Ravens News 10/9: Kicker stability, OL standouts and more

PFF Rankings: Top Offensive Linemen Rankings through Week 5 - Gordon McGuinness

OFFENSIVE TACKLES

5. Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens

Stanley is solid as a run blocker, with a 71.0 PFF run-blocking grade through five games, but it is his work in pass protection that makes him stand out. Arguably the best pass blocker in the entire NFL so far this season he has allowed a sack, hit or hurry just once every 70 pass-blocking snaps in 2019.

OFFENSIVE GUARDS

10. Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Ravens

Yanda is not quite the dominant force he once was, and he is coming off a poor showing against the Steelers in Week 5, but remains an above-average pass-blocker. The sack he allowed on Sunday was the first he had given up since Week 7 of the 2015 season.

CENTERS

5. Matt Skura, Baltimore Ravens

Through five weeks, Skura is one of the most improved players on the Ravens roster. After producing PFF grades of 53.4 and 58.2 in his first two seasons of action after going undrafted out of Duke in 2016, Skura has produced a PFF grade of 71.2 so far this season. In pass protection, he has allowed just one sack and two hurries on 215 pass-blocking snaps through five games.

Offensive Line Scoring vs. Steelers 10/6/19 - Ken McKusick

The offensive line produced ample time and space (ATS) on 17 of 33 drop backs resulting in a pass or sack (51.5%), which is outstanding by 2019 standards, but also deceiving. The bad news is that the Steelers sacked Jackson on 4 of the 16 times he didn’t have ATS as well as one other time he ran into a sack with ATS. Furthermore, the Steelers were successful in terms of splash plays while rushing 4 men on 24 of 33 drop backs.

Ranking All 32 NFL Kicking Situations, From Most Stable to Least - Rodger Sherman

Absolutely, Positively Not a Damn Thing to Worry About

32. Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

Tucker is perfect on the season—10-of-10 on field goals and 15-of-15 on extra points. He is the only NFL kicker who remains perfect despite having attempted a 50-yard field goal, which he drilled in a Week 2 win over the Cardinals. There are several teams whose kickers have yet to miss, but any could conceivably fail at a moment’s notice. Any but Tucker, that is, as by virtually any measure he’s the best placekicker of all time. (He has a ways to go to accomplish as much as Adam Vinatieri, but from a talent perspective Tucker is miles ahead.)

Tucker holds the all-time lead in career field goal percentage by almost 3 full percentage points. (Tucker is at 90.48 percent; Will Lutz is second at 87.5.) Nobody else is on his level.

Game Preview: Bengals at Ravens - Bengals.com

Turnover margin is key vs. Ravens: In the 36 all-time Bengals-Ravens meetings in which the turnover differential has not been even (1995-present), the team who wins the turnover battle has posted a 31-5 record.

Putting it another way, the Bengals are 14-3 against the Ravens with a plus turnover differential, and 2-17 with a minus. Looking at it from Baltimore’s point of view, the Ravens are 17-2 with a plus and 3-14 with a minus.