Ravens-Cowboys: The Good and the Bad

Let’s avoid the obvious discussion regarding the good fortune of escaping Dallas with a win.  Instead, I go directly into the good and the bad and, hopefully, what it all means for the rest of the season.  But first, a quick word on the competition.

Don’t Sleep on the Steelers

I had my first chance to watch the Steelers in detail against the Chargers (though no time for game tape review).  The obvious: Pittsburgh has a championship level defense.  T.J. Watt remains the best (in my view) overall defender in the league.  His partners on the edge, whether it’s Alex Highsmith or now Nick Herbig, make it really hard to protect the quarterback.  The ageless Cam Heyward – well, he’s ageless.  The secondary is improved.  This is a tough defense. Continue reading “Ravens-Cowboys: The Good and the Bad”

The Raiders Debacle

Yet another fourth quarter collapse that has become all too much of a regular experience for the Ravens.  I walk through some of the Raiders debacle below.  But make no mistake, a victory over the Cowboys is essential for the Ravens 2024 chances.  At 0-3, their playoff aspirations would likely hinge on very poor play across the entire AFC North for the balance of the season.  Now that’s possible, as the Browns have real issues, the Bengals find themselves in the same hot seat, and the Steelers just can’t be believed offensively.  But let’s take a look at what was shockingly terrible in the Raiders game, and identify the promising things as well. Continue reading “The Raiders Debacle”

Ravens Insights From the Chiefs Loss

The tough loss to the Chiefs gave us some insights regarding the future of the 2024 Ravens.  A lot of what I saw on tape was encouraging, a few things not as much so.  Overall, I saw more promising things than I expected.  But let’s start at the top and work our way down through this list of Ravens insights.

Lamar

I didn’t need to watch the tape to find the great with Lamar; we all saw it live.  Jackson was far more fluid, elusive, and quick as a runner than we saw last year.  Lamar looked like he did two and three years ago.  Simply, he’s arguably the most elusive runner in the league, with that incredible knack for shifting any part of his body to elude would-be tacklers.  For those who say, “be careful,” I think we’ve barely seen the beginning of what the Ravens’ running attack will look like, once the run blocking ticks up (I’ll get to that).  Paring the running version of Lamar that we saw against the Chiefs with Derrick Henry once he’s revved up and – well – look out rest of the league. Continue reading “Ravens Insights From the Chiefs Loss”

Ravens 2024 Roster: First Thoughts Before the Season

There are two critical issues with the 2024 Ravens roster before the season starts.  The offensive line and edge linebacker.  One just has to downgrade the evaluation of this Ravens team going into the season given what seems to be a major problem on the O-line, and a potential major problem at edge linebacker.  So let me touch on a few roster issues. Continue reading “Ravens 2024 Roster: First Thoughts Before the Season”

Ravens Draft Reflections, and More

Grading draft classes immediately after the draft is a pointless exercise.  Instead, let’s look at who the Ravens selected by considering the following question.  Were alternative players available at any selection who were better players and/or better fits for the 2024 Ravens?   I offer some draft reflections, and a bit more.

For the Ravens, the first round went just about as expected.  Each of the first round caliber offensive tackles were off the board by pick 30.  Nate Wiggins, given that he upped his weight by almost ten pounds, was the correct choice.  And a good one at that.  The Ravens rightly have every expectation of Wiggins becoming a top corner.  He’s an exciting addition and should help the Ravens immediately. Continue reading “Ravens Draft Reflections, and More”

Ravens 2024 Draft – Round 1 Recap, Day Two Thoughts

Day one of the Ravens draft is signed, sealed, and delivered.  Right out of the gate I’ll confess that my research on Nate Wiggins missed the most important fact behind my Wiggins conclusion.  I failed to catch that Wiggins had put on ten pounds of weight, post-Combine.  At 183 pounds, the conclusion changes.  As I put it in my detailed Wiggins report: “If they [the Ravens] are convinced they can bulk Wiggins up (and he’s young enough to think he might naturally add eight to ten pounds anyway) then he’s worth the pick.” Continue reading “Ravens 2024 Draft – Round 1 Recap, Day Two Thoughts”

Ravens 2024 Draft Big Board!

