 on the ground including 204 in the 2nd half, their 7th straight game w/ over 150 rushing yards – the longest streak in the NFL, as Gus Edwards leads the way w/ 11 carries for 65 yards, an average of 5.9 yards per carry. Kenyan Drake rushes for 62 yards on 7 carries, an average of 8.9 yards per carry & Lamar Jackson gains 43 yards on 9 carries, an average of 4.8 yards per carry. Jackson also goes 27-38 for 238 yards, an average of 6.3 yards per completion & 2 TD’s through the air but only throws it 8 times the entire 2nd half after passing it 30 times in the 1st half. This group was so effective on the ground that they kept running into the tune of 26 times in the 2nd half after only 7 rushes in the 1st half & finishes the night averaging 7.0 yards per carry as a team. Devin Duvernay gains 65 total yards, 33 on the ground on just 2 carries, an average of 16.5 yards per carry & a TD, catches 4 passes for 31 yards, an average of 7.8 yards per reception. TE Mark Andrews leaves in the 2nd quarter & doesn’t return w/ a shoulder injury & Rookie Isaiah Likely doesn’t flinch under the bright lights as he hauls in a career-high 6 passes for 77 yards, an average of 12.8 yards per grab & a TD on the night. This group didn’t miss a beat while missing WR Rashod Bateman for most of the 2nd half w/ a foot injury & losing Andrews before halftime, as WR Demarcus Robinson takes over for Bateman & makes a season-high 6 catches for 64 yards, an average of 10.7 yards per reception. The offensive line is once again a force in the trenches as they just maul the Buccaneers’ front 7 all night long in the running game, especially in the 2nd half but struggle in pass protection in the 1st half as Jackson is sacked 3 times & loses 16 yards total against a team who loves to blitz & apply pressure. They get it together as the night wears on & by the 2nd half they were basically doing whatever they wanted especially after DE Shaq Barrett leaves w/ a torn achilles, paving the way for the running game to run for 200+ in just 2 quarters & close out the game. The Bucs defense was missing their top 3 corners & are blitz-heavy scheme which should of required a run-heavy approach from the beginning but for some reason OC Greg Roman decided to keep throwing it against the weakened Bucs secondary & the ratio at halftime was 30-7 run vs pass. Roman said he wanted to throw it often in the 1st half to tire out the secondary & go run heavy in the 2nd half but that strategy still seems a little weird seeing as how running it early would of been an even more punishing result. He did what he said he was going to do though, running the ball 26 times in the 2nd half for a little over 200 yards & Jackson completes all 8 of his passes in the 2nd half for while leading TD drives of 77, 80 & 85 yards. This group made things more difficult on themselves then they should have but it was still an offense that 453 total yards in a win on Primetime & shows what they can do when they are hitting on all cylinders. We know what this group is capable of, that has been the most frustrating thing about their play, they can be so good but lack the consistency to do it from week to week.
Grade : A-

Defense – A pretty good showing by this group on a short week. They give up a TD on the opening drive but settle in nicely after that, allowing just 44 rushing yards on the night on 15 carries, an average of just 2.9 per rush despite missing DT Calais Campbell & hold RB Leonard Fournette to 24 yards on 9 carries, an average of 2.7 yards per carry & a TD. The pass rush continues to improve as the Justin’s sack QB Tom Brady 3 times (2 by OLB Justin Houston & 1 by Justin Madubuike) for a total of 20 yards lost. Houston is playing like he’s 23, not 33 & leads the team w/ 8 sacks in 6 games. They do allow 325 yards through the air as WR Mike Evans hauls in 6 passes for 123 yards, an average of 20.5 yards per reception & WR Chris Godwin hauls in 6 passes for 75 yards, an average of 12.5 yards per reception as Brady is able to move the ball on the opening drive & the Bucs go 75 yards on 8 plays to march right down the field for the go ahead score after forcing the Ravens to punt on their opening drive but muff the punt & fall behind after a FG. After a 10 play, 50 yard drive, this group allows a FG & falls behind by 7 but force the Bucs to punt on their next 3 drives before the half. They start to put the clamps on in the 2nd half as the offense controls the clock & this group gets more & more rest which leads to 2 punts & 2 FG’s before a garbage time TD pass to Julio Jones cuts the lead to 5 but the onside kick is recovered & the offense takes a knee to close it out. This defense is getting healthier & starting to figure some things out in recent weeks which has led to better communication, better coverage & better tackling. They don’t force a turnover for the first time all season but they were able to get stops & force punts which still gets them off the field & shows that this group is making strides since Week 1 & is starting to gel. DC Mike MacDonald has been under lots of scrutiny for his defense only playing 45 minutes & folding in the final 15 but this time, just like last week they are pretty good for most of the 4 quarters & are able close the game out when needed. Just a good performance overall, not the prettiest but definitely not the worst & something to build on going forward as this group showed resilience after getting punched in the mouth early for the 2nd straight week but still does their job when it matters most. They hold Tampa Bay to 4-13 on 3rd down & 349 total yards while applying pressure to Brady & shutting down the run which really forced the Bucs to be one-dimensional for most of the 2nd half. There have been some bright spots as ILB Patrick Queen & FS Geno Stone have played lights out in recent weeks, Houston looks like he’s hit the fountain of youth, the defensive line has been much improved & the secondary as a whole is more in sync as a unit. If this group can play like this going forward it will greatly benefit the offense as the two go hand in hand – the more the offense can control the clock & time of possession, this group can get more rest & be even better as a whole which will allow them to get more stops which will in turn allow the offense more opportunities. Missing FS Marcus Williams, OLB’s Tyus Bowser & David Ojabo, CB Kyle Fuller & DT Calais Campbell this group is still able to perform at a high level despite their depth being tested on a short week on Prime-time & they rose to the challenge against a desperate Tom Brady which is a testament to this entire unit.
Grade : B-

