Highest Graded Player of the Week: Kyle Hamilton

Hamilton finishes the game as the highest graded player this week with a mark of 90.8, his fourth game this season with a mark of 90 or higher. Hamilton has been the Ravens best player on defense this season. He finishes the season as their highest graded defensive player and the highest overall graded safety in the league. The rookie made his mark in this contest by forcing a fumble on former Raven, Hayden Hurst, and also recovering the fumble. Hamilton had 9 total tackles and did not miss any tackles on his 53 total snaps. Hamilton once again operated almost exclusively as a slot corner; out of his 53 snaps, 50 were in the slot. He has quickly developed as one of the best hybrid players in the league. After a slow start to the season, Hamilton has emerged as one of the best players in the league and should be a key player to this defense for many years to come.

Second Highest Graded Player of the Week: Justin Houston

Houston comes in second this week with a PFF grade of 90.2, his best game of the season. Houston capped 12th NFL season with a strong showing. He had 3 pressures, 2 hurries and a sack. The veteran had an eye-popping 42.8 pass rush win percentage which was easily his highest of the season. It is unfortunate the Ravens wasted such a solid effort from this defense because Houston and company did enough to deserve this win. Houston is set to be a free agent this season. Hopefully the Ravens can bring him back on another team friendly deal. Houston finishes this season with a very good 77.1 overall PFF grade which was in the upper half of the league and third on the Ravens behind only Hamilton and Roquan Smith.

Third Highest Graded Player of the Week: Odafe Oweh

Oweh checks in as the third highest graded player this week. He finished the game with a PFF grade of 89.4, his highest of the season. Like I mentioned with Houston, it is unfortunate the Ravens wasted a solid effort from this defense. I say this because Oweh had easily his best game of season. His highest grade coming into this game was 77.3, all the way back in week seven vs Cleveland. Oweh had a season high 2 sacks on 21 pass-rush snaps. He also added 4 pressures and 2 hurries. Oweh had a disappointing sophomore season in terms of grade. He finishes 2022 with a grade of 60.1, which is 7 points lower than his rookie campaign. He had less pressures, sacks, hurries and had one more missed tackle. Still somewhat of a project, expect Oweh to continue to improve and hopefully have a bounce-back season in 2023.

Other Notable High Grades:

Tyus Bowser: 79 (highest graded game of the season)

Jason Pierre-Paul: 76.8 (second highest grade of the season)

Kevin Zeitler: 72.3 (highest graded offensive player)

Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Tyler Huntley

Huntley checks in as this week’s lowest graded player. His PFF grade was 48.1 which is also his lowest graded game of the season. Feel bad for Huntley, he made a lot of plays (running and passing) and should not have been forced to run a QB dive that eventually led to the game ending play. When you have that sort of fumble and it leads to 6 the other way, the grade will unfortunately suffer. But Huntley also did have an ugly interception in the first quarter and missed Ricard on an easy flat route that would’ve been a TD. But he played well considering his receiving options are guys who should have no business being starters in the NFL. Huntley finishes this season (including playoffs) with 4 touchdowns, 4 interceptions and 6 turnover worthy plays. Huntley is a fine backup because he can run the Lamar offense but there is a reason why he went undrafted. But all in all, I would like to see Huntley continue to serve as the Ravens backup going forward as long as Lamar is in Baltimore.

Second Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Marcus Peters

Peters comes in as the second lowest graded player this week with a mark of 51.7, his second lowest graded game of the season. Peters was fired up in this contest especially early on, he was in all of the Bengals’ wide receivers faces and even drew a 15-yard penalty on a taunting call. This was Peters’ first game action since week 15 and he was surely rusty. He gave up 4 catches on 6 targets for 40 yards but a few of the catches were on crucial third downs that extended drives and led to points. Peters’ contract is expired and he is set to be a free agent. Going into his 8th season, you wonder if the Ravens will be able to bring him back on a modest deal. Say what you want about Peters, he plays with tons of heart and emotion, something you cannot teach or coach. The guy has a passion for the game and winning and it can sometimes boil over into arguments or penalties but you need guys like him especially on defense that will not back down. His grade of 65.2 is his lowest mark since 2018.

Third Lowest Grade of the Week. Ben Powers

Power finishes the game with a 56.3 grade, his lowest since week 12 vs the Jags. Powers had another great game in terms of pass blocking, he finished with a 78 overall pass-blocking grade but the grade was dragged down by yet another poor run blocking performance. Powers has been one of the best pass-blocking guards in the NFL this season. His 86.7 pass-blocking grade ranked second amongst all guards this season. But his run-blocking grade of 50.1 ranked him near the bottom. Overall, powers had a break-out season. He is expected to hit free agency unless he can work out a deal with The Ravens. The offensive line was a bright spot this season considering all the injuries to the rest of the offense. Powers might have priced himself out of Baltimore with his performance this year.

Other Notable Low Grades:

Isaiah Likely: 49.5

Ronnie Stanley: 56.9

Now that the season is mercifully over, the Ravens have yet another big off-season coming up. When do they fire Greg Roman? Does Lamar get a long-term extension? Do they go after a big-name wide receiver? All of these questions will be answered as the months gradually pass. But they all need to be addressed. The fan base has grown tired with the practice squad level wide receiver and a 1980’s style gameplan. As good as Lamar is, you cannot realistically expect to compete with the AFC elites when you’re trotting out Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson. One side note, hopefully they stop drafting Tight Ends. There is literally 5 of them on the roster. Go get a quick wide receiver and stop rolling out these 3 tight end sets on early downs. The team can manage with the core they have now. This season was surely lost once Lamar went down. They need to a fresher gameplan and at least one competent wide receiver to help him out. The defense is elite and will only get better especially once Ojabo can get rolling. It’ll surely be an interesting next few months.

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Key #1: Keep doing what you’re doing against Joe Burrow.

Joe Burrow has enjoyed an MVP-caliber season but has struggled somewhat vs the Ravens and their 2-high look on defense. In his first game vs the Ravens, Joe Burrow had a 58 PFF grade, 6.2 yards per attempt and one interception. He was also sacked twice and had a measly 4.2 average depth of target. The Ravens did not resort to the blitz much and nearly took everything away deep. Burrow only completed 4 passes over ten yards and only attempted 1 pass over 20 yards. After Burrow destroyed the Ravens backups last season, he has come down to earth this season. In his second game vs the Ravens, Burrow was slightly better. His PFF grade was 71.3, but he did also have two turnover-worthy plays and was held to only 5.1 yards per attempt. As good as Burrow has been this season, two of his worst games were against the Ravens, he averaged a zero EPA per play in their first matchup and a negative EPA per play in this past Sunday’s game. Will that continue? Maybe. The Ravens should be at full strength on defense, they could even have Marcus Peters back for this contest which could be a difference in the game. Expect the defense to continue getting after Burrow as well, he escaped multiple sacks and made some great elusive moves on the way. I’m sure that will be a point of emphasis this week as the coaches gameplan for their biggest game of the season.

Key #2: Need Lamar Jackson back.

