Jackson Explodes in the Passing Game

Lamar Jackson put on an absolute clinic Monday night inside Raymond James Stadium, as the Ravens took care of business against the Buccaneers. After a rocky opening drive, Jackson and company locked in for what would become a dominant performance from the offense. Tampa elected to blitz Jackson often from the slot, something Todd Bowles has shown a willingness to throw Lamar’s way in the past. Lamar had no problems against the pressure, going 11/15 for 166 YDS and 3 TDs. Jackson ranks 2nd in success rate against the blitz (63.2%) sitting behind just Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (65.1%).

After Zay Flowers went down early with an ankle injury, the Ravens offense didn’t lose their spark. Jackson spread the ball around to eight different receivers for 281 yards, his third straight game of over 250 yards through the air and only the third time in his career to accomplish the feat (2019, 2021). It was a limited first half for Derrick Henry, giving way to Justice Hill to continue what’s been a career season for him. Hill has remained a reliable check-down for Jackson, topping the 40-yard mark in receiving for the third time this season and finding the end zone for a career-high second receiving touchdown this season. It was also a career day for Rashod Bateman, who’s dealt with nothing but roadblocks early on in his NFL career. Ravens fans have waited to see Bateman more involved in the game plan, and they got their wish, as the fourth-year pass catcher hauled in a career-high 121 YDS and a touchdown.

The milestones and accomplishments wouldn’t stop there though. After a slow start to the 2024 season, tight end Mark Andrews has seemed to find his game again. The three-time Pro Bowler became the Ravens all-time leader in receiving touchdowns, snagging his record-breaking 42nd as well as his 43rd for his first multi-touchdown game of the season.  Jackson improved to 18-5 in primetime and 23-1 against NFC opponents, a stat that gets more impressive as it grows. The Ravens have now made it five straight wins, taking over possession of first place in the AFC North. Lamar Jackson is playing at an all-time level right now, and has officially jumped up in the MVP odds following Monday night’s win.

With three straight opponents under .500 on the schedule, the Ravens look to continue this level of play, with Cleveland upcoming on the docket.

Baker and the Bucs Lose More than the Game

Monday night featured the Buccaneers’ first home game at Raymond James Stadium following Hurricane Milton just a few weeks ago. Tampa Bay entered Week 7 looking to continue the momentum gained from their 51-27 win a week prior over the Saints. From the first few plays, Tampa Bay looked as if they hadn’t missed a step, driving down the field and finding the end zone just 4:33 into the game. Taking a 10-0 lead into the 2nd quarter, Tampa’s offense was looking to find pay dirt one more time, and potentially rip away any hope the Ravens had.

However, following the early lead for the Bucs, everything seemed to just fall apart right in front of them. Mike Evans entered the game with questions surrounding his availability, after landing on the injury report with a hamstring injury earlier in the week. On a shot to the end zone for the future Hall of Fame wideout, Evans re-aggravated his hamstring, resulting in him exiting the contest and not returning. Mayfield would follow Evans’ exit with interceptions to Marlon Humphrey on back-to-back drives, Marlo’s first career multi-interception game.

It took a late surge of points in the 4th quarter to get the Buccaneers back to a respectable deficit, following 34 unanswered points from the Ravens. However, on the Bucs’ final drive, things would take a turn for the absolute worst for Mayfield and his receiver corps. The league’s leader in receptions entering Week 7, Chris Godwin, suffered a gruesome ankle injury in garbage time, leaving the game on the cart while in an air cast.

The loss drops Tampa to 4-3, but the personnel losses could spell even more trouble for one of the league’s top passing attacks.

Look Around the AFC North

The Bengals were on the road Sunday in Cleveland for the Battle of Ohio against the Browns. There wasn’t a lot to write home about in regard to Joe Burrow’s performance. Cleveland threw a lot of zone coverage at Burrow (82.1% of his dropbacks) leading to a heavy emphasis on the short passing game. He didn’t spread the ball out much, connecting on passes with just two wide receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Sunday’s 181 passing yards is the second-lowest in a game from Burrow this season, and his second straight game under 225 yards through the air. Despite the low yardage, Burrow was able to find his star receiver duo for a TD each after being held to zero TDs through the air last week. Cincinnati walked out of the Dawg Pound with a win, and their first winning streak of the season. However, injuries to key players on both sides of the ball leave you wondering how much longer their underwhelming play can keep their season alive.

Justin Fields may have gotten the Steelers to a 4-2 start to the season, but Head Coach Mike Tomlin ultimately decided to switch to veteran Russell Wilson. The 35-year-old won the job in training camp this year before going down with a calf strain just before Week 1. The head-scratching decision stirred plenty of storylines ahead of the Steelers Sunday night battle with the Jets. It was a rough start for Wilson as he took the field for the first time since Week 16 of last season. Three points followed by three straight threes-and-out left Wilson jogging off the field to a stadium filled with boos as the punt team took over. It wouldn’t take long after that for the Steelers faithful to flip their feelings towards their new quarterback. Following the hiccups on their opening drives, Wilson and the Steelers put points on the board including a TD pass to George Pickens on two of their final three drives of the first half. It’d wind up another win for Pittsburgh as they move to 5-2, putting up their highest point total of the season in a 37-15 victory. Pittsburgh appears to be a team to truly keep an eye on as the weeks progress.

As if things couldn’t get any worse in Cleveland, how about trading your star wideout for a bag of chips, and watching your $230 million-dollar quarterback’s Achilles rupture on a non-contact play, all in a matter of a week? Nothing seems to be going Cleveland’s way, as injuries and losses continue to stack for a team that had so much hope entering 2024. The Browns got some looks at both their backups following the Watson injury. Second-year quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson struggled, throwing two interceptions and completing just 11 passes on 24 attempts. Offseason signing Jameis Winston would eventually take over, getting his first serious look with the first-team offense this season. Winston brought some life to Cleveland, finding tight end David Njoku for a late TD pass to give the Browns a chance to work a potential comeback. The comeback hopes were short-lived, as the Browns picked up their 5th straight loss, moving them to 1-6 overall. As the trade deadline approaches, you have to wonder if a fire sale will begin in Cleveland.

Regardless, it’s time for the Browns to start taking a deep look into the 2024 QB class as this season appears more than over.

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