Special Teams – This group was once again a huge factor. They make an impact right away when RB Justice Hill pushes CB Dee Delaney into return man Jaelon Darden as the punt is muffed, allows CB Kevon Seymour to recover the fumble & Justin Tucker to kick a a 22 yard FG to give the Ravens the early lead. Tucker has his next FG attempt blocked by DT Pat O’Connor w/ :04 seconds left in the 1st half one of the only miscues by the FG unit this season, as this group continues to be the backbone of this team week in & week out as i have stated many times before. Tucker connects from 30 yards out to make it a 2 score game w/ 2:12 to play, all but securing the victory & this group was a huge reason for it. Rookie Jordan Stout punts it away 4 times for 210 yards, an average of 52.5 yards per punt including 2 inside the 20 & a long of 57 as he continues to star in his role of replacing, Sam Koch & hasn’t missed a beat in doing so. Devin Duvernay returns 3 kicks for 72 yards, an average of 24.0 yards per return & totals 99 return yards, as he also returns 3 punts for 27 yards, an average of 9.0 yards per return. The coverage is solid as Darden returns 2 punts for 33 yards, an average of 16.5 yards per return but the biggest play in coverage is made by Seymour to force the fumble & recover it which sets up the early FG to put them ahead. This unit will always be good no matter the opponent, it stems from the HC being a Special Teams guy & passing that down through the years, no matter who is a part of this group they will always deliver because the personnel which is led by a Hall of Fame K Justin Tucker & a Pro-Bowl KR in Devin Duvernay while being one of the best kick coverage teams in the league, they are still the only team in the league that has returned a kickoff for a TD (Duvernay) while having one of the best kicking games in the league as well. Guys have been plugged in as gunners & still performed, they have lost some of the veteran presence that they once had but the new faces have done well while being asked to fill in for some of the departed & haven’t missed a beat either. This group will continue to be the most consistent & reliable aspect of this team while also being one of the best units in the league, it is the most trustworthy of the 3 phases & can change the game at any moment w/ a kick or a return. Overall, another good performance other than the blocked FG but they can’t be perfect every week, they get a pass when things like that happen just because of the run of success they have sustained for years as Special Teams Coach Chris Horton has this group ready to go from start to finish every week.
Grade : A

Coaching – The strategy to come out throwing the football against a team who’s blitz heavy was a little puzzling but ended up working out after a run heavy 2nd half bailed them out. The coaching staff said the strategy was to come out throwing to wear down the backup corners as Tampa Bay was down 3 starting corners but I can’t help but wonder what the strategy would of been had they fallen behind by 2 or more scores? It seemed a little weird but ended up working out in the end, they only dialed up 8 passes in the 2nd half compared to 26 runs but that probably should of been the strategy all night long, things might have been a little easier but for some reason this coaching staff likes to make things harder than they should be. This team was ready to go from the beginning but sputtered early on due to the gameplan & run/pass ratio of 7 to 30 which was completely imbalanced & led to too many stalled drives. However, they made adjustments in the 2nd half as mentioned, switching from a pass happy attack to a run heavy, dominate the time of possession & kill the clock offense, something that has been lacking for most of the season due to not having some new backs & having issues w/ the offensive line. Things are starting to gel up front as the run blocking has been amazing recently  & has led to a more dominating running attack late in the games especially w/ the return of RB Gus Edwards. Getting the coaches on the same page & making adjustments has been the main issue all season but this staff has started to get it, they have started utilizing their talent to the best of their abilities which has allowed for a better offensive flow during the game while not having many break downs in communication in the secondary on the defensive side of the ball either. The one thing that this team has to clean up is the penalties as they are flagged 7 times for 101 yards which allowed the Bucs to hang around after just 3 penalties for 53 yards last week against Cleveland. This team finally has a winning streak after alternating wins & losses every other week up until now, while handing Tom Brady his 3rd loss in a row for the first time since 2002. As of late this entire staff has been better, maybe it’s the scrutiny, maybe it’s just making adjustments, maybe it’s just this team getting healthier but whatever the reason is, this team is starting to come together in all 3 phases & that will be huge as they enter a stretch of teams that are under .500 w/ a real chance to run off a winning streak & make a push in the AFC, they already sit on top of the division but would love to get some separation in the coming weeks. This was a nice win but nothing really jumps out at you about it, it turned into a vintage Ravens Smash Mouth style of game in the 2nd half & that’s who this team should be for all 4 quarters.
Grade : B-

Overall Grade : B-
🏈🏈🏈
GO RAVENS!!
#TaleOfTwoHalves

Ravens 23, Browns 20 : Week 7 – Recap & Grades :

Offense – This group was good but needs to be better going forward, this team needs the offense to be dynamic week in & week out & they have scored 23 points or less in 4 straight weeks now. They gain just 254 total yards, 160 coming on the ground as RB Gus Edwards rushes for 66 yards on 16 carries in his first game in over a year, an average of 4.1 yards per carry w/ 2 rushing TD’s & Lamar Jackson rushes for 59 yards on 10 carries, an average of 5.9 yards per carry. Jackson goes 9-16 for just 120 yards, an average of 7.5 yards per pass but is also sacked 3 times on the day for 26 yards lost as the Cleveland pass rush is able to get dialed up on more than a few occasions. WR Rashod Bateman hauls in 4 passes for 42 yards, an average of 10.5 yards per reception as Jackson is used more as a game manager in this game, attempting only 16 passes while handing the ball off 44 times. This was the strategy employed by OC Greg Roman as the team looks to get the running game revved up w/ the return of Edwards & they used his punishing style to wear down the Browns front 7. RB Justice Hill loses a crucial fumble w/ 3:12 to play at the Cleveland 16 as the offense was going in for a score to put the game away, this was Hill’s first game back from a hamstring injury. The offensive line is good in the run blocking aspect but needs to do better in pass protection as Jackson is under duress more than a few times against a good Cleveland pass rush & sacked 3 times. The approach was a very conservative, don’t make mistakes, run heavy strategy & it worked but it will not be a formula that should be used every week, sometimes the opponent determines the offensive approach & Greg Roman stayed w/ what was working for once. There wasn’t a lot to take away from this group other than the few things like Lamar only attempting 16 passes going 7 for 15 on 3rd down, the running game being used more than they have all season & the improved play of the offensive line, especially the run blocking as it has been much improved in recent weeks. TE Mark Andrews being held without a catch & only being targeted twice was also a little puzzling, the the Browns did a good job to take him out of the equation but he is also dealing w/ an injury. The success of the running game was the biggest takeaway & the obvious reason for the win as an aerial attack wasn’t needed & wasn’t in any way even attempted to try to get going. Things were pretty cut & dry w/ this unit, it was pretty much vintage Ravens football, running, running & running some more while airing it out for a few chunk yards to help out.
Grade : B-