Regardless of how well the defense has played against Burrow, they cannot win the game relying on defense. This team needs Lamar Jackson back in the worst way possible. Tyler Huntley is a fine backup but the guy simply cannot lead touchdown drives and is nowhere near the threat of a runner as Jackson is. The Bengals defense has been stout vs the run and pass but Jackson provides a matchup nightmare for every level of the defense. It is still unknown if Lamar will play but if he does, he gives this team their only chance at winning. Jackson finished as PFF’s fifth highest graded quarterback this season and was second overall in rushing grade behind Josh Allen. They will need his rushing ability to keep the defense honest. But how healthy is Lamar? Has he been purposely staying out to get ready for the playoffs? Is it a contract thing? Or is he really hurt? No one knows. But the only thing people know is that the Ravens have very little chance at winning without their MVP quarterback. We have seen over the last two seasons what it is like without Lamar. The team can’t win and the team can’t score. It is the simple reality of the situation. Hopefully we see #8 back this week.

Key #3: Need to have a pass rush.

As we know, the Ravens have struggled getting after the QB this season. And as we know, the Bengals have one of the best wide receiver groups in the league who can get open quick. The defense needs to generate pressure and force some mistakes if they want a chance. Burrow threw a pick in their first game and lost a fumble in this past Sunday’s game. David Ojabo got his first sack and first forced fumble of his career. His PFF grade was 83.2. To put into perspective, Odafe Oweh has not had a game above 77 this entire season. The Bengals will also not have two starting linemen available in this game including Right Tackle, La’el Collins. This could be an interesting matchup to watch. It is worth noting, the Ravens did have 23 pressures in the game as well which is one of their highest numbers all season. That is surely something they will need if they don’t want the game to get out of hand. The defensive line looks to be the healthiest they have been all season. With Calais Campbell back and Ojabo finally getting meaningful playing time, the trenches could be a place where the game will be decided.

The Ravens open up as 6.5 road underdogs. That number can surely move up or down depending on how the QB situation pans out. But the fact remains the same, this team will only be relevant in these playoffs if Jackson can play. Jackson is the Ravens offense and they go as he goes. The defense has been nothing short of elite since they acquired Smith. But as you can see, having an elite defense sometimes does not matter if the offense is incapable of scoring. The defense has allowed 20 or less points in 5 straight games are only 2-3 because of the offensive ineptitude. But if you can pair Lamar Jackson with this defense, there is no telling how far this team can go.

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Highest Graded Player of the Week: Morgan Moses

Moses checks in as the highest graded player this week; he finished the game with a PFF grade of 92.8, his second game this season with a 92+ grade. Moses had yet another dominant performance in the run-blocking department. He finished this game with a run-blocking grade 93.3 which is his third game this season with a run-blocking grade of 93+. He was a big reason why the Ravens running backs averaged nearly 7 yards per carry. Moses is currently PFF’s tenth overall graded Tackle and is 6th overall in terms of run-blocking grade. Moses and the running game will be needed again next week when they host their rivals, The Steelers in yet another important division game.

Second Highest Graded Player of the Week: Chuck Clark

Finally, Clark appears on this list. Clark’s PFF grade of 85.4 was by far his highest graded game of the season, his next closest game was in week one at the Jets. But in between these two games, his highest graded game was 69. Clark was all over the field in this contest, he lined up in the box 23 times and lined up 23 times at free safety. Clark had 7 total tackles and did not miss a tackle. He also was only targeted twice and allowed one reception for zero yards. Clark and the defense were lights out once again. The defense has allowed only three touchdowns over their last four games and have really flipped the script since their early season deficiencies. Clark has not graded well on an overall basis but has graded extremely well as a tackler. He has 87 tackles on the season and only 7 missed tackles. He and this defense has been the catalyst for this team over the last month and will need to continue the momentum going into the final weeks of the season and the playoffs. Expect the defense to continue the dominant play as they host the Steelers next week.

Third Highest Graded Player of the Week: Gus Edwards

Edwards rounds off the list with his best game of the season. “Gus Bus” finished the game with and 85.3 grade. Edwards had an absurd 9 yards per carry in this contest on 11 attempts. He consistently gashed the Falcons defense with big run after big run. His 63 yards after contact were also his highest since week 8. Edwards had only 11 rushing attempts but 5 of those rushes went for first downs. It was clearly his best game of the season and the offensive line did a tremendous job at opening holes. But Edwards has been quietly one of the best actual runners since he entered the league. He has now gone 4 straight seasons averaging over 5 yards per carry. The only other running backs to accomplish that feat? Nick Chubb. Edwards will face the Steelers next week. The last time they played, Edwards went for 66 yards and the Ravens rushed for over 200 as a team.

Other Notable High Grades:

Patrick Ricard: 84.6

Demarcus Robinson: 81.7

Sammy Watkins: 75.5

Roquan Smith: 76.7 (82.3 grade since joining Ravens. 51.4 grade with Bears)

Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Justin Madubuike

Madubuike finishes this week as the lowest graded player. His 41.5 overall was his lowest of the season and Madabuike now has 5 straight games under a 55 grade. You truly felt the Absence of Campbell in this contest. The Falcons ran for 115 yards and had a lot of success on the outside zones. Madabuike had two tackles but did miss two and only had one pressure on 28 pass-rush snaps. He now has only 6 pressures over his last 5 outings and has been mostly a non-factor. Madabuike came out of the gates strong but has cooled off in the second half of the season. Hopefully the young interior defender will have a bounce-back game vs the Steelers next week.

Second Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Jason Pierre-Paul

JPP comes in as the second lowest graded player this week. He finished the game with a PFF grade of 46.3. The pass rush for the Ravens was mostly did non-existent and Pierre-Paul was part of the problem. The veteran had 17 pass rush snaps and only managed one pressure. But he was mostly a liability as a run defender where he had only one tackle and missed two more. JPP has only 16 pressures this season on 267 pass rushing snaps on the season. The team needs a spark from someone other than Justin Houston if they want to have a chance to make a deep postseason run.

Third Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Odafe Oweh

Oweh rounds off this list with yet another underwhelming performance. He finished the game with a 50.8 grade and is now ranked 101st overall among 120 qualified edge rushers on the season. Oweh managed only one pressure one 15 pass rushing snaps. He now has 2 or less pressures in all but 5 games this season. He did contribute three tackles and did not miss a tackle which is a good sign because he has had some awful showings in that department this season. The team has to be disappointed with Oweh this season. He only has one game over a 68-pass rushing grade this season and has not had a single impactful play on the season. Hopefully he and the rest of the edge rushers can step up their play down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Other Notable Low Grades:

Isaiah Likely: 40.2

Ronnie Stanley: 59.2

Tyler Huntley: 63.1

Now that the Ravens have clinched a playoff spot, they turn their attention to the North. Their next two game are against the Steelers and then on the road against the Bengals where it could be for the Division. The team has been having plenty of offensive woes over the last several games now but they are managing to win close games. Something they were incapable of down the stretch last season. It does not matter how they win but as long as they do win. The playoffs are a one game series and anything can happen, and the best teams know how to close out close games. The offense should hopefully get Lamar Jackson back this week for their final stretch of games. The offense looks stale and they need a spark badly, and Lamar Jackson just happens to be the most dynamic runner in the league. The defense has been playing on an elite level but you really want to see more from the edge rushers, Queen and Roquan have been excellent at blitzing but you cannot rely on that as your main pass rush options. But it would be unfair to judge this defense because they have been the reason for the team’s last few wins. The Ravens will host the Steelers next week who are technically not eliminated yet and always play the Ravens close regardless of record. The Ravens open up as 4-point favorites.

