It’s really enjoyable watching tape when the home team drubs a top-level opponent. There was a lot to love. The Ravens are brimming with potential as both the offensive and defensive units made real leaps last week. I touch on a handful of warts, but it’s mostly good stuff out of the Bills’ game.
A Lot to Love: Best Players Last Week
Derrick Henry was obviously phenomenal. After the Ravens signed Derrick Henry, I posted a piece with the claim that Henry was the perfect player for a Lamar-led offense. I take no bows because it seemed obvious – but the Henry signing (barring injury) will be seen as the best free agent signing league-wide in the offseason. A bit more on Henry and the offense below.
On the defensive side, last week witnessed the best game I’ve seen from Marlon Humphrey in probably three years. Marlon was fast and decisive. He was in perfect position on virtually every play. He blanketed his assignments, broke on the ball well, stayed attached without grabbing, and gave great run support when needed. Humphrey was simply dominant. I noted him on more plays than I can count.
A Lot To Love, Part II – The Secondary is Coming Together
The Ravens have a ton of talent on the back end. Through the first three weeks there were simply too many mental mistakes, including bunches from Roquan Smith in zone coverages. Against Buffalo, Humphrey and Brandon Stephens were brilliant, and Nate Wiggins (but for one big mistake that I noted), wasn’t far behind. Stephens continues to offer fantastic man coverage down the field, losing out only on back shoulder throws because he doesn’t turn back to the ball.
Zach Orr toned down his demands on Wiggins and it paid off. Against the Cowboys Wiggins was matched man-up against Cee Dee Lamb inside of some zone packages. He was lost and uncertain. But against the Bills (granted, they don’t have a Lamb), he was tasked primarily with pure zone responsibilities. Wiggins handled his assignments with great aplomb, with two passes falling out of his hands (note to Wiggins: catching those balls are big plays!). Wiggins consistently made the correct reads, was in the proper spot, and played very well. Against the Bengals, I would task Wiggins the same way, avoiding man match-ups (for now) with Chase and Higgins.
Supporting roles by Eddie Jackson and Ar’Darius Washington were well casted. Jackson also improved on his understanding of responsibilities inside of the various zone schemes. And Washington continues to look very quick, decisive, and aggressive.
One last point. Give Orr credit in the Bills game for his adjustment on passing downs. Trenton Simpson largely comes off the field now, replaced by a sixth defensive back. This is not a knock, per se, on Simpson. But the Ravens are stronger with Washington or Jackson on the field on passing downs.
The Ravens secondary can become a top (if not the top) unit in the league if each player stays mentally sharp.
A Little Downer – Roquan Smith in Pass Defense
So far this year I see a Smith who is a tad slower to react (overall). He continues to guess a bit watching quarterback eyes, allowing himself to be moved out of place and yielding routes that he should have handled. The Bills were unable to regularly attack the vulnerability offered by Smith due to the game situation and the strength of the Ravens’ pressures. But Smith being out of position in zone packages was again notable on tape. Expect the Bengals to go right after Smith until he proves otherwise.
Now Roquan has been adequate (though not sensational) in run support. He’s brought the wood on occasion, including once against the Bills. But we are not seeing dominance. The Ravens defense does not own the middle the way it did last year. This issue bears watching.
A Lot to Love, Part III – The Unstoppable Run Option, and More
The Ravens have the greatest running backfield in NFL history. I actually don’t think that’s hyperbole. Never has the league seen a duo the likes of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. One is a runner as elusive as anyone in league history; and he’s a quarterback. The other is the modern version of Jim Brown, who pulverizes would-be tacklers inside and out, with the speed to run away from all of them if he gets to the open field.
Every time the Ravens fake or give the ball to Henry, all of the linebackers react-up. They have to. And Lamar brings a fantastic ball fake to the party. It’s a fake that both freezes and seduces defenders at the same time. A defensive end who sees Lamar placing the ball in Henry’s pocket inside of the guards has to attack Henry; it’s irresistible. If the defender turns his hips to the inside, Lamar pulls the ball back and heads around that vacated end.
To me, the only way to stop this stuff is for defenses to gamble more with their safeties. This, then, invites Todd Monken to incorporate the third option I mentioned last week – the pass. And both Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman have the speed to blow by defensive backs who leak up providing run support against Henry/Lamar. For that matter, any of the Ravens receivers are threats in this situation. The varieties of possible combinations are enormous. The Ravens had no need for this against Buffalo. The Bills couldn’t stop either run option. But when the time comes – and it will – this third element will make the Ravens offense unstoppable.