Defense – This group is gashed for 113 yards on the ground, the 4th time this season they have allowed 100+ rushing yards after only allowing 100 or more in 5 games all of last season. Nick Chubb runs for 91 yards on 16 carries, an average of 5.7 yards per carry & a TD that caps the first Browns drive of the game, an 11-play, 75-yard march as the Browns offense puts this group on their heels early. Kareem Hunt adds a rushing TD but is held to just 4 yards on 5 carries, an average of 0.8 yards per carry but QB Jacoby Brissett scrambles for 18 yards on 3 runs, an average of 6.0 yards per carry & starts off the game a red hot 6-6 for 111 yards to start the game, ends up an accurate 22-27 for 258 yards. They sack Brissett 5 times, including 2 by OLB Justin Houston, S Kyle Hamilton & DE Calais Campbell (strip sack) each register a sack as well as ILB Patrick Queen who also leads the way w/ 11 tackles & has looked way better in the past few weeks after much scrutiny. The emergence of the pass rush the past few weeks has been a good sign, seeing as how OLB Tyus Bowser & OLB David Ojabo are still not back yet but this group is starting to get pressure in different ways in DC Mike McDonald’s new system. The one thing this group has done all season is create turnovers & they got 2 more takeaways in this game, both on fumbles as Campbell forces Brissett to fumble on a sack & Peoples-Jones fumbles after a hit by FS Geno Stone on the last play of the game which is recovered by Stone. They allow 336 total yards on the day, WR Amari Cooper (74) Donovan Peoples-Jones (71) & TE David Njoku (71) each reach over 70 yards receiving, including a few chunk plays by Cooper & Peoples-Jones against this secondary which has been under the microscope of late. This group played well but not excellent, they got 5 sacks & 2 turnovers but still had to hold on for dear life once again, they need to tighten up some things like allowing chunk yards & stopping the run better. The Browns go just 2-11 on 3rd down which means this defense was getting stops along w/ sacks which makes you scratch your head as to how Cleveland was able to hang around, Hill’s fumble played a huge part in it but this group still has to play better overall. You are starting to see a few signs of a defense that is starting to improve but the lack of attention to detail has been critical as teams have been able to move the ball pretty easily in almost every single game. Overall, a good job by a group that is still trying to find themselves but this type of performance won’t cut it against some of the more polished teams in the league. Still lots of work to do going forward, time to get better & go back to work on a short week.
Grade : B

Special Teams – Another great performance by this group as Devin Duvernay returns a punt 46 yards to the Cleveland 21, his only return of the game on the Ravens 3rd possession, which leads to a 2nd Justin Tucker FG & cuts the Browns lead to 4 – Tucker connects on all 3 of his FG attempts from 32, 34 & finally 55 which puts the Ravens up by 10 w/ 11:24 to go in the game. The coverage is solid, RB D’Ernest Johnson returns 1 kick for 27 yards, an average of 27.0 yards per return & Peoples-Jones returns 2 punts for 14 yards, an average of 7.0 yards per return. The impact made by this unit was felt on the game-tying FG attempt as Browns K Cade York’s kick is blocked by LB Malik Harrison, the ball hitting him in the face & being deflected as M&T Bank burst into a loud cheer & RB Justice Hill leaped in the air to celebrate after his fumble set up the drive by the Browns. Rookie Jordan Stout would punt it away 3 plays later but w/ :16 seconds left on the clock, the defense closes out the game. In his best Sam Koch impression, Stout punts it away 3 times for 181 yards, an average of 60.3 yards per punt, including 1 touchback & 1 punt inside the 20. This is a group that has been the backbone of this team for years & it continues to be, no matter who the faces are, the numbers & players may change but the results continue to stay the same. While he isn’t an X’s & O’s guy, HC John Harbaugh is & has always been a ST coach & it reflects in this group week in & week out. Blocking kicks has been one of the only aspects that this group has lacked in as well as blocked punts, something that used to be a staple of Ravens ST in the past. All that being said, the kicking aspect has been better than it ever has & Stout has picked right up where Koch left off. Who will be the next Anthony Levine remains to be seen but Devin Duvernay has carved out his niche & Justin Tucker has established himself as the game’s best. Not a lot to critique here & there never really is, it’s just business as usual when it comes to the Ravens special teams.
Grade : A+

Coaching – This coaching staff needs to decide who this team is going to be, it’s nice to be able to win in more than one way but you have to develop an identity moving forward, is this going to be a run-heavy team like the one we saw in this game? Or are they the team we saw in the first 4 weeks? This offense can’t get away from who they are, they have to continue what we saw from them in this game while also being able to push the ball down the field when needed. Having RB Gus Edwards & LT Ronnie Stanley back is huge to this running game & the coaching staff needs to evaluate the offensive approach moving forward now, they need to utilize the personnel that they have properly & put this team in the best position to win. DC Mike MacDonald needs to find a scheme that works best as he still seems to be trying to find his footing despite his defense looking better in recent weeks, they still have been too inconsistent to not worry about folding down the stretch. Coach Harbaugh needs to get this team focused because judging by records the schedule is favorable in the coming weeks but not if this team looks lethargic in the 2nd half or can’t hold leads late in the game. It is up to this staff to get this team to be the best they can be & that starts w/ taking the points like they did in this game, making the necessary adjustments at halftime to counter the things that other teams throw at them in the 2nd half & getting everyone on the same page on game day. If properly coached, this team is capable of so much more but this coaching staff has failed them at times, the defense hasn’t been able to close out games & the offense has sputtered while analytics have played too much of a role, more of a role than they should have. This makes you think that John Harbaugh went to analytics in recent years because of his inability to adapt to this new level of the NFL, he was up to speed in 2011 but the game has grown & developed while he hasn’t. This game should never of been as close it was, you had the 2012 Super Bowl team in the building & that alone should of motivated this team to come out w/ a relentless intensity, especially after their QB said they were “ticked off” all week, yet there went the Browns, driving 75 yards on 11 plays to open the game & putting a team who supposed to be “ticked off” in an early 7-0 hole. There just has to be a better sense of urgency by this entire staff to come out & set the tone early, especially against a 2-4 team @ home, Super Bowl contenders don’t play that way. Overall, they got the win & they’ll take it but it wasn’t pretty by any means & that falls squarely on the shoulders of this coaching staff.
Grade : B-