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Highest Graded Player of the Week: Morgan Moses

Moses comes in as this week’s highest graded player, he finished the game with a PFF grade of 86.4, his second highest graded game of the season. The running game was excellent in this contest and Moses was the main contributor. He finished with a run-blocking grade of 94.6, which amazingly was not his best showing of the season. That came in week 9 vs the Saints when he had a 95-run blocking grade. Moses has had a very solid season since signing a very modest contract this past off-season. He has solidified the right side of the offensive line and has not been a liability compared to Villanueva last season and other stop-gap players. It is too bad the team abandoned the running game because the Browns had no answer for it. Moses and the offensive line will face the Falcons defensive front next who boast an average run defense grade on the season.

Second Highest Graded Player of the Week: Parick Ricard

Ricard finishes as the second highest graded player this week with a PFF grade of 84.3, his second highest grade of the season, his highest grade was last week vs the Steelers in which he had an 85.3 grade. People will remember Ricard not converting a fourth and 1 early in the game when he was stymied by a safety amongst other players. But it would be unfair to Ricard to kill him for that when he was a complete force in the run game as a blocker. He had an 89.4 grade as a run blocker and was constantly opening holes for Dobbins and Edwards to burst through. Ricard is an invaluable piece to the

Ravens system and will most likely receive another Pro-Bowl bid after having another good season. He is an integral part of the running game and provides a mean streak that few other fullbacks have in this league. He is PFF’s top graded fullback.

Third Highest Graded Player of the Week: J.K. Dobbins

Dobbins rounds out the list this week as the third highest graded player of the week. Dobbins finished the game with a PFF grade of 84.1; his highest grade of the season and his second highest graded game of his career, his highest being in week 17 as a rookie vs the Bengals. Dobbins now in back-to-back weeks has shown the explosiveness and shiftiness as he did during his rookie season when he led the NFL in yards per carry. The former Buckeye has now gone over 8 yards per carry in back-to-back games and has 107 yards after contact on only 28 carries during that span. It is unfortunate Dobbins did not even receive a carry in the second in a close contest. Dobbins has been their best player over the last two games and not using him at all in the fourth quarter is an indictment on this coaching staff. I understand the team wants to use the entire stable of running backs but Dobbins is clearly to focal point of this backfield and simply needs to be featured as much as possible. Through the last two games he has 28 carries and 10 first downs on those carries. He is showing why he was one of the best running backs in college when he came out. The coaching staff needs to get everything out of him because as well all know the wide receivers are not the season the team has 9 wins this season. Dobbins will look to continue his elite play next week vs the Falcons.

Other Notable High Grades:

Kyle Hamilton: 74.1 (highest graded player on defense)

Tyler Linderbaum: 76.7 (currently PFF’s 6th highest graded Center)

Ronnie Stanley: 76.1 (his highest graded game of the season)

Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Travis Jones

Jones comes in as the lowest graded player this week with a mark of 37, his lowest graded game of the season. Jones had his lowest graded game mostly due to the elite interior front of the Browns. The rookie has 9 pass rush snaps and did not manager a pressure. He was completely blanked from the pass rushing stat list. He was also a liability in the run defense game as he was completely unable to get off of any blocks. He recorded only one tackle from 13 run defense snaps and missed another tackle. His two lowest graded games came at the hands of the Browns this season. I would not worry too much in this case as the Browns have a very good interior front and Jones is still only a rookie. He might have another tough outing next week vs the Falcons as they currently own PFF’s number one run blocking grade as a unit and the 11th pass-blocking unit. Expect Jones to possibly play more as well. Veteran Calais Campbell suffered an injury and did not return. His status is still up in the air.

Second Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Tyus Bowser

Bowser finishes this game with a PFF grade of 44.4, his second lowest grade of the season. It is worth noting Bowser also played 46 snaps, a season high, but did not do much with them. On 15 pass rushing snaps, like Jones, he did not record a pressure, QB hit, or hurry. He was also underwhelming in the run-defense department as he was getting swallowed up by Browns tackles. Since returning from injury, Bowser only has 9 total pressures on 109 pass rushing snaps. They’ll need more from Bowser and the rest of the edge rushers going forward. The only sack of the came from rookie safety, Kyle Hamilton on a Blitz in which he was not even blocked. Bowser and crew draw a formidable Falcons pass-blocking unit next week.

Third Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Demarcus Robinson

Robinson rounds off this week’s list by finishing with a PFF grade of 45.6, his second lowest graded game of the season. Robinson was targeted 6 times and caught all targets for a whopping 29 yards. Sadly, that tied Duvernay for the most yards in this contest from the wideouts. Andrews led the way with a blistering 31 yards. Robinson had a forgetful game, he averaged 4.8 yards per reception and had two awful looking fumbles. One was recovered by the defense and the other rolled out of bounds for a 7-yard loss. Robinson leads the WR core of the last three weeks with 18 receptions for 122 yards (6.7 yards per reception). It is about as bad it gets for this unit over the last several weeks. It seems like no can create separation or the offensive coordinator cannot dial up anything deep. The team desperately needs someone to step up in this position group. The Ravens have not had a touchdown by a wide receiver since Week 3. That almost does not even seem possible in today’s NFL, but here we are.

Other Notable Low Grades:

Tyler Huntley: 51.2 (his third straight game with under a 63 overall grade)

Mark Andrews: 56.7 (his fifth straight game with under a 70 overall grade)

Broderick Washington: 45.6

The Ravens have three games left this season and will most likely make the playoffs. They will probably not be hosting a playoff game because the Bengals right now look like the AFC’s best team. There is a very real possibility the Ravens get beat in Week 18 by the Bengals and then again, the following week in Cincy again. That would be a nightmare scenario for Ravens fans. The defense has been exceptional over the last two months but the offense has been the complete opposite. Something needs to change on this offense if the Ravens want to think about having a realistic chance at winning games in the postseason. The lack of even a competent passing attack is very concerning, and Lamar Jackson is showing his value every week he does not play. Even though the passing attack was not great with Jackson, he provided a threat defenses had to account for. The Ravens need him back in the worst way and need Greg Roman do dial something, anything up for these pass catchers. Luckily the team will play at home next week vs the Falcons but after that it is Pittsburgh and then Cincy. The Ravens open up as 7-point favorites vs the Falcons.

