Ravens Fast Five: Monday Night Shootout

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Far too much drama in the 4^th quarter.

The 4th quarter started with the Ravens holding onto a comfortable 14-point lead, 34-20. It ended with the Ravens escaping with a 47-42 win. Not a typo.

Browns score, go for two, 34-28. Lamar Jackson leaves the game with reported cramps. Marquise Brown with an easy drop and a three and out. Browns score again, quickly, now lead 35-34. Trace McSorley does just enough and ends up with a knee injury prior to a 4th and 5. Lamar Jackson sprints out from the locker room. Completes a pass to Marquise Brown, catch and run for a TD. J.K. Dobbins punches in the two pointer, take back the lead 42-35. Cleveland scores in 41 seconds. Tied at 42. Jackson completes three passes to set Justin Tucker up from 55-yards away, and he continues to deliver, game winner with two seconds to spare. A fluke safety on the lateral fest in the final seconds gives Baltimore a five point win, 47-42, and half the gambling world indigestion as the line was Ravens -3, or -3.5 depending on the publication.

Writing this in the aftermath of the game. Still at a loss for words, so I figure I’d just recap what the heck just happened, because it’s still a bit unreal.

Give Justin Tucker all the money.

Too easy, on both sides.

If you are a fan of defense, this game wasn’t for you. Even before the fourth quarter started, the “over” had already been hit, and the Ravens ended up covering the over themselves. It featured the two top rushing attacks in the league, and they did not disappoint.

Ravens: 231 on the ground. Jackson accounting for 124 of them and the team scoring five of their six touchdowns on the ground.

Browns: Not quite as many yards as usual but got them when they needed them to extend drives and near the endzone. 138 yards, and four scores.

History made as the teams combined for nine rushing touchdowns, tying the league record, and it hadn’t happened in 98 years. 89 points is the most in a game this year, and is the first 47-42 final in the 101 year history of the NFL.

Odds were that Baker Mayfield may have peaked last week with his four touchdown first half explosion, on a run heavy offense, but that wasn’t the case as he racked up 343 yards on 47 attempts and two touchdowns, plus a rushing score.

The Ravens defense pension for making plays was a factor though (UNTIL THE 4th QUARTER!) They forced three fumbles on the first two drives of the game, though didn’t recover any of them. There was a near interception when DeShon Elliott lit up Kareem Hunt trying to catch a pass in the flat and the ball popped up. The game could have been a lopsided one early. Tyus Bowser finally earned a takeaway, picking off Baker Mayfield deep in Browns territory, setting the Ravens up on the Cleveland 1. J.K. Dobbins would punch it in with a score that was, too easy.

Ravens defense looked all out of sorts.

That’s obvious by the final score, right? It’s deeper than that though.

There were numerous times where the defense wasn’t getting their subs in and out right. 15 guys on the field for a penalty at one point. Calais Campbell looking absolutely gassed as he came to the sideline when Coach John Harbaugh had to call timeout to avoid another penalty. 22 points allowed in the 4th quarter, matching the amount they allowed the Eagles to score in the 4th quarter of week 6. I mean, god forbid the Ravens face the Chiefs again. Will they need a 35-point 4th quarter lead to feel safe?

Marcus Peters for not the first time this year, falls down in coverage, stays down for an injury, then returns on the next drive.

They lost in the trenches all night, especially in scoring range. Wasn’t bend but don’t break like in the Dean Pees days of this defense. It was bend and break like a rubber band you found in the junk drawer after 25 years. Brandon Williams was knocked on the ground near the goal line and that just doesn’t happen. Ankle still an issue?

Luckily, or unluckily if you want them to be tested, they have the one-win Jaguars on deck, the Giants with Daniel Jones not right, possibly injured, and possibly out of the division race in two weeks’ time, and the Bengals without Joe Burrow and nothing to play for in week 17. If you need to get back on the practice field, get healthy, get your body and mind right, and expect to play games in January, you have three weeks to do it.

Marquise Brown: Jekyll and Hyde

For a guy who can’t catch (which is a good thing while COVID was running through the Ravens facility) he now has a touchdown in each of his last three games. Big plays on each where he managed to find his way behind the defense, or in open space where one shifty move, and he’s on his way.

That appears to be his bread and butter. He can catch the deep ball. But he can’t catch the 5-yard out-route. He alligator arms those short passes over the middle.

Play to his strengths. You should do this for all your guys, but especially your receivers. I understand he needs to run those routes to keep defenses honest. You can’t have defenses start cheating the deep ball on him or that goes away. But I’ve seen enough of him dropping balls that NFL receivers normally grab but have too much velocity in short range, or cause he’s worried about taking a hit. It was a really, really key spot that he dropped the perfectly thrown pass by McSorley tonight.

Like the defense, three weeks to get it right.

Look ahead to vs. Jacksonville, Sunday at 1:00 (Sunday football? What is that?).

The Ravens will come in on another short week and play their first Sunday game in a month, after having played a Wednesday night, Tuesday night, and Monday night. Sunday, daytime? Hope it doesn’t mess with their heads.

Jacksonville is 1-12. Gardener Minshew will make the start after being benched midway through the season, and Jake Luton nor Mike Glennon making a case for themselves to take over. Glennon was benched in the 3rd quarter this past week.

You’re playing for your playoff lives. The Jags have won “a” game and have the second worst point differential (-122) in the NFL, behind the 0-13 Jets (-210). No excuses. Not much to analyze. Handle your business.

Would like to see the Raiders lose to the Chargers on Thursday night, drop them down a peg. The Patriots stay in the hunt if they beat the Dolphins, but 9-7 if they win out might not cut it. Dolphins loss helps the Ravens. Colts host the Texans as a Colts loss would be beneficial. If the Ravens handle their business, they get to watch the Browns travel to New Jersey to face the Giants on Sunday Night Football, where a Browns loss would put the Ravens in the 7th seed at worst. If these other teams I mentiond lose, and the Ravens win, they can go into Week 16 as high as the 5th seed.