The Ravens beat Atlanta 30-23 in overtime on Sunday night and are 4-1. With Lamar Jackson out with his left ankle, Tyler Huntley threw a 7-yard touchdown to Devontez Walker with 40 seconds left, Derrick Henry ran in the two-point conversion, and Huntley scored from the 1 in overtime. Kyle Hamilton intercepted Tua Tagovailoa two plays later to end it.
Cleveland lost 17-12 to the Jets in the rain, so Baltimore is alone in first place in the AFC North. Cincinnati won 31-24 in Miami and Pittsburgh beat Indianapolis 34-22, which leaves the other three teams at 3-2.
You win a game in the NFL, you feel good.
You win a game in the NFL with your backup QB, on the road; that feels like a bonus.
It was a rough night for Mark Andrews, and the Ravens Defense continues to be too passive.
Still, the ultimate story is being able to leave Atlanta with a win.
What Happened
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens | 3 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 30 |
| Falcons | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 23 |
Baltimore opened with 62 yards in 10 plays and had first-and-goal at the 8. Henry ran 7 yards to the 1, lost 2 on a direct snap, and Huntley threw incomplete to Mark Andrews on third down. Tyler Loop kicked a 21-yard field goal.
Two possessions later Andrews caught a 9-yard pass, Sydney Brown knocked the ball loose, and Jessie Bates III returned it 36 yards for a touchdown. Michael Penix Jr. was 0 for 4 on Atlanta’s first three possessions, per AP, and the Falcons punted on all three.
Loop hit from 51 to make it 7-6. Atlanta then went 78 yards in nine plays, with Penix 5 for 5: Drake London for 25 on third-and-3, Jahan Dotson for 36 on third-and-6, and Kyle Pitts for the 5-yard touchdown on third-and-goal. Loop’s second 51-yarder ended the half at 14-9, after a Bateman false start had pushed the kick back 5 yards.
Atlanta received the second-half kickoff. Bijan Robinson ran 38 yards to the 3, and the defense held from there: Robinson lost 2, Penix threw incomplete to left tackle Jake Matthews, who had reported eligible in his 200th straight start, and then to Dotson. Folk kicked from 23.
Baltimore answered in five plays. Justice Hill ran 47 yards on third-and-1, and Huntley found Henry for an 18-yard touchdown. The two-point pass to Andrews was incomplete, and it was 17-15. Atlanta went for it on fourth-and-2 at the Baltimore 39 and Penix’s throw to Woerner fell incomplete.
The fourth quarter belonged to Atlanta until the last two minutes. The Falcons held the ball for 8:23 on a 16-play drive that spanned the quarter break, kicked a field goal, forced a three-and-out, and kicked another from 48 with 2:31 left to lead 23-15.
The tying drive started badly. Emery Jones Jr.’s hold made it first-and-20 from the 19, then Xavier Watts was called for interference on a deep ball to Zay Flowers, a 29-yard penalty. Huntley went short from there: Bateman for 11, Flowers for 4, Bateman for 7, Andrews for 3, and Bateman for 20 to the 7. Walker caught the touchdown on the next play. Henry ran around left end for the two points.
Atlanta got one more chance. Penix hit Dotson for 18, then Tavius Robinson sacked him and forced a fumble that Atlanta recovered. Penix was hurt on the play, Tagovailoa came in for one snap, and the Falcons punted with 8 seconds left.
Baltimore received in overtime and drove 68 yards in 14 plays, using 7:03. Andrews converted a third-and-3, Flowers a third-and-6, and Henry ran for 11 and 7. Huntley scored on second-and-goal from the 1. Atlanta still got a possession. Tagovailoa hit London for 20, and Hamilton intercepted the next throw at the Baltimore 40.
Without Jackson
Last week I wrote that if Jackson couldn’t go, the plan should start with feeding Henry and look for quick throws to the weapons. That’s the game Declan Doyle called.