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Highest Graded Player of the Week: Lamar Jackson

Jackon checks in as the highest graded player in the contest with a PFF grade of 90.9, his highest of the season. If you simply look at the box score, you would say “Jackson had an average game”. He went 16-32 (50% completion) with only one touchdown and zero picks. But if you look deeper into it, you will see a much different, better game for Jackson. Jackson’s pass catchers dropped five passes (season high) including what should’ve been an easy touchdown to Demarcus Robinson, but he dropped the pass in the endzone. If he makes that play, the game is completely different and Jackson’s numbers look completely different. You cannot blame Jackson for putting the balls in the proper places and his wide receivers not making simple plays. He also had 3 big time throws and zero turnover-worthy plays which I believe is the most important stat. He was also a force on the ground, where he added 14 carries for 89 yards. Jackson also had his best game of the season in terms of average depth of target which was a season high, 13.1. Jackson was aggressive all day and looked very good. He was just let down by his pass catchers and defense. Jackson also finished as the highest graded PFF QB of the week. He is surely the last of the problems on this team and is always putting his team in positions to win. He’ll look to carry the momentum into next week as the stout Broncos defense comes into M&T Bank Stadium.

Second Highest Graded Player of the Week: Broderick Washington

Washington finishes as the second highest graded player this week and highest graded defensive player of the game with a mark of 83.8, his best game of the season. This is now Washington’s third straight game with a game grade of 73 or better. He is really coming into his own and this game really showcased his talents. He had a very impressive sack early in the game, beating his man cleanly and getting to Lawrence quickly for the sack. He also added 3 total “stops” and had 4 total tackles in the game with zero missed tackles. It was an all-around great performance for an up-and-coming young interior player that the Ravens always seem to develop. He and the defensive front will face the Broncos offensive line next which rank in the bottom half of the league in run and pass-blocking grades via PFF.

Third Highest Graded Player of the Week: Josh Oliver

Oliver rounds off this list by finishing with a PFF grade of 83.1, his second highest graded game of the season. The TE surely had a great revenge game vs his former team who traded him away to the Ravens a season ago. Oliver finished with 4 catches on 6 targets for 76 yards and a touchdown. Oliver had an eye-popping 19 yards per reception in this contest. All four of his receptions led to a first down or a touchdown but his grade would’ve been higher if he did not have a drop. The drop was his first of the season which shows how solid he has been this season operating as mostly the number two Tight End behind All-Pro, Mark Andrews. Oliver only has 11 receptions on the season but he has made crucial first down and touchdowns with his limited role. He’ll look to continue the solid play next week, though Charlie Kolar could make his season debut and eat into his snap count.

Other Notable High Grades:

DeSean Jackson: 91 (He has a 91 grade in each game he has appeared in, 7 snaps in each contest)

Calais Campbell: 78

Tyus Bowser: 72.9 (His highest grade since he debuted in Week 9)

Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Brandon Stephens

Stephens gets the lowly distinction as the lowest graded player of the week. Stephens finished the game with a PFF grade of 41.2 which amazingly is not his worst game of the season. That came in week two when he had 35.4 grade against the Patriots. The Ravens for some reason continue to use Stephens as an outside corner even though he has shown absolutely nothing in his career to prove he deserves that important role. That may sound harsh, but it is objectively true. Last season as a rookie he finished with a season grade of 53, which was among one of the worst grades amongst all starting corners. This season he is actually worse. He currently has a 46.3 grade on the season which ranks 112th out of 121 qualified corners. He also had an allowed reception percentage of 78.6 and QBs had a near perfect QB rating when targeting Stephens last season. This year he is slightly improved in coverage but is still poor overall. Versus the Jags, it was really bad. Mostly in fourth quarter. It seemed like every play Lawrence was picking on Stephens. Stephens allowed 7 receptions on 8 targets and the game-losing two-point conversion at the end. Credit the Jags, they went after the weakest link in the Ravens secondary and continued to exploit it until the game was decided. He does have an impressive 81 overall tackling grade on the season, which is important to have when you allow as many catches as Stephens does. At least next week Stephens will get to play the Russell Wilson and the broken Broncos offense. So, he should grade better, but I won’t believe until I see it. Through two seasons, his highest game grade is 76.

Second Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Justin Madubuike

Madubuike is the second lowest graded player of the week. He finished with a PFF grade of 44.5, which marks his worst game of the season. Madubuike never really seemed to get going in this contest, he had 29 pass rush snaps and only managed two pressures and two hurries. His grade is also dragged down by a poor tackling grade, he missed two tackles and his grade suffered because of it. Unlike Stephens, Madubuike has earned the benefit of the doubt by having multiple good games on the season and this is surely a blip on the radar for the promising young interior defender. He’ll look to rebound vs the Broncos next week.

Third Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Ben Powers

Powers rounds off the list by finishing with a PFF grade of 45.8, his lowest grade since week one. Powers has had a great season as a pass-blocker. His 84.2 grade is among the highest grades out of qualified guards on the season. But his run-blocking grade of 50.2 is among the worst out of all qualified guards. This game was no different, he had a solid day as a pass blocker but a poor grade as a run blocker. To put into perspective, Powers has only one game above a 65-run blocking grade but 8 games above a 70-pass blocking grade including multiple games in the 80’s. Powers is having a career year overall but the run-blocking needs to improve if he wants to be a complete guard. He is still young and can surely improve in that area. He is a valuable piece to one of the best offensive lines in the league.

Other Notable Low Grades:

Kenyan Drake: 48.6

Jason Pierre-Paul: 48.7

Mark Andrews: 54.1

Gus Edwards: 53.9

The Ravens now sit at 7-4, still atop the AFC North but were the only AFC north team to lose this week. The rest of the division all had impressive wins and the Bengals are a real threat now to dethrone a very vulnerable Ravens team. The Ravens fortunately get to host the Broncos this weekend who simply cannot move the ball even against the worst teams. The Ravens very badly need to take care of business at home before going on the road the following two weeks against their rivals, the Steelers and Browns. The offense needs to help Lamar out by catching some passes that are thrown to them and the defense needs to figure out how to make some stops in fourth quarters of close games. Could this Jags game be aberration? Maybe. But we have seen this team repeatedly collapse in these situations, so it is hard to give them the benefit of the doubt. The Ravens open up as 8.5 home favorites against the Broncos.

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Highest Graded Player of the Week: Marlon Humphrey

Humphrey sits atop of this week’s highest graded player list with a final PFF grade of 91.9, his highest graded game of the season and his career. “All-Pro Marlo” truly lived up his name in this contest. He played 41 coverage snaps and did not allow a reception on his season low two targets. He also had a very impressive interception and had a pressure. It was an all-around elite performance for the former first round pick. He is showing why he is one of the most complete corners in the NFL. He operated dominantly from the outside corner alignment and slot corner alignment as he had 29 and 24 snaps respectively at the two positions. Humphrey is having a good season after a sub-par performance last year. He has now allowed 50 or less yards in every contest and has snagged three interceptions to go along with his shutdown numbers. He will get another plus matchup next week as the Ravens will travel to Jacksonville who do not have a single pass-catcher that has graded over a 74 overall this season.