Overall Grade : B-
🏈🏈🏈
GO RAVENS!!
#TimeToPlayLikeARaven

Giants 24, Ravens 20 : Week 6 – Recap & Grades :

Offense – Another game where this group looked good through quarters 1-3 but sputters in the 4th once again & fails to close a team out for the 3rd time in 6 games. Facing their old DC Wink Martindale, the blitz is dialed up all day & is effective while the running game finally gets back into form as Kenyan Drake rushes for 119 yards on 10 carries, an average of 11.9 yards per carry, including a 30-yard TD run. The ground attack combines for 211 on the ground on 24 carries, an average of 8.8 yards per carry. Lamar Jackson rushes for 77 yards on 7 carries, an average of 11.0 yards per carry & goes 17/32 for 210 yards an average of 6.6 yards per completion. He throws a 12-yard TD pass to TE Mark Andrews & 1 costly INT to FS Julian Love which winds up resulting in the go ahead score after a 27-yard return to the 13 yard line, he is sacked twice & loses a fumble on the last possession to seal it. Andrews hauls in 7 passes for 106 yards & a TD, an average of 15.1 yards per reception & 7 other receivers combine for 10 receptions for 104 yards. They out gain the Giants 406 to 238 in total yards but go only 4-10 on third down & commit a few back breaking penalties. Just too many mental mistakes in the 4th quarter as Drake is called for an illegal formation on 3rd & 1 that backs them up 5 yards & a bad snap by C Tyler Linderbaum on the next play results in Jackson chasing down the ball & forcing a terrible throw into double coverage which is picked off by Love. Blowing leads & bad coaching decisions were the reasons for losses in previous weeks but this loss was on & Greg Roman & Lamar Jackson. The offense had a chance to close out the game late & got away from the run, including passing 3 times in a row in the red zone on the first possession of the 3rd quarter, when the run game was almost unstoppable which resulted in a FG instead of 6. Roman once again got away from the run in the 2nd half while Jackson was completely reckless w/ the football on the last 2 possessions of the game. Holding the ball w/ 1 hand, he fumbles the ball away on a strip sack by Rookie DE Kayvon Thibodaux after a terrible interception on the previous drive & Giants are able to run out the clock after that. The line holds up well against an improved Giants defense as they allow 2 sacks but open up running lanes all day long, dominating in the trenches in the running game but struggling at times in the passing game. Their play of late has been one of the reasons for the running game’s resurgence the past few weeks & despite losing RT Morgan Moses, held up well although Patrick Mekari was exposed a little bit in his place at RT which is a head scratcher because Mekari was so solid all year long at the same position. Lamar Jackson’s QBR is 28.4 in the 4th quarter & he has 3 total TD’s compared to 5 costly turnovers, that is not the way you close out an opponent, making smart decisions & living to fight another down is. This group has been absolutely terrible in the 4th quarter & it falls solely on the shoulders of their QB, he has got to be better late in the game.

Grade : B-

Defense – This group had it’s ups & downs all day long, they allow just 83 yards on the ground (all by RB Saquon Barkley) on 31 carries, an average of 2.7 yards per carry, including but Barkley runs for 3.8 yards per carry on 22 rushes. While being stout up front against the run, HC Brian Daboll kept this group off balance all day w/ play action passes & moving QB Daniel Jones out of the pocket when needed to make high percentage throws which has been their M.O. all season. Jones goes an effective 19-27 for just 173 yards, an average of 6.4 yards per completion & tosses 2 TD’s against a defense who was playing well but getting beat on 7 of 14 third down conversions, a few of them crucial. The pass rush revs up a little bit, registering 4 sacks on the day, 1 each by Travis Jones, Calais Campbell, Justin Madubuike & Patrick Queen but it comes mostly from schemed blitzes & not edge rushers which is fine seeing as how most of this team’s edge rushers are banged up right now & you have to get to the QB by any means necessary. They hold the Giants offense to just 238 total yards but lose the time of possession battle 31:52 to 28:08 & the Giants even run 62 plays compared to 58 for the Baltimore offense, so this unit was on the field for nearly half of the game as well. They do force a turnover on the last play of the 1st half as Jones attempts a Hail Mary but is sacked by Queen & Chuck Clark recovers as time runs out & the Ravens don’t have time to capitalize. CB Marcus Peters commits a costly penalty on what seemed to be a game sealing interception but is called for a P.I. in the endzone which allows the go-ahead score & wipes out a great effort by this group to stop the Giants after the bad INT by Jackson. The goal coming into this game was to stop Saquon Barkley & they did that but still lost because the Giants found a way to get it done anyway. Overall, a good effort, not a great one & a not a terrible one either, one that would of been good enough to win if it weren’t for a few costly mistakes putting them in a bad spot on more than 1 occasion. This group did it’s job for the most part, this time the offense once again failed them when it mattered most.

