If you think the 24-22 final score was indicative of how close this game really was, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

Here are five thoughts from the Ravens second straight defeat, and fifth straight game that not much went right for them, leaving Baltimore 2-3 over that stretch and falling to 8-5 on the year. Somehow, still atop the AFC North standings for another week.

Discuss your thoughts on these topics on our message board.

1. Immediate attention turns to Lamar Jackson, and the severity of the ankle injury.

Jackson left the game in the first quarter after being tackled from behind, down low around the ankles, after he got a throw off while scrambling. He tried to walk it off which was a good sign. Then after he went to the medical tent, he exited sans right shoe, onto the cart without being able to bear any weight on the right foot, which is not a good sign.

Coach John Harbaugh said post game it was an ankle sprain. As we all know, those can come in various types. With four games to go, a high ankle sprain may end his regular season.

We’ll find out more this week. But I have some questions. Has the ankle been bothering him for some time and was he playing through something? I didn’t notice until Tyler Huntley made a couple runs in the third quarter that I was thinking, those moves look much more explosive than Lamar has been in a few weeks. Despite the crap O-line out there blocking for both. Jackson often will try to take off up the middle and gets stopped before getting back to the line. Was it the ankle hampering him, and did it finally give way on that tackle?

Either way, feel nothing but bad for him, gutting it out all season with a bad supporting cast. The only reason the Ravens are in the playoff conversation is because of him, period. Unfortunately, with all the injuries this season, it almost seemed like a matter of time.

2. Tyler Huntley gives you a chance.

Would you believe me if I told you that Huntley had a better game than Baker Mayfield? I guess that’s not all that surprising when you say it out loud.

Huntley: 7.1 Y/A, 57.4 QBR, 99.7 RTG

Mayfield: 5.9 Y/A, 57.2 QBR, 91.9 RTG

The Ravens second year, backup quarterback is 1-0 as a starter entering the game, and this game marked his third game action of the season. He basically played a starters share throwing 38 passes. Had the Ravens not been in a 21-point deficit, perhaps this game end a little different.

Don’t get it twisted. He has some growing to do. He missed the mark a few times today. The blindside hit late in the first half led to a scoop and score for the Browns defense. But…he has posted some better numbers today than Jackson has is his last five games. Before Jackson left, he completed all four of his passes for only 4.3 Y/A, and only collected five yards on two carries. Huntley went for 7.1 Y/A, and 45 yards on six carries. Jackson hasn’t had more than 6.8 Y/A in his last five starts. He hasn’t thrown for more than one TD in his last four. Huntley completed 71.1% of his passes today, and 72.2% in his start in Chicago. Though Jackson was 4/4 today, he’s only been better than 70% completion rate twice this year. Against the Colts and Chargers in weeks 5 and 6 respectively.

Don’t get it twisted. There is no quarterback controversy in Baltimore. But all you ask of your backup is to give you a chance. Huntley can do that. That begs the question…

3. If Lamar Jackson could play, but would benefit from the week off, do you start Huntley against the Packers?

It’s a good question. One guy hasn’t been able to overcome the shortcomings of this team for over a month. And the other when called upon is doing, okay.

Following the Packers game at home next week, comes a road game at the Bengals. For division standings purposes, for playoff tiebreaking scenarios, the Bengals game is of far more importance.

It comes down to the seriousness of Jackson’s injury. He may be announced as out for the Packers game early in the week. He may not practice all week and end up a game time decision.

I think it also comes down to the questions I posed earlier. Has Jackson been far less than 100% for some time and fighting through it? If that is the case, he also won’t be anywhere near 100% coming into the Packers game. Maybe I give him a week off. If he’s been at 75% for a few weeks, we’ve seen it, and it sucks. Get back to 100% with three games left against two division opponents, and maybe like a fresh bodied Tyler Huntley, he can look like the Superman Lamar again, and not the Clark Kent version we’ve seen for a month.

I wouldn’t rule out starting Huntley, but dressing Lamar Jackson in case of emergency. But I don’t think this coaching staff wants to answer those questions that would follow, although it’s hundred times easier to justify than their ridiculous stance on when to go for two-point conversions.