Second Highest Graded Player of the Week: Demarcus Robinson

As I alluded to in the opening, Robinson had his best game of the season and his highest PFF grade of the season with a mark of 91.5. His grade of 91.5 is not only the highest of the season but is also the highest of his career, which is notable because he spent his first six seasons with the Chiefs and 5 of them with Mahomes. Robinson caught all 9 of his targets for 128 yards. 6 of the 9 targets were for first downs and his average depth of target (aDot) was 9.6. He was the only Ravens’ Wide Receiver who could get open and make any contributions. The next closest Wide Receiver had only 3 yards (Duvernay). The Ravens desperately need someone besides Andrews to get open and make plays. Robinson had a solid outing against the Bucs but was a non-factor against the Saints. The team will need at least average play from this unit to make a playoff run. Hopefully D.Jackson can get healthy in time to help this unit out but you have to like what you saw from Robinson in this contest.

Third Highest Graded Player of the Week: Kyle Hamilton

Rounding out this week’s list is none other than the sensational rookie, Hamilton. Hamilton had a final PFF grade of 91.3, which is his second highest graded of the season. He was forced to leave early due to injury but he was spectacular up until that point. He played only 21 snaps but managed four tackles and zero missed tackles. He also had an elite coverage game, he allowed three receptions on four targets for two yards. He has now allowed 31 or less yards in coverage in nine out of ten games and is currently PFF’s third highest graded safety out of 85 qualified players at the position. Hopefully his injury is not too serious because has been one of their most important players on defense this season.

Other Notable High Grades:

Patrick Queen: 90.6 (His highest grade of the season and 5th out his last 6 games with a grade of 76 or better).

Marcus Peters: 90.2 (Second highest graded game of the season)

Ben Powers: 86.8 (Highest graded game of the season)

Lowest Graded Player of the Week: James Proche

Proche lands as the lowest graded player of the week by finishing with a PFF grade of 36.8. Proche had simply a game he wants to forget. He dropped his only target of the game and also had a holding call on a long Jackson run that potentially took a touchdown off the board. So far on the season, Proche has only 6 receptions for 53 yards and a PFF grade 47 which is among the lowest grades among qualified Wide Receivers. Clearly an afterthought in this offense, Proche should only see less snaps when D. Jackson returns from injury.

Second Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Isaiah Likely

Likely is the second lowest graded player this week with a PFF grade of 43.8, his second lowest grade of the season. The exciting young rookie did not have a good outing by his standards. He was targeted three times and hauled in only one target for a single yard. He also had a drop on the afternoon which surely did not help his grade. After back-to-back games with a touchdown, Likely had a heat check game in this contest. His role will be somewhat lessened with the return of All-Pro tight end, Mark Andrews, but you still would like to see the rookie make the most of his targets. The weather was a little bit of a factor so I expect Likely has a stronger game next week when the team flies to Jacksonville.

Third Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Chuck Clark

Clark yet again appears on this list with another sub-par performance. He finishes the game with a PFF grade of 45, his lowest of the season. Clark has now had 9 straight games under a 65 grade and is one of the lowest graded safeties in the league. He ranks 66th out of 85 qualifiers. Clark did not do himself any favors in this contest either. He had three tackles and added a missed tackle, he also allowed both of his targets to be caught but for only twenty yards. Moreover, he had two penalties on the day, one of which was a crucial facemask that extended a drive. Clark has struggled this season but still provides a veteran presence on the back end especially with Marcus Williams on IR. He’ll look to rebound next week at Jacksonville.

Other Notable Low Grades:

Kenyan Drake: 46.9

Roquan Smith: 53.9

Patrick Ricard: 49.2

The Ravens relied on their defense for the first time all season in this week’s win. The offense was shut down for most of the day due to a good Carolina defense and some windy conditions. They have flipped the script from earlier on this season. The defense has played at an elite level for multiple straight games now and will look to continue their dominant play going into another favorable matchup next week at Jacksonville. The team will hopefully have Gus Edwards and D. Jackson on offense, and maybe the defense will see the debut of promising rookie, David Ojabo. They’ll need to keep winning to remain ahead of the Bengals who are closely behind them in the AFC North. The Ravens open up as early four-point favorites on the road.

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Interior Defenders

Michael Pierce – 86.9*

Calais Campbell – 77.2

Justin Madubuike – 75.9

Broderick Washington – 66

Travis Jones – 57.1

Isaiah Mack – 56.9*

Brent Urban – 52.6

(* indicates player did not have snap minimum to qualify amongst players)

Pierce was leading the way for this group before suffering a torn biceps that will cost him the remainder of the season. It is unfortunate for the former undrafted star as he was having one of his best seasons of his career. But fortunately for the Ravens, they are very deep at this position. Campbell is having yet another good season, his 77.2 grade is good for 15th best in the league among 122 qualified interior defenders. The veteran just never seems to slow down, his recent 89 pass rushing grade vs the Saints was his highest of the season. Right behind him is rising star, Madubuike. The former Aggie has been very consistent as a pass rusher, he has 19 pressures and 4 sacks on the season and has also been stout against the run. He is having easily his best season so far as a pro and he’ll look to continue the dominant play into the second half. Broderick Washington has also done a nice job for the Ravens. He has 4 game grades above a 70 overall which is notable because through his first two seasons, he has had only 1 game over a 70 grade. His 66 overall grade is very good considering his rookie season where he managed only a 30 overall grade. It is hard to replace Pierce, but Washington has been very solid in the middle rotating with Campbell and Madubuike. Jones has been adjusting to NFL life slowly and steady. His 57.1 is not great but he has flashed at times as a pass rusher and should only get better over time just as Madubuike and Washington have. He only has 84 snaps on the season due to an injury that caused him to miss the first two games. Mack and Urban are role players on the defensive line but give the team much needed depth if something were to happen to the guys ahead of them. Both have been with the team for multiple seasons and play their role nicely when asked. All in all, this is one of the deepest groups in the entire NFL. They have 3 guys ranked inside the top 40 which is tied for the most with 5 other teams. They’ll need the dominant play going into the colder months of the season and hopefully into the playoffs.

Edge Defender

Justin Houston – 78.6

Tyus Bowser – 55.6

Odafe Oweh – 53.3

Jason Pierre-Paul – 49.6

David Ojabo – N/A

The ageless wonder, Houston leads this group as the highest graded player. His 78.6 grade is good for 22nd in the league among 119 qualified players. He is currently 4th in the league with 8.5 sacks only behind former Ravens, Matt Judon (11.5) and Za’Darius Smith (9.5). Nick Bosa is tied for third with 9.5 sacks. The impressive thing with Houston is he has only played in 6 games. Out of the 6 games he’s played, 3 of them saw a pass rushing grade of over 70. He also has snagged an interception this season. Houston is also their highest graded run defender amongst the group as well. On the other hand, Oweh has been underwhelming to say the least. His 55.6 grade is ranked 100th out of a possible 119 players. He only has one sack and only one game above a 70 pass-rushing grade. His run defense has also been a problem. His run defense grade sits at 48.2 which is ranked 107th out of 124 eligible edge defenders. Oweh is still young and learning but fans really want to see more out of the former first rounder. He’ll look to have a better second half of the season. JPP had a solid game against the Bengals in which he swatted two passes and added a sack. Outside of that lone game he has been a non-factor. Ojabo is set to make his debut against the Panthers and will look to add some juice to the pass rushing unit. Bowser made his debut vs the Saints and added two pressures. With the solid play of Houston and the return of Bowser, this unit should be much better going into the second half of the season. If the team can get better play from Oweh, then this pass rushing unit can really be a huge factor going into January.