Baltimore ran 35 times for 208 yards. Henry had 24 carries for 102, and Hill had 73 on four carries, including 21 on third-and-3 and 47 on third-and-1. Huntley completed 24 of 32 for 201 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. His longest completion went 20 yards, and he averaged 8.4 yards per completion.
The third-down number is the change from last week. The offense converted 8 of 15, after going 2 of 10 against Tennessee and 1 of 6 with Huntley in the second half.
The extra lineman showed up five times: Vinson reported as eligible four times and Edoga once. Henry had four carries for 23 yards with Vinson in. In last week’s Takeaways I asked for additional blockers and larger sets.
Henry’s carries came in two bunches. He ran 9 times for 49 yards in the first quarter, 8 times for 21 over the next three, and 7 times for 32 in overtime. Between his touchdown catch late in the third quarter and the tying drive, the offense had two possessions, six plays and 5 yards, while Atlanta held the ball for more than 15 of those 19 minutes.
Huntley was sacked three times, by Ivey, Kendal Daniels and Ebukam, and Flowers went down once on a throw of his own. Daniels, the rookie linebacker we flagged last week, was also in on four Henry tackles.
Flowers caught 8 of 9 targets for 53 yards and ran once for 13. His longest play didn’t count in his line: Baltimore took the 29-yard interference penalty on the tying drive over his 26-yard catch, as Bill Barnwell pointed out.
“There’s not a locker room in the NFL that has more confidence in their backup quarterback than we have in Snoop,” Jesse Minter said after the game.
On our board, everytime Huntley starts a game there is lots of consternation about his limitations. It’s understood there is no arm strength, and that certainly is an issue.
But I think you have to appreciate him for what he provides. If Jackson was down for any length of time, the Ravens wouldn’t be able to get past that. Huntley certainly wouldn’t hold-up as a starter week-in, week-out.
But to come in for a Week or two at a time, and give the team a chance, he’s proven he’s capable of that, and that has real value. Atlanta did a lot blitzing late, and he handled that well.
OC Declan Doyle continues to impress. He’s had a strong five weeks to begin his Ravens career. Loved him going right at backup corner Mike Ford as soon as he came in.
TE Josh Cuevas had 2 grabs for 26 yards. As we get into the middle part of this season, it feels like he and fellow Rookie Matthew Hibner are going to have to be increasingly involved.
Going back to Flowers, he’s been terrific this season. Despite missing the Week 2 game vs. the Saints, he’s on pace for 88 catches and nearly 1,400 yards. He’s averaging 15.6 yards per catch.
Most importantly he’s electric with every touch. I said before the season I didn’t view him as a true #1. I guess my thinking was I appreciated him as a playmaker, was glad he had extended; but felt he was more ideally suited as an elite 2nd WR on a championship team. I did say you could win with him as your best WR, and that was all that matters – but overall my take was bad. How many WR’s would you take over him at this point? There are probably 5-7 guys you would prefer if you could have one vs. the other, but beyond that group he compares favorably vs. anyone else. He’d be further helped if Jakobi Lane can get healthy, and give defenses something else to pay some attention to opposite of him.
Short Yardage & The Rushing Offense In General
Last week we said short yardage had improved, with Henry converting five of seven carries with 1 or 2 yards to go. This week he converted one of four, and the quarterback did the work.
| Situation | Play | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd and goal, Falcons’ 1 (1st) | Henry, direct snap | Loss of 2 |
| 2nd and 1, own 44 (1st) | Henry, direct snap | No gain |
| 3rd and 1, own 44 (1st) | Huntley run | 2 yards, first down |
| 3rd and 1, own 23 (1st) | Huntley to Walker | 2 yards, first down |
| 2nd and 1, own 34 (2nd) | Henry | 4 yards, first down |
| 3rd and 1, own 41 (2nd) | Huntley run | 15 yards |
| 3rd and 1, own 35 (3rd) | Hill | 47 yards |
| Two-point try (4th) | Henry | Good |
| 2nd and 1, own 41 (OT) | Henry | Loss of 2 |
| 2nd and goal, Falcons’ 1 (OT) | Huntley | Touchdown |
Both direct snaps to Henry came on the first two drives, and both failed. The first came at the 1, and that drive ended in a field goal.