4. You must know where you stand?

Last week, John Harbaugh justified his decision to win or lose the game on one play, rather than extending the game, on the fact that they were out of corners after an injured Marlon Humphrey left the game on the final Steelers drive. Still awaiting the follow up question, what if Humphrey went down on the first play of the game?

This week, trailing 24-15 after scoring a fourth quarter touchdown that I think was snaked from Rashod Bateman had they looked at it, Harbaugh went for two, to make it a seven-point game. Or miss it, and it stays a nine point and two possession game with under nine-minutes to play. Often that can mean an onside kick is coming into play.

Of course, the Ravens missed because they aren’t good, and Harbaugh justified it by saying you want to know where you stand.

Harbaugh can play poker with me anytime. “I’ll call your raise; I have to know where I stand. It absolutely cannot wait another hand.” Well, here is where you stand. Up. So you can get your wallet out if you want to keep playing.

Your options are:

a) make it one possession game with Justin Tucker, 98.9% on extra points.

b) risk making it a two-possession game with a two point try with your backup quarterback in the game.

You don’t need to know where you stand. You need to know math! Elemantary school math at that. You are down 15. You need a seven and an eight in some order. Seven is easy. Eight is hard.  It’s a 9-point deficit after the touchdown. If you miss the “eight”, when the “seven” is about automatic, you can’t extend the game with an eight anymore, and you invite the onside kick into play. Congrats on Justin Tucker converting one. The first time in 20 years the Ravens have recovered one!

I don’t give a damn about win probability in that moment because should the defense not do their job, even if you converted the two, it’s moot anyway.

Furthermore. This article from fivethirtyeight.com posted on our message board by one of our loyal posters, explains everything you need to know about going for two.

TL:DR – “When down 9 points late-ish, there’s a case that you should go for 2, because being down 8, you would have to go for 2 to draw even eventually anyway, and it’s better to know whether you converted your attempt earlier so you can make tactical adjustments. Although this logic seems sound, the data doesn’t suggest the effect is very significant (if it exists at all).

The Ravens analytics team, or John Harbaugh himself didn’t finish this paragraph. In other words, it sounds nice, but means squat. You also know where you stand if you kick the extra point.

The win probability for the Ravens would have gone up 2.9% if they kick the extra point. It would have gone up 3.3% if they converted the two point try. That’s right. Harbaugh risked bringing the onside kick into play and making it a two-possession game, to increase win probability ZERO POINT FOUR PERCENT!!!!

I can maybe forgive the try at the end of the Steelers game, assuming overtime gives each team a 50% chance to win before the coin toss. So, by going for the win, your win probability is going from 50% to 100% (or 0% which it did). But to increase it 0.4%, versus basically needing to recover your first onside kick in 20 years to have a chance. You will never ever sell me on that call.

Part of me thinks he went for two hoping they’d make it, so that they could also find themselves in the same exact situation as they did in the Steelers game a week ago. Down by one after the last touchdown and a minute to go, and he could go for two and win or lose right there again. He’d have to, right? They didn’t add a viable cornerback this week, so still short, right?

Enough with this nonsense. You don’t go for two until you need to go for two, period.

5. Hey look! A Rashod Bateman sighting!

He’s out of the doghouse. Or Marquise Brown isn’t Tyler Huntley’s best friend. Mark Andrews still got his (11/115). But Bateman was second on the team in catches with seven on eight targets. He goes for 103 yards on the day, and some of these catches on very well defended throws that the rookie won the battle for.

Bateman truly is the X-receiver on this team. He has the traits asked of the X. He’ll win the one-on-one battles. He’ll catch the ball in traffic. He’ll do some things after the catch. The faster Greg Roman and company get that through their skulls, the faster this offense gets back on track. It wasn’t long after a couple great catches by Bateman, that Marquise Brown, his complement, found himself open for two deep shots. His role. Balls that Huntley just overthrew, but the opportunity was there. Opportunity not there when you treat Brown as the X, ask all 5’9” of him to win contested catches in the short and intermediate range

Mike Randall
Mike Randall

Ravens Analyst

Mike was born on the Eastern Shore, raised in Finksburg, and currently resides in Parkville. In 2009, Mike graduated from the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland. Mike became a Baltimore City Fire Fighter in late 2010. Mike has appeared as a guest on Q1370, and FOX45. Now a Sr. Ravens Analyst for BSL, he can be reached at [email protected].

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