Grade : B-

Special Teams – Another solid effort by this team but definitely not their best showing of the season, they give up a huge kick return & miss a crucial FG on day where a few small details may have been the deciding factors in the game. Justin Tucker connects on 2 of his 3 FG’s connecting from 34 & 23 yards but missing from 56 on a doink off the upright on his first attempt that would come back to loom large later, although 56 isn’t easy & Tucker rarely misses, the wind hooked it left on him & there’s really nothing you can do about that. They allow a huge kick return to RB Gary Brightwell for 47 yards after their first TD which leads to a shorter – 10 play, 53 yard drive & a TD to tie the game, it is Brightwell’s only return of the game as he averages 47.0 yards per return. WR Richie James returns 1 punt for 8 yards, an average 8.0 yards per return but newly signed LB A.J. Klein is called for an unnecessary roughness call which puts the ball at midfield but it doesn’t come back to bite them as time expires in the half after a strip sack by LB Patrick Queen. This group only allows 55 total return yards but once again the big one they gave up resulted in 7 points for New York & wound up making a difference. WR Devin Duvernay is held in check for just 1 punt return for 12 yards, an average of 12.0 yards per return & Rookie Jordan Stout punts it away 2 times for 95 yards, an average of 47.5 yards per punt. The young guys on this unit continue to shine in what has more or less been a transition period for them in wake of losing guys like LS Morgan Cox, P Sam Koch, S & Co-Captain, Anthony Levine & S Jordan Richards. This unit has been consistent week in & week out but this week made a few minor mistakes, nothing major but enough to be amplified after the offenses poor showing in the clutch, perhaps there would of been a different outcome had things gone differently for this group but they were not the sole reason for the loss. Unfortunately, there has been more pressure on this group due to this team struggling in other areas & they are the best unit on this team so they have almost had to be perfect in every aspect week in & week out. This phase of the football team will continue to be the strength no matter what because it has been for years & it won’t stop any time soon.

Grade : A-

Coaching – This was one of the weeks that there wasn’t much to critique from this coaching staff, the preparation was there as they were facing a familiar foe in Wink Martindale & this team looked ready to go from the beginning. They were winning the chess match against Martindale, out gaining the Giants 256 to 90 in the opening half & took another lead into halftime, while getting out to a double digit lead in the 2nd half once again. Then we saw OC Greg Roman get away from the running game for some reason despite holding another lead, he once again should of been running the ball to close out the game but instead turned to the passing game. The sense of urgency to not turn the ball over was not instilled in Lamar’s mind, that or he just ignored all of it but either way this staff didn’t get the message across well enough. Wink Martindale won his chess match against Greg Roman in the end & HC John Harbaugh was definitely out coached by leading candidate for coach of the year, Brian Daboll, who has gotten way more out of his team then expected & this coaching staff & Harbaugh company should take notes on how to game manage & maximize talent. Once again, no adjustments were made in the 2nd half to counter what they were seeing & for some reason they continue to get away from what’s working when they hold a lead. Another issue has been the discipline, there were 10 penalties for 74 yards & a few on both sides of the ball that wound up being big in the grand scheme of things, including an illegal formation & a pass interference in the end zone. This staff has got to instill a sense of urgency & be able to counter what other teams throw at them when the game plan changes, despite all that this team was still in position to win the game until the offense turned it over on back to back drives. There has to be some accountability from this coaching staff, that has been the biggest issue in terms of them realizing where the problems lie & making the necessary changes. It’s time to look in the mirror & ask themselves if they have it in them to right the ship, this team lacks some serious leadership & needs someone to rally them when things get tough, the coaches haven’t been able to do that so far & the players lack a vocal leader as well. Lack of execution, underutilization of talent, bad game management, terrible personal decisions & terrible discipline have been key reasons why this team is where they are. The coaching staff is to blame, they are the ones that have to be held accountable first & will receive the brunt of the criticism, John Harbaugh is in his 15th season, the game seems like it has evolved while he hasn’t, he needs to do better.

Grade : B-

Overall Grade : B-

GO RAVENS!!

#Underachievers

Ravens 19, Bengals 17 : Week 5 – Recap & Grades :

Offense – Not the best showing of the season but this group came through when it mattered most on national television, as they put together the game-winning drive that sets up the game-winning FG by Justin Tucker despite scoring their fewest amount of points so far this season. They rush for 155 yards on 28 carries, an average of 5.5 yards per carry as J.K. Dobbins rushes for 44 yards on 8 carries, an average of 5.5 yards per carry in his 2nd game back but Lamar Jackson leads the way w/ 58 yards on 12 carries, an average of 4.8 yards per carry on the ground. Jackson goes 19-32 for 174 yards, an average of 5.4 yards per pass, he throws 1 TD & 1 crucial INT, he is sacked only once on the night. Lamar misses a few wide open recievers, including WR Tylan Wallace on 4th & 1 on a play that would of been a walk in TD on what was Jackson’s most inaccurate game of the season. TE Mark Andrews hauls in 8 passes for 89 yards, an average of 11.1 yards per reception, including an 11-yard TD catch from Jackson & Devin Duvernay hauls in 5 passes for 54 yards, an average of 10.8 yards per catch & is used in many creative ways by Greg Roman w/ the absence of WR Rashod Bateman, Duvernay also rushes for 24 yards on 3 carries, an average of 8.0 yards per carry. The offensive line performs well all night long w/ the return of LT Ronnie Stanley who plays limited snaps in a rotation w/ Patrick Mekari & makes it through his first game as the group starts to get a little healthier & is trying to gel. They played well in the trenches, allowing just 1 sack on Lamar & run blocking well for the running game as the lanes are starting to get bigger & the running game is starting to improve. The pass blocking also looks better than it has been but this was the first game all year that despite playing well this group wasn’t able to find the end zone as much as they had been. The running game looks better & has improved the last few weeks, despite the passing game putting up it’s lowest production. We haven’t seen the 2 start to flow together yet, it’s either 1 or the other, when that happens, this group will be at it’s absolute best. Overall, a good night despite some mistakes & bad throws, this unit still found a way to get it done w/ the game on the line, especially on the ground against a solid defense & finally took the points instead of gambling on 4th down which allowed them to kick the game winner.
Grade : B