The tying two-point run worked. The play-by-play lists it only as Henry around left end. AP says he took a direct snap, and @devpanchwagh describes an offset Wildcat with Flowers next to Henry and rookie tight end Matt Hibner in front, with the fake to Flowers slowing the defense on Henry’s side.
Huntley went 3 for 3 on his own carries with 1 to go, including the overtime touchdown.
Going beyond the short-yardage rushing, the ground attack had a strong night.
208 rushing yard for the Ravens against a Falcons defense which had been stingy against opposing rushers so far this year. Atlanta was 6th overall in run stop win rate entering the weekend, and led the NFL in run defense.
Henry finished with 102 yards on 24 carries, and Justice Hill had 73 on his 4 attempts – including the long of 47.
Penalties
Baltimore was flagged five times for 40 yards, a week after 13 for 131. The defense had none accepted, after six for 90 against Tennessee.
- Offense: Ronnie Stanley’s hold on an incompletion late in the first half, Bateman’s false start before the halftime kick, Jones’ hold on the first snap of the tying drive, and a delay of game before a punt.
- Special teams: Trenton Simpson’s hold on a kickoff return.
Atlanta was flagged seven times for 67 yards. Watts’ 29-yard interference call was the biggest, on the tying drive, and it gave Baltimore its only first down by penalty.
The Defense
Atlanta scored one offensive touchdown and none after halftime. Its other 16 points came on Bates’ fumble return and three field goals. The Falcons were 1 of 3 in the red zone, the defense had three sacks, and Hamilton’s interception ended the game.
Third down is where it went wrong. Atlanta converted 9 of 17, and all four of its third downs needing 10 yards or more.
| Situation | Play | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd and 11, own 34 (3rd) | Penix to Pitts | 13 yards |
| 3rd and 10, own 32 (4th) | Penix to London | 13 yards |
| 3rd and 15, own 40 (4th) | Penix to London | 19 yards |
| 3rd and 10, own 18 (4th) | Penix to Zachariah Branch | 23 yards |
London caught seven passes for 118 yards on 11 targets. Five of those catches converted third downs, for 86 yards, and four came on the 16-play drive that took 8:23 at the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth. The play-by-play shows who made the tackle on those catches, not who was in coverage.
“I don’t think we played good, for real. The third down stuff was crazy,” Hamilton said, per Jeff Zrebiec. Minter blamed himself for some of the third-down problems.
Robinson ran 17 times for 86 yards. Two runs, of 20 and 38 yards, account for 58 of them; his other 15 carries gained 28. The 38-yarder put Atlanta at the 3, and the Falcons kicked a field goal.
The three sacks came after one in each of the previous two games, again without Trey Hendrickson. Mike Green had one in the second quarter, Trenton Simpson one in the third, and Tavius Robinson the strip-sack that hurt Penix with 27 seconds left. On Penix’s last throw of regulation, Green beat Matthews and forced the throwaway, per @ColeJacksonFB.
Marlon Humphrey played after returning to practice Friday, and the play-by-play credits him on the fourth-and-2 incompletion that gave Baltimore the ball in the third quarter.
Minter was questioned repeatedly for not bringing more pressure and for playing big, soft zones.
Anytime the Ravens had pressure, Penix looked uncomfortable.
Anytime he had time to throw, there were easy completions to be made.
Was good to see Green active. T. Robinson continues to make plays.
Nnamdi Madubuike had a QB hit, as did Travis Jones; but I thought it was a quiet night for Jones.
Malaki Starks was credited with 6 solo tackles, and 2 tackles for loss.
Roquan Smith had 5 tackles, but you didn’t feel him making an impact.
Hamilton bails the Ravens out repeatedly.
He needs a couple of his teammates to show up a bit more consistently around him.
I feel Minter could help with that, but installing a more aggressive mindset for the Ravens Defense.
This is my own bias showing, but I feel defensive players are generally more effective when their movements are instinctual vs. reactionary.
