Report Card: Ravens’ Latest Loss Emblematic of Lost Season

The Ravens continued on their frustrating path of a frustrating season with a frustrating performance that puts their frustrating playoff dreams on life support.

Pretty frustrating.

Once again, we saw questionable decisions, sloppy ball security, a new injury to the franchise quarterback and excruciating periods of defensive football that offsets strong play the majority of the time on the side of the ball.

Let’s look at the grades:

Offense Overall: B-

They averaged 6.1 yards per play, ran for 171 yards and went 16-20 through the air with no interceptions. They were also 7-11 on third downs and only allowed one sack. And, while we’re at it, they managed a scoring drive every quarter, playing two quarterbacks. So, how is this only a B-? Two incredibly costly fumbles, one that prevented the team from jumping out to an early two-possession lead that could have changed the fabric of the rest of the game, and the other when attempting a final 2:00 drive to possibly take the lead. Frustrating stuff.

Quarterbacks: B+

Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley combined to go 16-20 for 159 yards. Jackson looked sharp early, going 7-10 for 101 yards, and showing a great early connection with Zay Flowers. He also drilled a nice 18-yarder to Charlie Kolar, and threw a beautiful pass to DeAndre Hopkins that the veteran receiver uncharacteristically dropped. Tyler Huntley was good, and stood out in particular on a nice sideline pass to Hopkins in the third quarter, and another big-time throw to Hopkins on third-and-six in the fourth quarter. Both quarterbacks were pretty sharp.

Running Backs: B-

Derrick Henry’s fumble was brutal, giving up the ball after converting a first down in New England territory with the Ravens already holding a 7-0 lead. But he was terrific outside of that, rushing for 128 yards on 18 carries and scoring two touchdowns. He looked fast all day, and was patient in picking his spots while running parallel to the line a few times. Keaton Mitchell struggled all game, only getting 13 yards on his nine carries and suffering some big losses. Patrick Ricard laid the hammer on several big runs, including Henry’s 23-yard third-quarter burst. Rasheen Ali lost five yards on one catch and totaled two yards on his two catches.

Receivers: C

Flowers, like Henry, had a great game outside of a costly fumble. He caught all seven of his targets for 84 yards, had an 18-yard touchdown run and looked like the best player on the field before Jackson went out at the end of the first half. Hopkins was active, brought in a brilliant catch along the sideline in the third quarter that was originally ruled incomplete. Kolar had that nice catch-and-run in the second quarter, and Andrews had one for 18 in the first quarter. Andrews also had one of the biggest head-scratchers when he attempted to lateral a ball at the end of the first half that was recovered by the Patriots, but ruled a forward pass, but it was wiped out by offsetting penalties and… it was a weird scene, man. Isaiah Likely had a false start on a third-and-one in the third quarter, but later made up for it with a violent block on Flowers’ touchdown run. Rashod Bateman has joined Likely in the “Why-isn’t-he-making-more-plays-this-season?” club.

Offensive Line: B

This unit was largely good out there. Tyler Linderbaum was hitting the second level all game, and Ronnie Stanley seemed good, as well. The two combined for big blocks on Flowers’ touchdown run. Daniel Faalele and Roger Rosengarten helped spring Henry’s 21-yard touchdown to open the game. The two later seemed to miss blocks on the third-quarter sack, along with Andrew Vorhees. Emery Jones looked decent filling in for Vorhees after the starter was injured. The run-blocking has improved a ton these past few games. It’s a shame it didn’t click earlier this season.

Defense Overall: D+

It honestly wasn’t all bad, and a lot of the credit for what happened tonight should go to Drake Maye and company. But they gave up 453 yards in the game, and 15 points in the fourth quarter. Again, they struggled to get a rush with only four defenders, and Stephon Diggs, Mack Hollins and Hunter Henry found way too many easy spots for receptions. They did force two fumbles and had three sacks on defense, but there were just too many mistakes, and not enough pressure on such a talented quarterback.

Defensive Line: D+

That lack of consistent pass-rush falls on the front, and that’s been a consistent refrain all season. For the most part, they did well against the run, outside of the 21-yarder by Rhamondre Stevenson and Maye’s 16-yarder to wrap things up. Dre’Mont Jones picked up another sack and recovered a fumble in the second quarter. Travis Jones had a few pressures, as did Mike Green, but nothing consistent enough. Kyle Van Noy broke up a third-and-1 in the first quarter and chased Maye a few times.

Linebackers: B-

Roquan Smith had 10 tackles, including eight solo. Trenton Simpson added seven total, six solo, a sack and two tackles for loss. Both got beaten a few times in the pass game, but nothing egregious. They were solid.

Defensive Backs: D

Marlon Humphrey had a huge red-zone interception, but got beaten on several other plays, including the fourth-quarter strike by Maye to Kyle Williams. He also got away with a wild pass interference when he tackled a receiver in the fourth quarter. Alohi Gilman got beaten down the seam for 26 early in the second quarter, and whiffed on a few tackles, including a 23-yarder by Stephenson in the third quarter. Nate Wiggins had a great pass break-up on third down in the third quarter, and nearly had a pick with about 3:00 left. He also got beaten by Diggs for 26 in the first quarter. Ar’Darius Washington forced a fumble at the end of the first half, and forced an incompletion on third-and-10 with his pass rush. He did get beaten by Diggs on that fourth-and-two late in the game. Kyle Hamilton had five tackles, including blowing up a run in the second quarter, and had a diving pass break-up in the third quarter.

Special Teams: B

They sniffed out a fake punt late in the third quarter, which could have been a huge play if the Ravens won this one. Tyler Loop came up short on a 56-yard attempt in the third quarter, but was good the rest of the game. Jordan Stout had two decent punts that weren’t returned, including pinning the Patriots at their own 7 with five minutes left. LaJohntay Wester had a nifty-11 yard punt return in the third quarter, and Rasheen Ali did a nice job on a 29-yard kick return.

Coaching: D

The offense was buzzing early until Henry’s fumble, and then I wasn’t a huge fan of a lot that happened after that. The outside zone did seem effective with Henry, but they took the ball out of his hands at big moments, and seem to be saving his legs for… what? Next year? Nobody wants to see them take Mitchell out of the game plan, but Henry’s the top dog, and has been rolling the last few weeks, but can’t get 20 carries in a season-defining game? Late in the third quarter, the Patriots are facing a third-and-15 and the Ravens run a weirdly soft zone that saw them pick it up far too easily. In the same drive, on a third-and-10, the Ravens blitzed, and Washington forced an incompletion with pressure. It’s obvious the Ravens need help to generate a pass rush this year. Give it help. The challenge on Hopkins’ catch was the right decision, and the Mark Andrews tush-push worked, so… yay?

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Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2025/12/22/report-card/lost-season/