PFF: Monster games from Mark Andrews, Terrell Suggs and the secondary lift Ravens past the Chargers

Everybody still amped? Good. Me too. Last night’s game was a playoff matchup* and, per usual, the Ravens went into somebody else’s house and gave them a Baltimore Beatdown.

*technically it wasn’t, but c’mon. That was playoff football.

OFFENSE

- Rookie TE Mark Andrews led the offense with a 91.7 game grade. He now ranks sixth among all TEs with 1.93 Yards per Route Run this season.

This dude is playing like a first-round rookie. He’s out here burying game-winning touchdowns and hitting everybody with the salt bae celebration. Mark is the slot-tight end Baltimore loved to utilize with Dennis Pitta and his role in the offense is only going to expand in the coming years.

- This game marked the sixth start of Lamar Jackson’s NFL career (60.4 game grade this week), and in that timespan the Ravens offensive line has given up only one sack. Conversely, Jackson has been charged with eight, with three of those coming against the Chargers on Saturday.

You get the good with the bad and the bad with the good. The rookie quarterback has a lot left to learn, no doubt, but he can undoubtedly achieve anything he puts his mind to.

DEFENSE

- Topping the defenders was OLB Terrell Suggs with 92.5 game grade. He logged a season-best eight total pressures (one hit and seven hurries), giving Chargers RT Sam Tevi a rough evening.

He didn’t get his name called too often but Sizzle led the way on Sunday. His first-play pressure helped keep Rivers from delivering a better ball, which led to the interception by Brandon Carr. He also continued to keep attention away from the rest of the front seven which allowed Za’Darius Smith, Patrick Onwuasor, Brent Urban and others to get in the backfield and limit Philip Rivers and Melvin Gordon.

- The Ravens’ secondary made life tough for Philip Rivers and a Chargers passing offense ranking third in PFF grades this season. No player gave up more than 42 passing yards individually, and Marlon Humphrey continued his strong form, giving up three-of-seven targets into his coverage for 20 yards, an interception and a pass break up.

“No player gave up more than 42 passing yards individually. . .” That is insane. Right now, the NFL deck is stacked for offenses to score and gain ground through the air. The Ravens are having none of it, though, bullying receivers and breaking up passes all across the field.