Defense – The best performance that this group has had all season after being scrutinized in the past few weeks as they answered the call by shutting down a Cincinnati passing game that absolutely torched them in 2 games last year. They allow 101 yards on the ground on 21 carries, an average of 4.8 yards per carry & Joe Mixon runs for 78 on 14 carries, an average of 5.6 yards per carry but they hold up in the trenches when it matters – Mixon’s longest run goes for 12 yards. Despite having some success on the ground, the secondary answers the call to help the defensive front out by stopping the Bengals passing game. Joe Burrow goes 24-35 for 217 yards & a TD pass to former TE Ravens Hayden Hurst, also throws a pick as ILB Patrick Queen picks him off after crucial drops each of the last 2 weeks. They generate somewhat a pass rush for one of the few times all season as CB Marcus Peters, ILB Josh Bynes & newcomer, OLB Jason Pierre-Paul each register a sack & they are able to also move Burrow out of the pocket on numerous occasions to disrupt the passing game, including back to back batted balls by Pierre-Paul. Peters gets his sack on WR Tyler Boyd who tries to pass on a trick play on 3rd & goal & this group rises to the challenge by stopping the Bengals on a huge 4th & goal from the 2 on the next play & force the Bengals to come away empty handed after a 15 play, 78 yard drive that eats up 8:04 on the clock in the 3rd quarter. DC Mike MacDonald’s choice to switch to a zone defense instead of the usual man to man allowed the LB’s & secondary to sit back & shadow instead of rushing the passer & having 1 on 1 matchups. Ja’Marr Chase is held to 7 catches for just 50 yards & doesn’t reach the end zone. They do allow the Bengals to march in for the go-ahead score late, but they had held them to only 10 points all game up to that point. This was type of performance that was needed by this group to right the ship @ home against a division opponent & is definitely something to build on moving forward.
Grade : B+

Special Teams : This unit showed off once again as Justin Tucker connects on all 4 of his FG attempts from 37, 58, 25 & eventually the game winning 43 yarder as he sets an NFL record of 61 consecutive game winning FGs in the 4th quarter or OT & is now 17 for 17 in his career attempts in the final minute of regulation. This is why they should of taken the points last week to take the lead because even if Buffalo tied it w/ a FG the Ravens still would have Tucker to use in OT but that’s neither here nor there. WR Devin Duvernay returns 1 kick for 15 yards,, an average of 15.0 yards per return & 1 punt for 4, an average of 4.0 yards per return. The coverage team does allow a chunk of yardage on 2 kickoffs, as RB Chris Evans returns 2 kicks for 54 yards, an average of 27.0 per return & sets Cincinnati up nicely on their first kick return of the season (29 yards) after a Tucker FG. Rookie Jordan Stout punts it away 2 times for 79 yards, an average of 39.5 yards per punt, including 2 inside the 20, as he continues to shine in his first season. Stout is picking up right where Koch left off & it’s clear that the work those 2 put in together has paid off. This group will always be the backbone of this team, it starts w/ John Harbaugh’s history as a ST Coach & extends out to the leadership of Tucker & Duvernay getting some of the young guys to play their part & help out the same way that guys like Co-Cap (Anthony Levine) & Jordan Richards & so forth in the past. Opportunities are there for the young guys to earn their playing time & carve out a niche for themselves, it all depends on who takes advantage of the opportunity. This group was the reason for this win as the coaching staff finally allowed them to influence the outcome by using the best Kicker in the league & ignoring the analytics. Overall, a great performance once again & the first time this season that this group was called upon to put their stamp on the game.
Grade : A+

Coaching – HC John Harbaugh finally listened to the critics & took the points which was the main reason why this team won instead of letting a win slip through their grasp again. The entire coaching staff was ready from the beginning & had a plan to attack a team that took them to the wood shed last season, switching up schemes & sticking to what was working, they also made adjustments mid-game which was something they had struggled to do all season. For once, this team out coached their opponent, instead of relying on pure talent & the Lamar show to get them by. There was a definite sense of urgency to snap a 5-game home losing streak & win under the lights as they tried to bounce back from last week. Coach Harbaugh is now 19-2 in prime-time games, that’s a stat that tells you he has been very good at getting this team ready to go on Sunday nights & driving home the message that gets them to go out & deliver on prime-time. It also makes you wonder why this team can’t get the same energy from him on a week to week basis & why it takes a Sunday night game to be almost unbeatable no matter who the opponent is. Greg Roman leaned on his ground attack & played to his offenses strength, while using the running game, especially by putting the ball in Lamar’s hands w/ the game on the line. Mike MacDonald made the necessary adjustments to stop a high powered offense in a must win game & John Harbaugh put his ego aside enough to do what it took to come away w/ a win. When this coaching staff actually applies pressure to the opposition & makes the adjustments that they need to make they can elevate this team to a level where they can play w/ anybody but the problem has been too much inconsistency week in & week out. If they can take this momentum into next week & continue to build on it, they can get this team to reach it’s full level of success. Hopefully this was the start to this entire staff getting on the same page & knowing what to do when the going gets tough.
Grade : A-

Overall Grade : B+
🏈🏈🏈
GO RAVENS!!
#BouncingBack

The O’s drop 2 out of 3 to Toronto but still earn another win after securing a winning season in the Bronx on Sunday, they get to end the season in front of their fans who give them a standing ovation after the last out is recorded.

Game 1 : Blue Jays 5, Orioles 1 (8 innings) – Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homers, Jose Berrios pitches 6 strong innings in a Playoff tune-up & the Blue Jays beat the Orioles to clinch the #1 Wild Card spot in the AL in a rain shortened Monday night in Baltimore. Whit Merrifield singles to score Teoscar Hernandez & Matt Chapman in the 1st against O’s starter Dean Kremer & Guerrero Jr. hits a solo shot in the 3rd to add on to the lead, becoming just the 4th player in Blue Jays history to hit at least 32 or more HR’s at age 24 or younger. Anthony Santander accounts for the lone Orioles run w/ a solo homer in the 3rd off of Berrios who allows 1 run on 3 hits, strikes out 5, walks 3 in 6 innings of work. Merrifield scores on a wild pitch by Kremer in the 5th, he goes 3-3 w/ a walk, drives in 2 & scores a run for Toronto in the win. Kremer goes 6 innings, he allows 4 runs but only 3 earned on 6 hits, he strikes out 4 & walks 1, he ends the season w/ a 3.21 ERA in 21 starts. Keegan Akin works a scoreless 7th in relief of Kremer but Matt Chapman singles home a run off of reliever Yennier Cano to add the final Toronto run of the night in the 8th before play is halted due to rain w/ the Blue Jays still batting & called after a 55 minute delay. Tim Mayza earns the save after coming on relief of Berrios in the 7th. Jorge Mateo steals his AL league-leading 35th base, 1 ahead of teammate, Cedric Mullins in the loss for Baltimore. Toronto has won 6 of their last 8 against the Orioles, they have also won 4 straight as they tune up for the Playoffs & will look to win the Series tommorow night before closing it out on Wednesday. Baltimore loses for the 3rd time in their last 6 games & is 2-6 in their last 8 games against the Blue Jays, they only need 1 more win for a 31 game improvement from last season when they went 52-110.

