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The Good, Bad & Ugly: Lamar is Spectacular in Tampa

Tuesday, October 22, 2024 14:13
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Lamar Jackson earns the Paige Spiranac Award in Tampa

The Ravens beat the Bucs 41-31 in Tampa on Monday Night Football. The Ravens now own a (14-7) record on MNF under head coach John Harbaugh, including (11-6) on the road. Not a misprint! Seventeen of the Ravens 21 MNF games since 2008 have been roadies. In other words, 19% of MNF games have been at The Bank. For the conspiracy theorists who gobble up such things as proof that the league has it in for the Ravens, this stat is the equivalent of an all-you-can-eat at the Golden Corral buffet.

Be that as it may, this Monday Night Football game was undoubtedly the Lamar Jackson show. More on the NFL’s clubhouse leader for MVP in a few minutes, but for now, the most important outcome of last night’s game is that the Ravens keep pace with the Steelers at (5-2) for a share of the lead in the AFC North. And the Ravens get the dub on the backs of their offense:

• 508 total yards of offense including 264 passing and 244 rushing

• The 2024 Ravens become the fourth team since 1980 (also 1984 Bears, 2006 Falcons and 2019 Ravens) to reach 1,400 rushing yards through seven games of a season.

• The Ravens have rushed for at least 100 yards in 40 consecutive games, marking the third-longest such streak by a team in NFL history. Only the 2018-21 Ravens (43 consecutive games) and 1974-77 Pittsburgh Steelers (43) have longer such streaks.

• A mind blowing 9.4 yards per play and 8.1 yards per rush (30 attempts)

At the end of the day, these are all just numbers, albeit digits that contributed to a big win. But as Bill Belichick once said:

“Stats are for losers. The final score is for winners.”

By midway through the third quarter, this game was never in doubt. But that defense, that Ravens defense which reminds me of the unit that once took the field back in old Memorial Stadium, is about as good at closing games as the modern-day version of Craig Kimbrel. They are as dependable as an umbrella during a hurricane, as sturdy as a Hershey bar on a dashboard in July.

Simply put, the Ravens defense as it stands today, is owner Steve Bisciotti’s red-headed stepchild; the Cinderella without the glass slipper; Clark Kent without the phone booth. Something needs to change if the Ravens plan on being something more than regular season juggernauts and postseason disappointments.

But there’s time. Until then…

THE GOOD

Offense

The Ravens are averaging more yards per play (7.2) than any offense has averaged in a single season since at least 2000, per TruMedia. Their 9.4 yards per play in this game is the most by any team this season…Save for a few holding penalties and a blown assignment by Roger Rosengarten early in the game leading to a sack of Lamar Jackson, the offensive line as a unit, played well, particularly Ronnie Stanley and Tyler Linderbaum. I’d love to have been a fly on the wall during that difficult offseason conversation between Stanley and GM Eric DeCosta but whatever was said, it worked. If Ronnie’s passion for the game has been rekindled, it might be time to ink him up for an extension before he hits the market in March as an unrestricted free agent.

Many wondered if Derrick Henry was hurt given his first half workload (4 carries, 23 yards) Maybe it was due to down and distance situations. Maybe it was all part of the plan – that is to keep Henry fresh for the second half. Maybe it was all about personnel groupings intended to counter the chess moves by Bucs’ head coach Todd Bowles. Whatever the reason, The King more than made up for it after intermission. He carried it 11 times for 146 yards in the second half including an 81-yard gallop from the Ravens 8-yard line with the Ravens leading 27-10. This was Henry’s second 80-plus yard rush of the year (also 85-yarder vs. Buffalo), making Henry the league’s first player since 2019 (Damien Williams, KC) to record multiple rushes of at least 80 yards in a single season. The acquisition of Henry is now being compared to the Patriots bringing in Randy Moss in 2007.

And there’s more:

• Henry posted his third 150-yard rushing outing of 2024, tying RB Jamal Lewis (three in 2003) for the most games reaching the mark in Ravens single-season history.

• Henry is now the second player in NFL history (Eric Dickerson, 1983, LAR) to notch at least 800 rushing yards and 10 total TDs in his first seven games with a franchise. On Monday he collected Lamar’s fifth TD pass. He is also on pace to break Dickerson’s single season rushing mark (2,105). If Henry keeps up this pace, he’ll run for 2,120 yards over the course of 17 games. The King is just 127 yards shy of 1,000 yards this season.

Side Bar

This guy, La Canfora. Listen to him. Listen to him closely. He has a unique ability to increase your net worth. Whether it’s breaking news on Zach Orr’s press conference in 2017 to announce a contract extension (he actually announced his retirement); John Harbaugh and the Ravens parting of ways in 2018 (he eventually received a rich extension); Kyle Hamilton being a 2022 draft bust (he was a 2023 All Pro); and Derek Henry not being the right fit in Baltimore – listen, just listen…and then bet the opposite.