By the way, two of Lamar’s best ball fakes last week occurred with Justice Hill. In particular, one play near the goal line caught my eye. The Ravens lined up in a wing T formation (Ravens version). Lamar was in shotgun with a tight end to each side of him and Justice Hill behind him. Lamar simply pulled the ball back from Hill at the last tick, and ran behind one of the tight ends (Isaiah Likely) untouched into the end zone. The entire defense bit on the fake. I loved this play.
A Lot to Love, Part IV – Ronnie Stanley
Stanley has been amazingly proficient – and consistent – through four games. I’ve only seen him struggle on a handful of plays, primarily against quickness across his face. Stanley’s pass blocking has been outstanding, his run blocking good (not great), and he’s moving well. In retrospect, it’s clear now that I’ve underestimated the degree to which Stanley could compete, and he’s giving the Ravens much more than I thought he could. Obviously, this is a great development for the 2024 offensive line. Stanley is again becoming a pillar on the line.
Progress – Roger Rosengarten and Daniel Faalele
Rosengarten certainly held his own against the Bills. Now I gave him poor marks on several of his run blocks, as he was beaten with a first step to his inside shoulder, and overpowered on another. But he graded out well in pass protection.
Faalele actually had his first (that I’ve seen) pancake against the Bills! Faalele’s improvement is moderate – it’s not like he’s improving by leaps and bounds. His physical limitations leave his ceiling lower than others. His improvement is coming mentally. Faalele demonstrated a better understanding of his assignments and where he needs to be, getting to his double-teams quickly, and keeping his eyes up spotting defenders. Daniel is not going to be the pulverizing run blocker that you’d like from a man his size. He will have trouble with defenders with the power to quickly get under his pads (it happened against the Bills). He will also have trouble against defenders with the quickness to fake in one direction, getting Faalele to over commit. But better fundamentals make him a better player.
A Lot to Love, Part V – Other Kudos
Travis Jones continues to utterly dominate. He’s having a Pro Bowl start to this season. There are so few plays worthy of criticism that I have none to give. I’ll take a bow on Jones. Readers may recall that in his draft year I liked him a lot more than Jordan Davis, who went 13th, while Jones fell to the third round. Actually, I shouldn’t take a bow; Eric DeCosta should!
Zach Orr is doing a wonderful job rotating Kyle Van Noy. This guy looks like a 24-year old out there. Van Noy has been sensational as a pass rusher. Keep him away from obvious running downs, and Van Noy is having a banner year so far.
Indeed, the Ravens continue to get great production out of their edge players. Odafe Oweh had another strong game against the Bills. Only Josh Allen’s incredible athleticism stopped Oweh from having one if not two sacks in the game. And Oweh continues to hold the edge at a high level. Make no mistake, the Ravens must sign both Jones and Oweh.
David Ojabo also had a few shining moments against the Bills. Consistency needs to be Ojabo’s focus, but he is generating pressures on occasions.
Coming out of college Justice Hill was seen as a running back with great hands who could catch the ball out of the backfield. Boy can he! What a beautiful move he put on a helpless linebacker on his wheel route for a touchdown. But for his string of injuries the league would know Justice Hill much better. Hill is the perfect complementary piece on this offense.
Davante Adams
No, the Ravens should not bother entering the Adams sweepstakes. For one, as great as Adams is, the Ravens really don’t need him. There are plenty of open targets already on the field with the current Ravens group, including the under-utilized Rashod Bateman who continues to get open. Yes, he dropped that touchdown pass (even though he was held). But there just aren’t enough opportunities to go around for Adams in the Baltimore offense. The price to get him will be higher than warranted. Ravens fans just don’t want to see Adams in Pittsburgh (which could happen).
A Lot to Love After the Bengals?
This is a must win for Cincinnati, at 1-3 going into the Ravens game at home. Mike Macdonald did a great job containing Joe Burrow over the last four meeting with the Bengals. Zach Orr should emulate Macdonald’s approach this week. If the Ravens secondary avoids mistakes – as they did against Buffalo – the Ravens are well equipped to handle the Bengals passing attack. But can the Bengals handle the Ravens offense?
