The Ravens and their fans felt optimistic on Friday during a media session in which QB, Lamar Jackson, said he was feeling better after missing 2 straight practices due to a non-Covid illness. But come Sunday, that all changed. Lamar’s condition did not improve and the Ravens were forced to start undrafted QB, Tyler Huntley, in Lamar’s place. The former Ute was serviceable in his first ever start at the NFL level and helped the Ravens improve to 7-3. The game was an ugly affair for the most part, from both teams. Neither offense looked good and both defenses allowed long plays at the end of the game. But the Ravens ultimately prevailed and they will not be shy about winning a game without their MVP Quarterback and top Wide Receiver, Marquise Brown. Even though the game was low scoring, there was plenty to like, especially from the defense which I will outline below as I highlight the 3 highest and 3 lowest graded players of the week via Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Highest Graded Player of the Week: Tyus Bowser
Tyus Bowser finished the game by receiving his highest PFF grade of his career, 90.6. Bowser was a force all day long, he finished the game with 3 pressures, 2 sacks and 1 hurry on only 14 pass rush snaps. He earned a 93.4 pass rush grade which is also his highest of his career. He also contributed 2 tackles and 1 assist while also not missing a tackle. Bowser had a slow, disappointing start to the NFL season; through his first 3 games of the season, he had 4 pressures, zero sacks, one hit and one hurry. In his last 2 games alone, he has 9 pressures, 2 sacks, 3 QB hits and 4 pressures. He has really turned a corner during this NFL season after signing an extension this past off-season. His next challenge will be the Browns, who boast the 9th highest pass-blocking grade this season.
Second Highest Graded Player of the Week: Justin Ellis
This week’s second highest graded player is Justin Ellis, registering a PFF grade of 83.8, his highest of the season. “Jelly” as his coaches and teammates call him, had quite the game this week. He had 2 tackles and zero missed tackles on the day, also adding 1 pressure. Ellis is a 334-pound tank in the middle of the defense. Similar to Brandon Williams, both players provide good run defense and average pass rush ability. Ellis and the Ravens held the Bears to under 100 rushing yards and Ellis was a big reason why as he had the teams highest run defense grade at 85.2. It is nice to see Ellis step in and have a huge game as Brandon Williams is still dealing with an injury. He will have a tough test next week vs. Cleveland as he squares off against one of the best interior lines in the NFL. Left guard, Joel Bitonio is PFF’s 2nd graded guard while right guard, Wyatt Teller, is PFF’s third graded guard. Not to mention their center, who is the 6th highest graded. Their interior O-line is about as elite as it gets, Ellis and the rest of the defensive front will have their hands full.
Third Highest Graded Player of the Week: Justin Madubuike
Madubuike comes in as the third highest graded player of the week registering a PFF grade of 77.6, his second highest of the year. Madabeeks, or Madabeast, as some teammates call him, had a very good outing against the Bears. He finished with 2 pressures, a sack and a hurry to go along with 4 tackles and zero missed tackles. He had his second-best pass-rushing performance of the year and his highest run defense grade of the year in this contest. This is the type of game the coaches expect to see from him, stout against the run and good against the pass. A stark contrast from Ellis and Williams who only mostly provide run support. Madabuike will face Wyatt Teller this week, one of the league’s best guards. But it’s important to note; his highest graded game of his career was against the aforementioned Teller. In week 14 last season, Madubuike had a 90.4 grade, 4 pressures and 4 hurries. Madabuike has all the talent in the world but just needs to be more consistent. Him vs Teller will be a fun matchup to watch.
Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Chris Westry
Westry comes in as this week’s lowest graded player of the week, registering a PFF grade of 27.7. Westry saw in increase in playing time as Anthony Averett missed the game due to an injury. The results were disastrous for Westry as he allowed 5 receptions for 133 yards and almost cost the Ravens the game at the end allowing a long TD. Westry has played in 3 total games so far, registering PFF grades of 76.7 and 76.3 in his other contests. So, seeing a low grade like this is a bit shocking considering he has been very good in the limited action he has seen. He will look to bounce back as he draws the Browns broken passing offense next week.
Second Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Nick Boyle
Nick Boyles comes in as the second lowest graded player of the week, coming in at a PFF grade of 34.7. It is Boyle’s first game of the season as he was recovering from a season-ending knee injury in week 10 against New England last season. Boyle officially got the start this week and it was good to see him on the field as he is one of the most important players on a run heavy team. The low grade was due to 2 factors, one was his receiving grade, he ran ten routes, was targeted once and dropped his lone target which would’ve resulted in a first down on a third down. The other factor was his run block grade which was a 47. His pass blocking, however was very good, 70.5. I would not worry too much about this grade, Boyle is a very good, consistent player and he will need some time to mesh back into the offense. The Ravens’ running game has been below average this season and Boyle will look to bring some punch to the run blocking department.
Third Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Josh Bynes
Bynes rounds off the lowest graded players list this week with a PFF grade of 37.2, his lowest of the season. After pretty much having only good games since he took over at the Mike linebacker position, Bynes finally comes back down to earth with a rough performance. Bynes had 2 missed tackles in this contest which is noteworthy because he had 3 total missed tackles coming into the game. He also contributed only one tackle and did nothing on his 3 pass rushing snaps. Bynes is an integral part of the Ravens defense so I doubt this type of performance will be a pattern going forward. He has been a steadying presence at the linebacker position all season and he will look to rebound against the Browns.
The Ravens played admirably this week considering Tyler Huntley was essentially a last-minute start. The rookie played well enough to get a win but the Ravens need Lamar Jackson back ASAP. The Browns come into town this week and will look to steal a win from The Ravens. The Browns are last in the AFC North but everyone in the division is over .500. Over the next 3 games, the Ravens face the Browns, Steelers, and Cleveland again. The hard part of their schedule is underway, and they start with these divisional matchups. Sunday Night we see if the Ravens can move to 8-3 and take further control of the North.
Mirzet was born in Bosnia and raised in upstate NY. Mirzet became a huge fan of the ravens when he first moved to the country and has never looked back. Mirzet is also a former base data analyst at Pro Football Focus. Using advanced metrics and stats has always been a passion of his when discussing anything football-related. Salihovic also lived in Baltimore shortly after he went to college at SUNY Cortland, he currently resides in Utica, NY.