Ravens News 10/31: Trade Targets and more

The Ravens have traded for Roquan Smith

UPDATE: The Ravens have agreed to a trade to bring Chicago Bears Pro Bowl linebacker Roquan Smith to Baltimore. Read our full coverage

Ravens-Buccaneers in review: Highlights, notables and quotables from a Week 8 victory - Childs Walker

Players of the Game

QB Lamar Jackson: Jackson threw often but to little effect in the first half. He was outstanding after halftime, mixing clutch runs with quick, precise throws and avoiding mistakes. He finished with 238 passing yards and two touchdowns to go with 43 rushing yards on nine carries, three of which produced first downs.

TE Isaiah Likely: The rookie played a season-low seven offensive snaps in Week 7, but the Ravens needed much more from him with Mark Andrews sidelined by a shoulder injury. Likely answered with the best game of his young career, picking up five first downs and a touchdown on his six catches and fighting for extra yards as the Ravens roared back in the second half. He also excelled as a run blocker.

RT Morgan Moses: The offensive line deserves considerable credit for the Ravens’ overwhelming ground attack in the second half, and Moses was the best of the bunch. He protected Jackson and earned an elite run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.

Number crunch

204: Ravens rushing yards on 26 attempts in the second half.

27: Ravens rushing yards on seven attempts in the first half.

6: Missed tackles forced by Gus Edwards on just 11 carries, per Pro Football Focus.

1: Number of games the Ravens will play between now and the third weekend in November.

Defensive Notes vs Buccaneers Week 8 2022 - Ken McKusick

Justin Madubuike

Justin had a fine game of pressure spoiled by a ticky-tack QH.

Justin Houston

Justin had contributions to 2 drive-ending plays. He had another that brought up 4th and 3 and yet another which foiled a 2-point try. He seems to have benefitted significantly from reduced usage (20 snaps vs TB) the last 2 weeks when he has been the Ravens defensive MVP and most efficient defender on a per-snap basis.

Kyle Hamilton

Kyle played 32 snaps, 28 of which came in dime. He’s been regularly around the football and just missed a share of Brady’s record-setting sack. He was party to 3 drive-ending plays.

Geno Stone

Brady tested Stone at least 5 times, but completed only 1 pass for 7 yards (see above). Geno contributed to 3 drive-ending plays. His play during the absence of Marcus Williams has helped hold the defense together.

‘Boom!’ Ravens’ Lamar Jackson is ‘a home run just waiting to happen’ - Jamison Hensley

“Lamar is truly a home run just waiting to happen. You never know when it’s going to come,” Ravens right guard Kevin Zeitler said. “It could be the darkest time — but boom! He is the sun coming just like that.”

Thursday’s 27-22 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a reminder about how Jackson can turn a mess into a masterpiece, of sorts. After being held to a field goal in the first half for just the third time in his five-year career, Jackson completed all eight of his passes after halftime, including two touchdown throws, and ran for 42 yards in the second half.

The home-run play that set the tone for Baltimore’s most productive second half of the season was a 25-yard run on the Ravens’ first snap of the third quater. Keeping the ball on a run option, Jackson ran past three Tampa defenders lunging at his legs before spinning out of a tackle 18 yards down the field. He traveled 59.8 yards of distance on that run, according to NextGen Stats.

Jackson and the Ravens produced 24 points after halftime, scoring on all four of their drives before a kneel-down at the end.

“I think he put the game on his shoulders,” Ravens outside linebacker Justin Houston said. “You saw the plays that he made. They were big-time plays. I think he didn’t panic at all. I think he showed what he’s about and what he [does] best and he did it.”

Ranking all 32 starting NFL quarterbacks by pressured passing grade through Week 7 - Kambui Bomani

20. LAMAR JACKSON, BALTIMORE RAVENS

45.7 Passing Grade Under Pressure

Jackson has produced mixed results when under fire as a passer. His big-time throw percentage is at 6.8% through Week 7, but he also holds a 4.7% turnover-worthy percentage and has tossed two picks under pressure. Jackson possesses one of the highest average depths of target under duress (14.3) this season.

Looking at the Ravens’ potential trade targets as deadline nears - Jeff Zrebiec

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Broncos: Of all the receivers being bandied about before the trade deadline, Jeudy might make the most sense for the Ravens. The 2020 first-round pick is a big-play receiver who has another year remaining on his rookie contract. The Broncos already have quite a bit invested in their receiver room, and it has not produced good results. Jeudy and Lamar Jackson are also good friends, so perhaps he’d welcome a move to Baltimore to play in an offense that’s not regarded as wide receiver-friendly. The cost for Jeudy may not be much more than a Day 2 pick at this point.

Denzel Mims, WR, Jets: The third-year receiver and 2020 second-round pick doesn’t have much of a role in New York, and he didn’t last year either. The Jets have held on to him and reportedly wanted a fourth-round pick for Mims over the summer. He’s young and there’s upside there, but the Ravens have a few young receivers with upside. They need a receiver who will come in and make a difference, and it isn’t clear whether Mims is that guy. If the Jets thought he was, why has he barely played?