Tor (91-69) Bal (82-78)

WP : Berrios (12-7)
LP : Kremer (8-7)
S : Mayza (2)

(DH Game 1) Game 2 : Orioles 5, Blue Jays 4 – Mike Baumann pitches into the 6th inning, Terrin Vavra hits his first career homer in the 8th as the Orioles rally to take the lead in the first game of a doubleheader on the last day of the season & they hang on to beat the Blue Jays. The Jays take the early lead against Baumann as Rookie Otto Lopez singles to score fellow Rookie Gabriel Moreno in the 2nd & Moreno hits a 3-run shot off of Baumann to knock him out of the game in the 6th, it’s the first career HR for Moreno. Baumann allows 4 runs on 9 hits, strikes out 4 & walks 1 in 5 1/3 innings. Trevor Richards opens for Toronto & goes 1 inning before Adam Cimber, Yimi Garcia & Jordan Romano each pitch an inning in relief & the Orioles start their rally in the bottom of the 6th, showing they still have 1 last rally in them. Austin Hays doubles to score Rookie Gunnar Henderson & Anthony Santander to cut the lead in half against reliever Mitch White & the Rookie, Vavra launches a 3-run shot off of White in the 8th to give the O’s the lead for good. White allows 5 runs on 7 hits in just 4 innings, he strikes out 4 & walks 1. DL Hall pitches the 8th, allowing 2 hits & strikes out 2 & Bryan Baker works the 9th to close it out for the injured Felix Bautista for his first career save. This doubleheader was scheduled after the game was rained out on Tuesday & the Blue Jays have already wrapped up the top AL Wild Card spot, while the Orioles have already clinched a winning season. Ryan Mountcastle has 3 hits for the Orioles & Lopez has 3 hits for the Blue Jays. Toronto has also clinched the #1 Wild Card spot in the AL & has nothing else to play for in the finale. Baltimore is 3-6 in their last 9 games against the Blue Jays & will look to sweep the doubleheader & win the Series in the season finale.

Bal (83-78) Tor (91-70)

WP : Hall (1-1)
LP : White (1-7)
S : Baker (1)

(DH Game 2) Game 3 : Blue Jays 5, Orioles 1 – Rookie Otto Lopez has 2 hits & drives in 2, Bradley Zimmer drives in a run & steals a base & the Blue Jays beat the Orioles in their last regular season game before a trip to the Postseason. Danny Jansen grounds into a fielders choice to score Bo Bichette & give the Blue Jays the lead against Orioles starter Spenser Watkins who goes 3 1/3 innings, allows 1 run on 2 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 2. David Phelps opens for Toronto by pitching an inning, Anthony Bass & Tim Mayza also pitch 1 scoreless inning a piece & Rookie Kyle Stowers doubles to score Jesus Aguilar & tie the game against reliever Casey Lawrence in the 6th. Lawrence goes 2 1/3, allows 1 run on 3 hits, strikes out 2 & walks 1. Lopez singles to score Moreno & Zimmer in the 7th against reliever Cionel Perez & Zimmer bloops a single to score Cavan Biggio & Moreno to push the lead to 4. Yusei Kikuchi earns the win after going 1 2/3 & Trent Thornton wraps it up w/ 2 innings of relief. Both teams combine to use 49 players in the doubleheader & Jorge Mateo finishes the regular season as the AL’s stolen base leader w/ 35, 1 ahead of teammate Cedric Mullins. Toronto goes 7-3 against the Orioles to end the season, 1 of the reasons they earned the top Wild Card spot in the AL, they will host Seattle in the Wild Card Series. Baltimore draws 1,365,900 at Camden Yards this season, it’s highest season total since 2018 & the entire Orioles team recieves a standing ovation from the home crowd after the final out was recorded..

Tor (92-70) Bal (83-79)

WP : Kikuchi (6-7)
LP : Cano (1-1)

Baltimore closes out an Omazing 2022 season @ home in front of their Omazing fans after going 43-38 @ Camden Yards, proving to this fan base that the future is very bright & they should be excited for 2023.
⚾️⚾️⚾️
GO O’S!!
#SeeYouNextSeason

The Orioles take 2 out of 3 from the Yankees in the Bronx & fail to allow a record breaking Aaron Judge HR in the process as they win the Series to assure themselves of a winning season for the first time in the last 6 years while Aaron Judge & the Yankees have to wait to make history.

Game 1 : Orioles 2, Yankees 1 : Aaron Judge goes 1-2 w/ 2 walks & in his quest for HR #62, Ryan Mountcastle singles home a run & Jordan Lyles goes 7 strong as the Orioles beat the Yankees in the opener of their final 3-game Series against New York. Mountcastle singles home Cedric Mullins in the 1st against Yankees starter Domingo German as the Orioles grab the early lead & Lyles makes it stand up as he goes 4 scoreless before allowing a solo shot to Rookie Oswaldo Cabrera to tie it in the 5th, he allows 1 run on 4 hits, strikes out 9 to tie his season-high & walks just 1 in his 7 innings of work, as he also ties his career high in wins w/ 12. The game remains tied until the 6th when Rookie Adley Rutschman leads off w/ a walk against German & scores on a wild pitch by former Oriole reliever Zach Britton who departs due to arm fatigue after coming off of Tommy John surgery last season. German goes 5 1/3, allows 2 runs on just 3 hits, strikes out 6 & walks 3.
Judge strikes out in the 1st, singles in the 3rd & walks in the 6th against Lyles & is intentionally walked in the 8th by closer Felix Bautista who works the 8th before giving way to Rookie DL Hall who works a perfect 9th to close it out for his 1st career save. Judge, who is also in the mix for the 1st Triple Crown since Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012 leads in almost every category but trials only Luis Arraez of Minnesota in batting average. Giancarlo Stanton goes 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts & is 1 for 21 w/ 13 strikeouts in his last 5 games. He is hitting .140 in 100 at-bats since returning August 25 from being out a month w/ left Achilles tendinitis. New York loses for just the 2nd time in their last 10 games as they prepare for another October run but w/ only 6 games to play, Aaron Judge still sits 1 HR shy of the record. Baltimore snaps a 3-game losing streak but is eliminated from Playoff contention a few hours later as Seattle beats Oakland on a walk-off from C Cal Raleigh. The Orioles assured they will stop a streak of 5 consecutive losing seasons though, after going 52-110 last season, they have now won their 81st game to guarantee at least a .500 season.

