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Ravens’ Lamar Jackson Continues to Break the NFL - Conor Orr
The team had just lost to the Chargers in the playoffs, and more of the discussion centered around the brilliant defensive game plan by Gus Bradley to stop Jackson, holding him to 14-of-29 passing for 194 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, plus nine carries for 54 yards.
That game felt like an ending because the NFL machine tends to operate in a very particular way when it comes to players like Jackson, who represent an outlier to the painfully conventional thinkers that lead most NFL personnel departments or analyze the game as a supposed professional.
Instead—thank the Lord—Harbaugh was making the undersell of the century on the podium that day. He later corrected himself in training camp by suggesting that Jackson and this offense might reset the way the league thinks about football, similar to the way Bill Walsh and Joe Montana made the league rethink football in the 1980s. Baltimore wasn’t just doubling down in fundamental minutiae—they were busy understanding their most talented player at his core, clearing the stage for Jackson to become one of the most devastating players in football.
On Sunday against the Bengals, Jackson was able to sit for most of the fourth quarter after running up a 49–10 score through 45 minutes of play and posting his second perfect quarterback rating of the season. He is one of only two players in NFL history to do that twice in one season, and it’s only halfway over.
What we learned from Sunday’s Week 10 games - Lakisha Wesseling
Baltimore Ravens 49, Cincinnati Bengals 13
Lamar Jackson continues to make his case for MVP honors this season after the Ravens (7-2) beat the Bengals (0-9) in Cincinnati. The Bengals had a bye week to prepare but how can you prepare against one of the best players in the league? The Ravens took only five plays to score their first touchdown. And it didn’t slow down after that. Each drive that Jackson played ended with a touchdown. Jackson looked unreal at times. One play he ran for a 47-yard touchdown and had a spin move that made half of the defenders miss. It was his longest career run. He finished the day 15-of-17 for 223 yards and three TDs with 65 rushing yards and a TD.
NFL Week 10 ReFocused: Baltimore Ravens 49, Cincinnati Bengals 13 - PFF
Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey led a strong effort from the Baltimore secondary. Peters, of course, made the splashiest play of the day, jumping a Ryan Finley pass late in the second quarter and taking it to the house. Humphrey saw more passes come his direction, but he forced multiple incompletions and allowed little into his coverage.
The most notable pass-rush of the day actually came from a fullback, as Patrick Ricard not only recorded a sack but also forced a fumble on that sack that was scooped up by teammate Tyus Bowser and returned for a touchdown. It was a play that highlighted just how things went in this game for the Ravens.
Baltimore’s tight end trio of Mark Andrews, Nick Boyle and Hayden Hurst were the primary beneficiaries through the air, as they gave the middle of the Cincinnati defense problems all game. The group combined for 12 receptions, nine of which converted for either a first down or touchdown.
Marcus Peters: Master of the Pick-Six - Clifton Brown
“Just play recognition,” Peters said. “I was playing fast, trusting myself.”
It was pick-six time for Peters, an 89-yard touchdown play that was the sixth pick-six of his career and third this season alone.
There are times when Peters reads opposing quarterbacks like he heard which play had been called in the huddle. It’s a combination of film study, anticipation, and instincts which can’t be taught. There are faster cornerbacks than Peters, but none in today’s game are better at catching passes that were intended for someone else.
The Breakdown: Five Thoughts on Ravens vs. Bengals - John Eisenberg
Quick Hits: The Ravens scored so quickly so often that the Bengals dominated time of possession in a game they lost by 36 points. Cincinnati had the ball for 12-plus minutes more than the Ravens … The win completed the Ravens’ first home-and-home sweep of the Bengals since 2011 … The Ravens have scored touchdowns on seven straight trips to the red zone over the past two weeks … No player on defense is coming on stronger than Matthew Judon, whose day included two quarterback hits and six solo tackles, three of which produced losses … Winning on the road is usually one of the most accurate gauges of quality in the NFL. The Ravens are now 4-1 away from home in 2019. The last time they finished a regular season with a winning road record was 2010.