Go to the ball. Hit someone.
There is too much talent (and percentage of the Ravens salary cap) on the defensive side to not ask for more.
It’s only been a few weeks overall. Maybe that improves naturally with increasing continuity.
Last Week’s Things To Watch
We listed six. Here’s how each came out.
- Jackson’s ankle. He didn’t practice and was ruled out Friday. Huntley started.
- Humphrey’s calf, and who covers London. Humphrey played. London had 118 yards.
- Right guard. Andrew Vorhees was inactive, and Jones made his first career start. His hold came on the tying drive.
- Robinson on early downs. Fourteen first-down carries for 84 yards, but 26 yards on the 12 that weren’t his two long runs.
- Penalties. Five for 40.
- Finishing. This time Baltimore scored with 40 seconds left. The defense then stopped Atlanta’s last drive of regulation and its overtime possession, after allowing two fourth-quarter field-goal drives.
Takeaways
Huntley. 24 of 32, two touchdown passes, no interceptions, and the winning score himself. He moved the chains on third down and threw short all night, which is what the game plan asked of him.
Bateman. Six targets, five catches, 62 yards. Three of the catches came on the tying drive, for 38 yards.
Loop. Three of three on field goals, two from 51, a week after the miss from 40.
Hamilton. The interception to end it, in the city where he grew up.
Andrews. Not a good night. Dropped a TD, had the fumble that led to Atlanta’s first score, dropped the 2 point conversion. For his career he’s averaged 12.1 yards per catch. That dropped to 8.8 last year. It’s 8.0 this year through 5 games. He’s had 30 targets through these 5 games. He’s going to be out there plenty, but feel like the rookie TE’s are going to start eating into the targets. Likely followed Harbaugh to the Giants because he wanted to be the guy. The Ravens extended Andrews last year because they couldn’t get Likely to lock in. It feels like the Ravens should have told Likely he’s was going to be the lead option at TE.
Minter. It ended well enough, but I was surprised the Ravens elected to receive in OT. I’d like to hear more about that decision. Presumably the intent was to keep a tired Falcons defense on the field. Atlanta certainly looked tired of tackling Henry at that point. One reason it surprised me was that even if the Ravens scored as they did, the Falcons would have their opportunity to score, knowing they had 4 downs to play with every series. Hamilton’s quick interception ended things. Was great to see the Ravens dominate the ball, and impose their will there on that OT drive.
Week 6: At Cleveland
The Ravens play the Browns next Sunday, Oct. 18th, at 1 p.m. ET on FOX at Huntington Bank Field. DraftKings has Baltimore as a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 40.5. ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor gives the Ravens a 65.8% chance to win.
The Ravens vs. their former Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken.
Cleveland hired Monken after his three seasons running Baltimore’s offense. It’s his first NFL Head Coaching job, and his second stint in Cleveland after a year as offensive coordinator in 2019. He replaced Kevin Stefanski, whom we saw last night in Atlanta.
Monken brought a Raven with him. His Offensive Coordinator is Travis Switzer, who spent nine seasons in Baltimore and was its run game coordinator. The defensive coordinator is Mike Rutenberg; Baltimore native Jim Schwartz resigned after being passed over for the head job.
How Cleveland got to 3-2
| Week | Opponent | Result | Watson |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | at Jacksonville | L 34-10 | 16 of 22, 205 yards, TD, INT; sacked 5 times |
| 2 | at Tampa Bay | W 23-19 | 24 of 30, 238 yards, 2 TD; go-ahead TD to Blake Whiteheart late |
| 3 | Carolina | W 21-18 | 16 of 30, 144 yards, 2 TD; go-ahead TD to Harold Fannin Jr. with 1:48 left |
| 4 | Pittsburgh | W 27-24 | Szmyt’s 56-yarder won it with 10 seconds left |
| 5 | at N.Y. Jets | L 17-12 | 15 of 33, 155 yards, TD; sacked 8 times |
The three wins came by four, three and three points, and Cleveland has been outscored 112-93. At 3-1 the Browns were still 19th in our rankings and 24th in DVOA. Watson won the job over Shedeur Sanders in camp and is starting for the first time since tearing his Achilles twice.