Bal (81-76) NYY (96-60)

WP : Lyles (12-11)
LP : German (2-4)
S : Hall (1)

Game 2 : Yankees 8, Orioles 0 – Aaron Judge remains stuck on 61 HR’s as he goes 0-2 w/ 2 walks & is hit by a pitch but Giancarlo Stanton & Kyle Higashioka homer for the Yankees & All-Star Nestor Cortes pitches 7+ shutout innings to beat the Orioles who were eliminated from Playoff contention the night before. Judge is hit by a pitch from O’s starter Austin Voth in the 1st, walks in the 2nd, strikes out on a 3-2 curveball in the 4th at the exact time that Roger Maris broke the record (2:43 pm) in the old Yankee stadium across the street. Gleyber Torres doubles home Anthony Rizzo in the 1st, scores on a sac fly by Josh Donaldson & Stanton launches a solo shot off of Voth in a 3-run 1st inning. Higashioka hits a solo shot off off of Voth in the 2nd, 1 of 3 hits on the day to make it a 4-run lead & Voth then departs after 5 innings of work. He allows 4 runs on 7 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 2. Judge walks to lead off the 7th against Watkins & scores on a single by Torres who drives in 2 & scores twice including coming around to score along w/ Rizzo on a 2-run single by Donaldson who drives in 2 & scores on a single by Harrison Bader in a 4-run New York 7th. Watkins allows 4 runs on 7 hits in 3 innings of work, he strikes out 2 & walks 1. Cortes is on his game all day, he goes 7 1/3 shutout innings, allowing just 1 hit, ties his career-high w/ 12 strikeouts & walks 2 on the day – he departs after striking out Cedric Mullins swinging & is replaced by the newly acquired Jacob Barnes who allows 2 hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief in his Yankees debut. The lone hit allowed by Cortes is a single by Jorge Mateo w/ 2 outs in the 5th. New York pitches it’s 16th shutout of the season, it’s most since 1998 & wins it’s 57th game @ home this season, they are 9-2 in their last 11 games & now have 5 games for Aaron Judge to break the HR record. Baltimore loses for the 8th time in their last 13 & hasn’t won a Series since September 4. They are just playing out the string after being eliminated from Playoff contention the night before but have still assured themselves a non-losing season for the first time in 6 years.

NYY (97-60) Bal (81-77)

WP : Cortes (12-4)
LP : Voth (5-4)

Game 3 : Orioles 3, Yankees 1 – Aaron Judge is denied once again as he goes homerless for the 3rd game in a row, going 0-3 w/ a walk & 3 strikeouts as the Orioles beat the Yankees to win the Series & assure themselves of a winning season. Judge will have to go on the road to break the single-season HR record as Kyle Bradish tosses 5 solid innings & strikes out Judge in the 1st, strikes him out w/ the bases loaded in the 2nd & then walks him in the 5th, one of 5 walks on the day for Bradish who allows 1 run on 3 hits & strikes out 5. Ryan Mountcastle doubles to score Rookie Adley Rutschman in the 1st off of Yankees starter Chi-Chi Gonzalez who allows 1 run on 4 hits, strikes out 3 & walks 3 in his Yankees debut. On his 33rd Birthday, Aaron Hicks scores on a wild pitch & a throwing error by Rutschman in the 5th to tie it & then both teams pitch their way into the 8th all tied up. Rookie Gunnar Henderson walks w/ the bases loaded against reliever Aroldis Chapman to score Cedric Mullins & give the O’s the lead for good & then Austin Hays adds a sac fly to score Rutschman in a 2-run 8th inning. Chapman allows 2 runs on 1 hit as he walks 3 & strikes out 1 in only 1/3 of an inning. Chapman has walked 28 in 35 1/3 innings & his Playoff roster spot might be in jeopardy. Logan Gillaspie works a scoreless 6th to earn his first major-league win & Bryan Baker goes 2 scoreless, striking out 5 of the 6 outs he records before Dillon Tate comes on to close out the last Series of the season in New York. Judge is 1-7 w/ 6 strikeouts & 5 walks & been hit by a pitch since tying the HR record in Toronto on Wednesday night. Baltimore wins their 1st Series since September 3 & guarantees itself a winning season for the first time since 2016. They go 38-43 on the road, up from 20-61 in 2021. They have now won 30 more games then they did last season, becoming the third team team to have a winning record one season after losing 110 games, joining the 1890 Louisville Colonels & the 1899 St. Louis Perfectos. New York finishes 57-24 @ home, the most wins ever in new Yankee Stadium. They are still 9-3 in their last 12 games but 2 of those losses have come to the Orioles who do not allow history to be made at their expense & Aaron Judge will now have to take his act on the road, he has 4 games to hit 1 HR.

Bal (82-77) NYY (97-61)

WP : Gillaspie (1-0)
LP : Chapman (3-4)
S : Tate (5)

Baltimore wins 2 out of 3 in the Bronx to finish strong, they have assured themselves of a winning season despite being eliminated & still have some pride to play for. They now return home for the final 3 games of the season to host Toronto & will look to finish strong & end this “Omazing” season on a high note.
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GO O’S!!
#GoingDownSwinging