Justice Hill continues to show his value to the Ravens. He just does so many little things – the blocking; the tough yards; making something out of a play that shows no promise to get Justin Tucker into field goal position; a 37-yard kickoff return to start the 3rd quarter; an 18-yard TD reception on a well-designed screen following a holding penalty that negated a TD run; a willing and capable blocker in pass pro; Hill just does it all.

• Hill recorded 3 receptions for 44 yards and 1 TD.
• His 215 receiving yards and 2 receiving TDs this season each mark a career high.

Rashod Bateman had a big game with two explosive plays including a 49-yard reception for a score. He totaled 121 yards on 4 catches during the night.

Bateman’s ascent is great to see, and his performance has validated the club’s belief in him. He regularly creates separation the way he glides in and out of breaks. He sold the corner on a boundary targeted route with his head movements and then turned up field to complete the play. A master class at route running.

Mark Andrews had 4 grabs for 41 yards including two red zone scores. The Browns will dial into that film and invest resources to neutralize Andrews. And then Lamar will look for Isaiah Likely or Charlie Kolar who by the way, made a nice catch at the end of the first quarter to jump start the Ravens first scoring drive plus he had a key block to spring Henry’s big jaunt. With his first TD, a 9-yard grab to cap a 70-yard scoring drive, Andrews surpassed TE Todd Heap for the most TD receptions (42) by any player in franchise history.

Defense

Roquan Smith had 18 tackles and Trenton Simpson added 8. The ILB tandem were decent in run defense but the confusion that the Bucs created with Rachaad White out of the backfield must at least in part fall on their shoulders. White had 6 catches for 71 yards and 2 touchdowns. The tackle totals are impressive but let’s not forget that the Bucs ran 78 plays to the Ravens 54. That said, Kyle Van Noy, Odafe Oweh and Nnamdi Madubuike all provided plus efforts in Tampa.

Marlon Humphrey was the defensive MVP. Tampa was at the Ravens 3-yard line facing a 2nd-and-goal leading 10-7. Baker Mayfield had so much time he could have placed an order on his Door Dash app for a Porterhouse from Bern’s Steak House, had it delivered and eaten half of it, before the Ravens got to him. Yet he tried to force it into the back right corner of the end zone – and there was Marlo, for the first of two picks. Humphrey has had a terrific season so far. Hopefully his knee injury isn’t serious.

Kyle Hamilton was very physical in the secondary, chipping in with 11 tackles and a PD…Ar’Darius Washington had 6 tackles, a sack and nearly had an INT. But once again, he did his best Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran impersonation…The Ravens had 3 sacks and I suppose that’s ok, but let’s keep in mind that Baker Mayfield dropped back to throw 53 times – 45 attempts, 3 sacks and 5 scrambles. So, let’s not get too excited about the number.

Special Teams

Let’s give Chris Collier his flowers for a nice 35-yard kick return…Justin Tucker seems to have shaken off his early season slump, crushing a 52-yarder in Q3 to move the Ravens to a 20-10 lead. Tucker has now connected on 60 FGA from at least 50 yards out.

THE BAD

Offense

I’ll nitpick here a bit. The offense had 4 holding penalties. Three were real. One on Stanley and two on Patrick Mekari. Faalele was flagged and shouldn’t have been (see below). I’ll give him a pass on that one and instead admire his movement out in space. The laundry cost Lamar a rushing TD but the offense recovered on the next play during the TD screen to Hill…Patrick Ricard dropped a pass over the middle and it would have been fun to see him catch it and go. He had open real estate to navigate and just the thought of him taking on a safety could have been an epic Angry Run highlight.

Defense

Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson should be forced to pay for PSL’s. They have the best seats in the house and the cleanest uniforms on the field as they enjoy their perch from afar.

[Related Article: Ravens Report Card v. Tampa]

THE UGLY

Offense

Leading 14-10, the Ravens had a first-and-goal from the Bucs 8 with 40 seconds left in the first half. After a couple of failed plays, a holding call and an offensive pass interference, the Ravens looked at 2nd-and-goal from the THIRTY-EIGHT with 19 seconds left. The penalties need to be reeled in. The split responsibility for this stat (9 penalties, 85 yards) is shared by the offense and defense…Leading 34-10 in the 4th quarter the Ravens called on a backwards pass to Zay Flowers. Perhaps that wasn’t the call, and just poorly executed. The ball was poorly thrown by Lamar and Zay Flowers failed to corral the errant toss. It resulted in the Ravens only turnover. Arguably Monken’s only mistake of the night.

