Ravens vs. Raiders final: MVP, stock up & stock down

It was close until it wasn’t. The battle in Baltimore ended with the Ravens winning 34-17.

Co-MVP: Terrell Suggs

Who else but Hacksaw Smithers? The man from Ball So Hard University recovered the strip sack from Matt Judon and returned it 43-yards for the touchdown! The legend of T-Sizzle continues to grow as he put the nail in the coffin on the Raiders.

Co-MVP: Lamar Jackson

For his second-straight start, he’s locked down a second-straight victory. Lamar continues to impress as he can burn teams deep with not only his running ability, but his passing. He did throw two interceptions today, but the rookie is learning and going through normal growing pains. In the end, the Ravens won and it’s certainly due to his playmaking.

Stock up

Matt Judon — After a slow season, Judon ramped it up to 11 today. He sacked Raiders QB Derek Carr three times on three-straight plays, including the strip-sack which was returned by Suggs.

Cyrus Jones — Nothing like a big-time special teams touchdown to put your team ahead on the scoreboard. He’s done a great job after the punt return gig was a mess all training camp and preseason.

Gus Edwards Jr. — Far as anybody else is concerned, the Gus Bus is the starting tailback from here on out. Within a two-week span, the Ravens have replaced their starting quarterback and starting running back with two rookies.

Marlon Humphrey — A dominant effort by the second-year cornerback out of Alabama. Absolutely critical third down stops by the young defender kept the Ravens ahead or within reach during the earlier periods of the game. It is all forgotten after the flashy plays by Suggs and Judon, but Humphrey’s play was outstanding and important to this win today.

Hayden Hurst — The first Ravens selection in the 2018 NFL Draft is finally getting more involved with this offense. He hauled in three catches for 25 yards and is building chemistry with Jackson.

Michael Crabtree — A good revenge game needed a touchdown and Crabtree hauled in one of his easier scores in his career today against his former squad. Good to see the frustration of last week amount to a touchdown this week.

Justin Tucker — Another game, another 47-yard completion.

Ty Montgomery — He’s dynamic, fast and agile enough to get around the edge and slip loose from tacklers. He’s also a great pass-catching tailback with pass-blocking capability. I hope he re-signs with the Ravens because he is a great tool for this offense.

Stock down:

Joe Flacco — Can’t help but put the franchise quarterback in this category, but it’s clear now. Lamar has changed the dynamic of this offense. Before, it was lethargic and the run game was abysmal. Now, the team has produced over 240 rushing yards in back-to-back games.

Alex Collins — Don’t know if he’ll be getting his job back now after Edwards Jr. has crashed racked up back-to-back 100-yard games on the ground. When he returns, he’ll be competing against both Gus and Ty for snaps.

Javorius Allen — He’s looking like the odd man out, as per usual. Fortunately, he’s still getting carries in the game, though they aren’t amounting to much. The Edwards/Jackson mix is bullying squads right now, but Buck has always helped as the spell back.

Ravens medical trainer — Anybody who gets yelled at by Marshal Yanda is getting a stock down. That was terrifying.