Ravens News 10/13: Violent hands and more

DEFENSIVE NOTES WEEK 4 CINCINNATI BENGALS @ BALTIMORE RAVENS - Ken McKusick

Calais Campbell (33 snaps) was again at the heart of the Ravens defensive success despite a modest 2 tackles and 1 QH. He had 4 other pressures which resulted in 2 incompletes, a pass for 11, and Clark’s S-7. He continues to penetrate and create havoc versus the run and had tackles for no gain (3rd and 1) and 2 yards (1st and 10) among just 8 run snaps.

Tyus Bowser (29 snaps) had one of his most effective days as an edge setter including 3 noteworthy plays (Q2, 13:33; Q2, 2:48; Q4, 11:23), He dropped 10 times from the LoS to cover, but still managed a fast QH (Q2, 6:54) when he bulled and shed LT Jonah Williams. He had another QH wiped out by offsides. In a normal week, his performance might be among the defensive MVPs, but the list is far too crowded from this defensive laugher.

STAR TREATMENT

Pernell McPhee (33 snaps) delivered his first big game of the season:

(Q1, 15:00): He stunted inside through the right A-gap for a fast QH.

(Q1, 13:43): On 3rd/6, he beat LT Jonah Williams outside to flush Burrow right where he was sacked by Jimmy Smith.

(Q1, 8:47): On 3rd/9, he chased down Burrow after a 6-yard scramble to force 4th/3.

(Q2, 7:52): He rushed for a QH on a screen pass.

(Q2, 7:35): He was blocked past the pocket by RT Bobby Hart, but kept his feet moving and dropped Burrow for a cleanup S-7 off initial pressure from Brandon Williams.

(Q2, 1:13): He beat LG Michael Jordan inside for a fast QH.

(Q2, 1:10): He absorbed a double team from RG Alex Redmond and RT Bobby Hart, got push, then flicked his hand up to bat down Burrow’s pass.

(Q3, 12:10): After Wolfe flushed Burrow, McPhee tackled him RM2 (effectively S+2).

(Q4, 1:18): On 3rd/7, he bulled then shed LT Williams, then grabbed legs of RB Mixon but got no tackle credit on RL-1.

McPhee drove the 2014 Ravens pass rush with just such pressure provided from all over the line and against double teams. All of the violence of hands remains.

What the Bengals Said About Ravens’ Defense - Ryan Mink

Head Coach Zac Taylor

“A lot of teams have pressured us. Baltimore probably has more zero blitzes than anyone in the league up to this point. They zero blitzed Kansas City on the second or third play of the game. They are going to do it to anybody and everybody. If they smell blood in the water when they get a lead, which they do often times, it can make for a difficult day for you. The teams that have the blueprint to win [against the Ravens] get the lead early on them and do a good job holding the fort. Again, we did not put ourselves in a good position, but we feel very confident how we can handle the blitz and how we can attack it. Hats off to Baltimore, they had a great performance, great plan, and they took advantage of it.”

S Jessie Bates III

“It’s just as simple as not letting him get the ball. We know where Lamar wants to go; either’15’ [Marquise Brown] or’89’ [MarkAndrews]. It showed up today as well. That’s all he was really throwing to, was ’15’or ’89.’ We didn’t make the plays where it was at that point in time.”

NFL Week 5 grades: Raiders get ‘A+’ for Chiefs upset, Cowboys earn ‘B+’ for overcoming Dak Prescott injury - John Breech

Ravens B+

The Ravens offense was a disappointment against the Bengals, even if they rushed for 161 yards against a bottom-five run defense. Lamar Jackson was inaccurate in this one, only able to develop chemistry with Mark Andrews — who was shut out in the second half — and he only completed 51.4% of his passes in the game. Jackson struggled against the blitz and the three-man rush, as Cincinnati held him to just three rushing yards on the game. Without Jackson’s legs, the offense stagnated. But the final score still ended up a blowout because of how dominant the defense was, holding the Bengals to 3.2 yards per play and 3 of 16 on third down. Cincinnati didn’t have a chance to score until the game was way out of hand.

Ranking the top 15 rookie wide receivers through Week 5 of the 2020 NFL season - Sosa Kremenjas

14. DEVIN DUVERNAY, BALTIMORE RAVENS

Among all rookie receivers with five-plus targets, Duvernay’s 77.8% catch percentage ranks seventh. While Duvernay has totaled only nine targets this season, he’s managed to reel in seven for 59 receiving yards and two first downs. The former Texas Longhorn’s 1.69 yards per route run figure ranks eighth among all rookie receivers.

While Duvernay’s offensive impact has been limited, he’s also managed to chip in 238 yards and one touchdown as a kick returner. His 34 yards per kick return currently ranks third in the NFL.

Baltimore Ravens open as touchdown favorites over Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6 - Daniel Gallen

The Baltimore Ravens offense hasn’t quite returned to its juggernaut self from 2019 so far this season, but the combination of Lamar Jackson and a stingy defense has been enough to lift the team to a 4-1 record so far in 2020.

And it’s enough to make the Ravens heavy favorites entering their Week 6 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Ravens opened as 7.5-point favorites over the Eagles, according to DraftKings. The over/under opened at 47.5, so oddsmakers are expecting some fireworks from a pair of offenses that have struggled at times.