Defense

The Bucs ran 78 plays, gaining 481 net yards, 356 by air against a team that Zach Orr and his squad KNEW had to throw the football. The ongoing communication issues in their pass defense represents a huge problem. The Ravens can’t cover a tight end or a running back at all. Williams and Jackson couldn’t cover a corpse with a blanket. Let’s not sugar coat how bad they are in pass coverage by saying they’ve faced the league’s best QBs on their way to the basement of pass defenses. They stink and until it’s fixed, the Ravens, despite all the hype, are NOT the league’s best team…Tampa was 11 of 17 on third down, possessing the ball for 35:05.

Lamar and The King certainly can relate to the collective frustration of #RavensFlock with the team’s defense.

Special Teams

There have been 19 attempted onsides kicks this season. Only two have been successful. Both against the Ravens.

COACHING

Todd Monken

Monken and his quarterback are in lockstep. Sympatico. Of like mind. Take away the run, they’ll beat you with play action. Blitz, and they’ll kill you with slants or screens. The execution of that screen to Hill was absolute perfection. Hill’s timing when he slipped out from pass pro was done with razor precision and Lamar hit him perfectly. All Hill needed to do was to jump on the back of that convoy and go.

Short route, intermediate, long, outside or between the numbers; running outside or inside – doesn’t matter. The Ravens have the personnel to beat any defense by employing the proper personnel to manipulate weaknesses. And Monken, at the control panel, is pressing all the right buttons.

Zach Orr

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about Todd’s counterpart, Zach. Monday’s game was the 7th of the season. The personnel is very similar to that of 2023 when the team set defensive records. Yet they are a mess. They are the Land of Confusion. During his first season as defensive coordinator, Mike Macdonald had his fair share of bad games. But eventually, he adjusted and figured it out. Maybe Orr will come around albeit at a slower pace. Maybe Macdonald’s development was helped along by a better staff of defensive assistants. But they must improve if they are going to be a winning team when the elements affect the quality of offensive play. They just can’t keep relying on the offense to bail them out.

During Tampa’s first offensive series, the Ravens got caught up in a Cover 2. Tampa sent Sterling Shepard in motion and when he got to the left slot, he ran a go route to challenge Marcus Williams. The route took Williams out of the play, preventing him from providing the over-the-top support that Brandon Stephens was expecting. Stephens stayed in his outside zone while Evans broke wide open for the 25-yard TD. The Ravens can expect to see more of that and at this point, there’s no reason to think that it won’t be successful.

How are things improving so far Uncle Dean Pees?

John Harbaugh

This game felt like it could slip away early but credit to the Ravens for keeping it together and then rallying for 34 unanswered points. As the team’s skipper, Harbaugh deserves some credit for that.

THE PAIGE SPIRANAC AWARD

Is there any doubt that Lamar Jackson was the game’s best player? He is sure to get the Offensive Player of the Week and if memory serves me correctly, that will make four consecutive for a Ravens offensive player. Let’s review this epic performance by Lamar.

• Completed 17-of-22 passes for 281 yards and a season best in passing TDs (5) and passer rating (158.1).
• 9 rushes for 52 yards.
• He’s now 18-5 as a starter in primetime which ranks him No. 1 in NFL history (min. 10 QB starts).
• He improved to 6-2 on Monday Night Football, including 5-1 on the road
• 23-1 record in non-conference starts, including 3-0 against Tampa, ranking No. 1 among QBs in NFL history.

Here’s a condensed look at the Ravens human highlight reel:

And if he someday fails as a QB, maybe Lamar can become an All Pro pulling guard:

ODDS & ENDS

Joe Flacco was one of the guests on last night’s Manning Cast and here’s something that he shared that rubbed me the wrong way. What about you?

That said, this bit was cute, yet it is one of the reasons that I can’t watch Ravens Monday Night games on ESPN2. Maybe I’m a little too dialed in and the humor is lost on me when Mayfield is chucking it all over the yard in the second half alone to the tune of 237 yards. But in retrospect, I can manage a smile…a little.

John Harbaugh is a lot of things and some of those things can drive us all batshit crazy. But another of the things he is a good, good man and regardless of what he does on the sidelines, I admire his human quality.

Ed Reed was another guest on Manning Cast and the things he said had me speculating on whether or not there was tobacco in his cigar.

If the Manning brothers invite him back, maybe they could get a little sponsor support from Cheech & Chong and their popular gummies.

Next up, the (1-6) Cleveland Browns along the shores of Lake Erie.

The Ravens are currently listed at 10 ½ point favorites.

The post The Good, Bad & Ugly: Lamar is Spectacular in Tampa appeared first on Russell Street Report.


Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2024/10/22/gbu-paige-spiranac/tampa-falls-to-ravens/


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