The Browns are 3-2 after losing 17-12 to the Jets in a steady rain. Watson was sacked eight times, three by rookie David Bailey.
Cleveland led late. Watson’s 29-yard touchdown to rookie Denzel Boston made it 12-10 with 6:15 left, though Andre Szmyt hit the upright on the extra point. Carson Schwesinger then forced a fumble that Adin Huntington recovered. The Browns went three-and-out, a high snap got past punter Corey Bojorquez, and Braelon Allen scored from 22 yards three plays after the Jets recovered.
When Cleveland has the ball
The Browns came out of the game hurt. Rookie first-round receiver KC Concepcion was knocked out by a Minkah Fitzpatrick hit on his second drive, and Monken assumed he was in the concussion protocol. Running back Raheim Sanders (hip) and right tackle Tytus Howard (knee) left in the fourth quarter.
The line was young before the injuries. Cleveland started two rookies in Week 1, first-round pick Spencer Fano at left tackle and third-round pick Austin Barber at right guard, with Teven Jenkins out with a back injury, per Newsweek. Jenkins and center Parker Brailsford were both inactive in New York.
The run game hasn’t carried them. Quinshon Judkins had 33 yards on 12 carries in Jacksonville and 21 on 12 in Tampa. Watson led the team in rushing in Week 1 and ran 11 times for 45 yards against Carolina. In New York he had a 20-yard scramble and an 11-yard run, per Dawgs By Nature.
Watson’s biggest throws have gone to rookies and tight ends. Boston has touchdowns of 55 yards in Tampa and 29 against the Jets. Fannin caught both touchdowns against Carolina, including the winner. Concepcion was the 24th pick out of Texas A&M, and in camp the Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling compared Monken’s plans for him to how he used Flowers in Baltimore, per TheOBR. If Concepcion can’t go, Watson’s targets are Boston, Isaiah Bond, Jerry Jeudy and Fannin.
In Atlanta, Baltimore allowed four third-down conversions needing 10 yards or more.
When Baltimore has the ball
Cleveland’s pass rush is the concern. In Week 4 the Browns sacked Aaron Rodgers five times and hit him 10 times, using five-man pressure with man coverage, as Mike McCarthy described it. In New York, Quincy Williams forced three fumbles, and Maliek Collins, Huntington, Sam Kamara and Schwesinger all got to Geno Smith, per Dawgs By Nature.
It’s a different front from the one Baltimore saw last year. Cleveland traded Myles Garrett to the Rams for edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second and a 2029 third. Garrett had a record 23 sacks last season. Verse made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons with the Rams.
Mason Graham led the Browns with four sacks, six tackles for loss and five quarterback hits through three games, then sprained his MCL and ankle against Pittsburgh. The team calls him week to week, per Browns.com. He missed the Jets game, as did Mike Hall Jr., who sacked Rodgers in Week 4. Graham’s status for Sunday is open.
In the secondary, safety Ronnie Hickman ended the Carolina game with an interception and recovered a fumble in New York. Grant Delpit broke up a third-and-12 throw to Garrett Wilson.
Baltimore’s line allowed three sacks of Huntley in Atlanta. Cam Jurgens is expected to make his debut this week, per Ravens.com, after the trade from Philadelphia, if he clears the concussion protocol.
Things To Watch
- Jackson’s ankle. The practice reports on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and whether Huntley makes a second start.
- Jurgens. Whether he clears the protocol, and who moves when he plays center. Ioane had a tough night snapping.
- The protection. Cleveland’s pressure got to Rodgers 10 times in Week 4, and Huntley was sacked three times in Atlanta.
- Third downs on defense. Atlanta converted 9 of 17. The Jets got to Watson repeatedly yesterday, you’d like to see the Ravens do the same.
- Cleveland’s injury list. Graham, Howard and Concepcion.
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.