Linebackers

Malik Harrison – 65.9

Patrick Queen – 63.9

Roquan Smith – 54.9

Josh Bynes – 54.2

Though the grades seem low, this unit has played much better over the past few weeks. Queen’s last 4 out of 5 games have seen him grade 76 or better. Smith’s lone game with the Ravens saw him grade out at 82.6, which was his second-best game of the season. Harrison has been the highest graded player of this group but he has seen significantly less snaps than Queen and Smith. But nonetheless, he has been playing the best football of his 3-year career. Bynes has surprisingly graded poorly this season. Outside of his outstanding week 3 game vs the Patriots where he had a 91 overall grade, the other 6 games saw him grade below a 60 overall. Off-ball linebacker is one of the toughest positions to play in the NFL as evidenced by the PFF grades. Only 7 linebackers are grading over an 80 overall. QB’s tend to target them as they are usually caught in the slot vs a shifty slot WR or skilled tight end. This group still needs time to gel, and adding a player like Roquan Smith into the fold has already paid dividends through one game. Fresh off of a bye this unit will face off against Baker Mayfield, PFF’s lowest graded QB.

Cornerbacks

Marlon Humphrey – 71.4

Marcus Peters – 59.9

Brandon Stephens – 50

Damarion Williams – 43

Jalyn Armour-Davis – 28.2*

(* indicates player did not have snap minimum to qualify amongst players)

Humphrey ranks as the highest graded player amongst the corners. His 71.4 grade is good for 26th among 116 players. His man-coverage grade of 89.4 ranks second among 126 qualified cornerbacks. He has only surrendered 271 yards this season into his coverage and has not had a game in which he has allowed more than 50 yards. Ironically, His run defense grade of 43.5 is actually the lowest of his career but no one is questioning the importance of Humphrey to this unit. Humphrey is one of the best corners in the league. Peters is coming off of a major knee surgery and has had an up and down season thus far. His coverage grade sits at 60 which is not awful, but his tackling run grade has been abysmal. He has a 20% missed tackle rate which is among one of the worst percentages for a corner this season. He has allowed 3 touchdowns on the season and opposing QB’s have a 110 QB rating when targeting Peters. He’ll need to improve but is still a very important piece of the defense and can change the game at any time with his ball-hawking ability. Stephens and Williams have not been good this season. They rank as the 97th and 111th ranked corners respectively out of 117. Stephens has been a solid tackler this season but a liability in coverage. He only has one game above a 60-coverage grade. Williams is a rookie and is still adjusting to the speed of the NFL. He has been a solid run defender but has been getting torched in coverage. QB’s have a 129 rating when targeting the rookie slot defender. He’ll look to take advantage of the Ravens weak schedule coming up and hopefully improve a bit vs some low graded QB’s. Armour-Davis has only appeared in 3 games and he has been lit up for 152 yards and a touchdown on only 32 coverage snaps. He has been a healthy scratch as of late but will need to earn the coaches trust to earn any significant playing time going forward.

Safeties

Kyle Hamilton – 81.5

Geno Stone – 80.8

Marcus Williams – 73.1

Chuck Clark – 59.7

This is the team’s best overall group in terms of PFF grade. Hamilton is the 4th highest graded safety in the league. He has been as good as advertised going into the NFL draft. A true Swiss army knife for the position, Hamilton stands at 6’4 220 pounds and can play all over the field. He has 67 snaps in the box, 86 snaps at free safety and 78 as a slot corner. He graded well in both the run and pass but has been excellent in coverage. He is coming off of 2 straight games over an 82-coverage grade and nearly got his first interception of the season vs the saints, but was called back due to a questionable defensive holding penalty. Hamilton missed two tackles in the opener at the Jets, but has had only one missed tackle since. The Ravens have had a long list of elite safeties and Hamilton looks like another gem for the franchise. Geno Stone has been nearly as good as Hamilton this season. His 80.8 grade is 6th among all safeties. His coverage grade and run defense grade are both sitting at 79. Similar to Hamilton, he can do it all but is mostly used as a free safety as he has 178 snaps there compared to 42 box snaps. The du have filled in nicely for Pro-Bowler, Williams. Speaking of Williams, he is PFF’s 20th graded safety and was leading the league in interceptions before going down with a wrist injury. He is expected back sometime this season. Last but not least, Clark. Clark is a defensive captain and is an integral part of the defense as a whole. But he has had a down year, his 59.7 grade represents his lowest grade since 2018. He has mostly struggled in coverage but is having his second-best season in terms of run defense. I would not worry too much about Clark. He is an excellent leader and the coaches trust him. His PFF grade will surely improve going down the stretch.

Special Teams

Justin Tucker – 86.1 (Kicking Grade)

Jordan Stout – 67.4 (Punting Grade)

Devin Duvernay – 81.4 (Return Grade)

You don’t need PFF grades to tell you that Tucker is the league’s best kicker. Simply the best to ever do it and proving it once again this season. Stout’s grade of 67.4 puts him right in the middle among punters. His average yards per punt attempt is 48.8 which ranks 9th in the league. Otherwise, most of his other stats rank in the middle of the pack. Still only a rookie, his looks like a rock-solid punter for years to come. Devin Duvernay is the only player in the NFL with a return TD this season. His 81.4 grade ranks first in the NFL among 50 eligible returners. Harbaugh is a former specials teams coach and the Ravens always seem to be solid in that department. Zero worry going forward from this elite unit.

The post Ravens Midseason PFF Report Card: Part 2: The Defense and Special Teams appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Quarterbacks:

Lamar Jackson – 79.4

Tyler Huntley – N/A

Jackson is currently PFF’s 8th graded QB. He holds the second highest rushing grade amongst QB’s with a 92.2, only Josh Allen is ahead. Lamar came out of the gates on fire but cooled down after the first 3 games, but has recently turned it back up during their 3-game winning streak. His best game of the season was in Week 3 when he had a PFF grade of 85.6, but he followed that up with his worst performance of the season against the Bills when he held a PFF grade of 58. This is Jackson’s highest graded season since his MVP year. He has a real chance to even eclipse that mark due to their soft remaining schedule. Impressively, he has been having a solid season despite not having his top running backs, Dobbins and Edwards for most of the season. Also, he will be without top wideout Rashod Bateman for the rest of the year and Mark Andrews has been banged up but he looks like he will be back in the fold. In an infamous contract year, Jackson has been carrying this team unlike any other player in the league. Expect him to continue the stellar play in the second half of the season.