The Ravens 2024 Draft Big Board is locked in.  Let’s start with a brief review of the Ravens picks and the amount of draft capital they possess.  I’m glad this fun process is over!  And by committing me to writing, it shows how little I actually know.  First, a preliminary.

Ravens Draft Slots and Draft Capital

The Ravens have one pick in each of the first three rounds, two fourth rounders (one from Denver), one fifth rounder, one sixth and two sevenths.  I value those picks under the points model of both the “Jimmy Johnson” model and the Rich Hill model. Continue reading “Ravens 2024 Draft Big Board!”

Inside Linebacker Prospects – Ravens 2024 Draft

The inside linebacker prospects in the 2024 NFL draft are reviewed from the perspective of the Baltimore Ravens.  Previous position analyses are listed below:

Offensive Players:
Running backs are reviewed here.
Wide receivers are reviewed here.
Tackles are reviewed here.
Guards are reviewed here.

Defensive Players:
Defensive linemen are reviewed here.
Edge linebackers are reviewed here.
Cornerbacks are reviewed here.
Safeties are reviewed here.

Ravens Current Inside Linebacker Situation and Need

The Ravens lost both Patrick Queen and Del’Shawn Phillips from their 2023 inside linebacker room.  Malik Harrison is always available if need be.  They replaced Phillips with Chris Board.  Trenton Simpson will get the opportunity to start in Queen’s place.  There is clearly at least one backup inside linebacker slot available, and that person should also play special teams. Continue reading “Inside Linebacker Prospects – Ravens 2024 Draft”

Defensive Line Prospects – Ravens 2024 Draft

The defensive line prospects in the 2024 NFL draft are reviewed from the perspective of the Baltimore Ravens.  Previous position analyses are listed below:

Offensive Players:
Running backs are reviewed here.
Wide receivers are reviewed here.
Tackles are reviewed here.
Guards are reviewed here.

Defensive Players:
Edge linebackers are reviewed here.
Cornerbacks are reviewed here.
Safeties are reviewed here.

The Ravens Current Defensive Line Situation and Need

Defensive line is one of the positions that is fairly well settled going into the 2024 season.  The Ravens are bringing back their entire 2023 defensive front: Michael Pierce, Justin Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, and Brent Urban.  Pierce and Urban are likely in their last seasons in Baltimore, and it’s conceivable that Urban could be forced off the roster this year depending on who else the Ravens might bring in.  The Ravens will very likely draft at least one defensive line prospect. Continue reading “Defensive Line Prospects – Ravens 2024 Draft”

Running Back Prospects – Ravens 2024 Draft

The running back prospects in the 2024 NFL draft are reviewed from the Baltimore Ravens perspective.  Previous position analyses are listed below:

Offensive Players:
Wide receivers are reviewed here.
Tackles are reviewed here.
Guards are reviewed here.

Defensive Players:
Edge linebackers are reviewed here.
Cornerbacks are reviewed here.
Safeties are reviewed here.

The Ravens Current Running Back Situation and Need

The Ravens currently have two NFL caliber running backs on their roster.  Derrick Henry is bound to be a traditional RB1 and is likely to average 20 or so carries per game.  Justice Hill will get occasional carries and will be the third day specialist.  We don’t know when, or whether, Keaton Mitchell will be fit enough to get back into the rotation.  At the very least, the Ravens needs to add one rotational back to the running back room.  Among the veteran free agents remaining, no one really stands out who could likely help the Ravens.  Rashaad Penny probably has the most talent, but his health history is so poor one just wouldn’t rely on him. Continue reading “Running Back Prospects – Ravens 2024 Draft”

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