Half Backs:

Gus Edwards – 85*

Kenyan Drake – 65.7

J.K. Dobbins – 63.5*

Justice Hill – 63.3

Mike Davis – 41.4*

(* indicates did not have snap minimum to qualify amongst players)

In what seems like a revolving door at the half back position, the Ravens have still managed to find quality play from their players. Edwards is the highest graded player at the position but only has 39 snaps on the season. Drake has been a solid contributor when called upon and is averaging an impressive 4.7 yards per carry, but it is worth noting that one of the games saw him have an 11 yard per carry average. Dobbins is coming off of major knee surgery and was eased back into the lineup before having another setback and is expected to be out until December or maybe further. Justice Hill is enjoying a good season as well, even though he has not scored a TD, he is averaging 5.9 yards per attempt, but he had a crucial fumble that almost cost them the game against the Browns. Mike Davis has not been good this season, he has 8 carries for 18 yards and a fumble on the season. But Davis would provide a solid veteran depth option if the guys ahead of him were to get injured. This group has been steadily improving week to week, with Edwards expected to come back next week which should provide a boost to the running attack, and the way Drake and Hill have been running it, Ravens fans need not worry about the strength of the running game moving forward towards the end of the season.

Full Back:

Patrick Ricard – 66.4

A fan favorite, “Project Pat” or “Pancake Pat” is PFF’s highest graded Full Back. A 66 grade is not considered particularly good but he is first amongst only 9 qualified Full Backs. It is mostly a dying position in the NFL, but not for the Ravens. Ricard is one of the most integral parts of the successful running game the Ravens have. Even though the grade is somewhat low, he holds an 84.2 run blocking grade which is at least 20 grading points ahead of the next closest Full Back. Ricard has enjoyed a successful NFL career given his role, a throwback, tough player who literally will do anything the team asks of him. In 2019 he played defensive line and even recorded a few sacks. He is one of the most valuable players the Ravens have and is one of the main reasons the team has one of the top rushing attacks in the league.

Wide Receivers:

DeSean Jackson – 91.1*

Devin Duvernay – 74

Rashod Bateman – 61.6

Demarcus Robinson – 61.4

Binjimen Victor – 60.4*

Tylan Wallace – 55.7*

James Proche – 51.6*

(* indicates did not have snap minimum to qualify amongst players)

Duvernay easily leads this group as their most efficient wide receiver. He has 3 receiving touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and a kick return touchdown. He has been doing everything for the Ravens and the grade reflects it, he is 28th among all wide receivers in overall PFF grade out of 117 qualified players. The same can’t be said for the rest of the wideouts. Bateman, even when healthy had only one game above a 70 PFF grade, the rest were all under 63. He has been placed on season ending IR but you wonder if he is the answer at wideout, through two seasons he will have played a grand total of 18 games out of a possible 32. You hope has a fan he can come back and earn the first-round pick aspirations the team has for him. Robinson has played well at times but has completely nonexistent in some games. He only has 29 targets on the season. Victor, Wallace and Proche all have less than 70 snaps on the season and have not impressed thus far. Jackson is technically the Ravens’ highest graded wideout on a measly 4 snaps. For what it’s worth, he looked impressive on the 4 snaps he got vs the Saints. You can only hope he can provide a spark to a low volume passing game. I fully expect DeSean to have a patented 50+ yard TD in the coming future.

Tight Ends:

Mark Andrews – 84.5

Josh Oliver – 70.1

Isaiah Likely – 69.4

Nick Boyle – 53.3*

Andrews spearheads this list as the highest graded skill player on offense. His 84.5 grade is good for second best amongst tight ends, only behind future hall of famer, Travis Kelce. Andrews was PFF’s highest graded tight end last season and is continuing his elite play into this season. He missed the game against the Saints but is looking to make his return against the Panthers. Josh Oliver has been a pleasant surprise this season. His 70.1 grade is 14th best in the NFL. He has been a steady contributor when called upon and has made some spectacular plays this season. Isaiah Likely’s grade of 69.4 ranked 15th best in the league, one behind the aforementioned Oliver. Likely is still trying to carve a role out on this team. He showed his pre-draft promise vs the Bucs as he had 6 catches for 77 yards and a TD in route to an 87 grade. Likely has all the talent in the world but just needs to be more consistent. Nick Boyle has only 41 snaps this season and you wonder if his time in Baltimore is nearing an end. One of the best blocking tight ends in the league, Boyle has enjoyed a great career in Baltimore, but injuries have unfortunately caught up to him and he is barely playing anymore. Charlie Kolar is expected to be activated soon and could provide more depth to a much-needed pass catching group.

Offensive Lineman:

Tyler Linderbaum – 67.2

Kevin Zeitler – 72.3

Ben Powers – 58.8

Ronnie Stanley – 75.6

Morgan Moses – 75.4

Patrick Mekari – 73.4

This unit is currently ranked as the 4th best offensive line in the league. Since Stanley has come back, he has allowed only 2 pressures on 120 snaps and no sacks. He is truly back to his pre-injury form and has propelled the Ravens as one of the best offensive lines in the league. His grade of 75.6 is currently 16th among 80 qualified tackles. Moses has been just as good as the aforementioned Stanley. Moses has been a solid pass protector but he been a force as a run blocker. He and Stanley are a perfect complement to each other and should only good better as the season progresses. Zeitler has been a model of consistency throughout his whole career and this season is no different. He contributes well both as a pass protector and run blocker though he been a considerably better pass protector this season. Ben Powers has been an elite pass protector but a below average run blocker. Powers has 5 games over a 79-pass blocking grade but not a single game grade over 64 as a run blocker. He has been steadily improving in his career and the Ravens should still be happy with his play despite his limitations as a run blocker. Last but not least, Linderbaum. The rookie is currently PFF’s 12th graded overall Center. Linderbaum is a great run blocker as evidenced by his Thursday Night Football performance when he dismantled Devin White on a few run plays which made highlights all over Twitter. His only downfall, pass-pro. He has surrendered 13 pressures this season mostly due to his smaller frame when asked to block mammoths like Dexter Lawrence or Vita Vea. Everyone should still be encouraged by his play and he should only improve as his career progresses. But overall, this group has been one the best units in the entire league and should only get better as the season moves along.

The post Ravens Midseason PFF Report Card: Part 1: The Offense appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Highest Graded Player of the Week: Morgan Moses

Morgan Moses checks in as this week’s highest graded player with a mark of 93, his highest of the season. Moses has been a solid tackle all season but this game he just blew up. He had a run blocking grade of 95, which is his highest run blocking grade of his 9-year career. The Ravens simply dominated the Saints up front and Moses led the way with his outstanding run blocking effort. He also was solid in the pass blocking department, he only surrendered one pressure on 24 drop backs. Moses had a complete game and was deserving of the highest graded player this week. He currently holds a 75 overall grade on the season which is ranked 18th overall amongst 78 eligible tackles. He and the entire offensive line played well and will be rewarded with a much-needed bye week coming up.

Second Highest Graded Player of the Week: Calais Campbell

Campbell finishes as the second highest graded player this week with a PFF grade of 89.6, his highest grade of the season. Campbell was a complete force in this game. He generated 2 pressures, one hit, one batted pass and a bone crushing sack on Andy Dalton. The entire Ravens front had an excellent showing but Campbell was a force all night long. Campbell currently has a 14.8 pass rush win percentage which ranks 18th amongst all interior defenders in the NFL, and he has the tenth overall pass rush grade amongst all interior defenders as well. The Ravens front 7 is slowly getting better and better as the season continues and Campbell is the anchor. He and the front 7 have a bye this week then will have a juicy matchup at home vs the struggling Panthers.

Third Highest Graded Player of the Week: Kevin Zeitler

Zeitler rounds off this list by finishing with a PFF grade of 85.7, like the 2 players above him, it is also his highest graded game of the season. It was a perfectly balanced game in terms of grading for Zeitler. He finished with an 80 run-blocking grade and an 81-pass blocking grade. A pillar of consistency throughout his entire career, Zeitler has only one season where he has graded under a 72 overall. This season his PFF grade is, you guessed it, 72 overall which ranks tenth overall amongst all guards. He only surrendered one pressure this game and was stout vs the run. The Ravens lost Marshal Yanda due to retirement but have replaced him with one of the most consistent players in the NFL since 2012. Zeitler and the offensive line have turned into one the best units in the league. They currently rank as a top 3 unit overall in PFF’s offensive line rankings.

Other Notable High Grades:

Lamar Jackson: 81.6

Kenyan Drake: 79.8

Tyler Linderbaum: 73.3 (his highest graded game this season)

Jason Pierre-Paul: 88.3 (played only 7 snaps but had 2 pressures)

Patrick Queen: 85.1 (6 tackles, zero missed tackles)

Roquan Smith: 82.6 (also had a team high run defense grade of 87.5)

Kyle Hamilton: 81.4 (currenly ranked as PFF’s 6th graded overall Safety)

Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Odafe Oweh

Oweh comes in as the lowest graded player this week. He finished the game with a mark of 42.2, his second worst grade of the season. The Front 7 had a solid game but Oweh unfortunately was not a reason why. He was pretty much shut down all game and barely won any one-on-one matchups. He only managed two pressures on 19 pass-rush snaps and was also a liability in run defense, though he only had 8 snaps in run defense, he graded poorly regardless. Oweh is still a promising young player but he has not had a good season thus far. He currently has a 53.3 overall PFF grade which ranked 94th out of 115 qualified players. He is graded poorly in both run defense and pass rushing; his run defense grade is 48.2, and his pass-rushing grade is 66.1 which is not horrible but it is slightly inflated by one really good game where he managed a 90-pass rushing grade, the rest have all been under 70 and multiple games in the 50’s. He’ll look to rebound after the bye week vs the lowly Panthers.

Second Highest Graded Player of the Week: Ben Powers

Powers comes in with a PFF grade of 46.3, his second lowest grade of the season. Powers allowed 2 pressures and 2 hurries in route to a poor pass blocking performance and an equally bad run blocking performance. But Powers has been a force as a pass protector this season. He still has not allowed a sack and has only given up 7 pressures all season. He currently has an 83.8 pass blocking grade on the season which is one the highest amongst guards in the NFL but in contrast has been a liability as a run blocker with a season grade of 47. Powers has been improving since his rookie season and will look to have a solid outing in 2 weeks vs the Panthers.

Third Lowest Graded Player of the Week: Chuck Clark

Clark finishes off this week’s list by managing a final game grade of 46.5, his lowest grade of the season. Clark did not make any noticeable plays on 51 snaps. He was the culprit of the defensive pass interference in the first quarter that led to an interception by Hamilton. Clark has been solid as a tackler and run defender but has done next to nothing in coverage. His PFF grade has been dropping steadily but I would not look too much into the grade. He wears the green dot for the team and does an excellent job of getting everyone lined up. He is a perfect example of why the PFF grade does not tell the whole story of a player’s worth. You would like to see him perform better but he is grading well in other areas and has the full confidence from the coaching staff. The safety unit as a whole has played amazing all year and Clark is the leader of that unit.

The Ravens will now have a bye week to get rested up in some key positions before taking on the Panthers at home in 2 weeks. The team should expect to get David Ojabo back soon to further bolster the pass rush. They should also expect to get back Gus Edwards and maybe even Charlie Kolar. The only concerning thing about this game was the Ravens leading receiver only had 24 yards, Isaiah Likely. But the game script was focused on the run so maybe this was just a blip. The team still dominated a team on the road and held a double-digit lead. As a fanbase, we cannot complain. The Ravens are getting outstanding contributions from rookies and vets alike. They’ll look to continue the dominant play after the bye.

The post Analytical Review of Ravens at Saints appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Key #1: The Ravens Pass Blocking

The Ravens are currently ranked second by PFF in overall pass blocking. They currently hold a cumulative team grade of 76.5 which is second to only the Philadelphia Eagles. The reason this is imperative is because the Saints hold a bottom 12 pass rushing grade on the season. Ronnie Stanley, Ben Powers and Kevin Zeitler all hold PFF pass blocking grades of 81 or better. Conversely, the Saints only have one pass rusher that holds a PFF pass rushing grade of above 70, (Marcus Davenport). The rest are all below 66. The Ravens should be able to give Lamar plenty of time to find Mark Andrews and hopefully DeSean Jackson for a possible deep shot. If the Ravens can run the ball like usual and protect Lamar Jackson against a below average pass blocking unit, they should easily be able to win the game. But it is never easy with the Ravens when it comes to closing a game. But expect the pass blocking unit to dominate once again.

Key #2: Limiting Andy Dalton

Andy Dalton has a long history of playing the Ravens. He is 8-8 all time vs the Ravens and has had some memorable games and some games The Ravens Flock never want to discuss. Dalton is currently PFF’s number 6 graded QB on the season. He is proving he is a much better option than Jameis Winston so far. Dalton will face the Ravens #16 ranked coverage unit, which is an improvement because they were near the bottom of league through the first few games. If the Ravens can limit Chris Olave and force other players to beat them then I think the Ravens can have a distinct advantage in this contest. The X-factor might be Alvin Kamara who can take over a game with his elite receiving ability. The addition of Smith might have been very timely for the Ravens as he has been a top ten graded off-ball linebacker in coverage since entering the league. The Ravens Front 7 will need to attack Dalton and force him into some mistakes to create some extra possessions for the offense who should have their way with the Saints defense as mentioned earlier.

Key #3: Justin Tucker

Normally I would never include a kicker as being a key to a game but Justin Tucker isn’t an average kicker. The Ravens get to play in a dome in this contest which is worth talking about because the last time Justin Tucker kicked in a dome, he set the all-time record by making a 66 yarder to win the game against Detroit last season. It is strange to think that a team can receive a kick after a touchback, start at the 25-yard line and only need 25 yards to be in scoring range. But with tucker, that’s a real possibility. Not that I expect the Ravens to not score touchdowns, but if they get inside the 50, they can maybe experiment different plays because they know if they do not convert those plays, they have a kicker who can easily make kicks over 55 yards. Tucker is currently 5-7 on kicks over 50+ yards and one was a block. It gives Ravens fans piece of mind knowing they have the greatest kickers of all time on their roster.

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