Ravens News 9/28: CB3 Identified and more

Defensive Notes VS Patriots Week 3 2022 - Ken McKusick

CORNERBACKS BENCHED

It is rare that a team benches 2 cornerbacks in the same game and even more unusual that such a team wins. However, that’s exactly what happened to the Ravens on Sunday.

Jalyn Armour-Davis started at RCB but was beaten for plays of 31 and 40 yards on the first 2 drives by WR Parker that included a missed tackle. He left after 8 snaps.

Brandon Stephens delivered tight underneath coverage on Marcus Williams’ PD (Q2, 10:07) and had a no-look PD of his own in coverage of Parker in the endzone (Q2, 7:22). However, on the 75-yard Patriots TD drive to start the second half, he surrendered completions of 36 (plus a defensive holding flag) and 25 yards. He did not play another snap defensively and was replaced by Pepe Williams in all packages with 5+ DBs.

Pepe was reasonably effective but got beat on a near-perfect crossing route by Agholor who had the ball dislodged by Hamilton and recovered by Peters (Q4, 5:45).

The Ravens are thin at CB but appear to have their best 3-man combination identified. If Pepe can be effective, that will allow Humphrey to continue on the outside where his skillset is a closer match. Over the course of the year, by both circumstance and choice, they should get a chance to see if Armour-Davis and Stephens can provide value as they make plans for 2023.

DEFENSIVE MVPS

Marcus Peters

Marlon Humphrey

Calais Campbell

Honorable mention to Marcus Williams, Josh Bynes, and Justin Madubuike.

Top 15 NFL rookies: Week 3 - Michael Renner

13. C TYLER LINDERBAUM, BALTIMORE RAVENS (70.4)

Linderbaum makes his first appearance on this list, improving his overall grade each week so far. He went from a 60.6 in Week 1, to a 66.1 in Week 2, to a 70.4 against the New England Patriots in Week 3. This past weekend was his first not allowing a single pressure.

Devin Duvernay Is ‘Flourishing’ as Ravens’ All-Around Weapon - Clifton Brown

Making impact plays as both a wide receiver and returner, Duvernay has been one of Baltimore’s top weapons in the young season and nobody close to him is surprised. He’s one of the quietest players on the team, but his intensity speaks volumes. Duvernay was in the weight room Monday, the day after making more splash plays that helped the Ravens defeat the Patriots.

“Those are things that we felt like were in his skill set when we drafted him, but it takes, usually, some development in the National Football League,” Harbaugh said. “He’s been playing ever since he got here in some capacity, but to see him kind of flourish in the last few games in this season in fulfillment of those expectations is just great.

“I was in the weight room earlier and saw him, and he’s never satisfied; he’s just never satisfied. That kind of mindset is what goes a long way.”

Duvernay has caught all eight passes he’s been targeted with for 121 yards and three touchdowns. “Big Play” Duvernay is getting it done as both a returner and receiver, just like the Ravens hoped when they drafted him.

With Bills coming to Baltimore in Week 4, Ravens are underdogs for first time this season - Jonas Shaffer

The Ravens (2-1), who have been favored in their first three games this season, are 3 1/2-point home underdogs after a solid road win Sunday over the New England Patriots.

Despite a narrow loss to the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo will enter Week 4 as the Super Bowl betting favorite. The Bills (2-1) lead the NFL in point differential (plus-53) and, like the Ravens, have an Most Valuable Player candidate in quarterback Josh Allen.

Buffalo’s secondary, meanwhile, will be without several projected starters. All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White will miss Sunday’s game while he continues his recovery from a torn ACL last season. All-Pro safety Micah Hyde is out for the season with a neck injury, and Jordan Poyer, the Bills’ other All-Pro safety, was inactive Sunday because of a foot injury. Rookie cornerback Christian Benford (Randallstown), who started Buffalo’s first three games, fractured his hand Sunday and will miss several weeks.

The Ravens lead the all-time series against Buffalo 6-4, with wins in three of their past four meetings. The Bills won their last matchup, however, ending the Ravens’ 2020 season with a 17-3 win in their AFC divisional-round playoff game.

NFL Week 4 picks, odds: Undefeated Eagles and Dolphins both lose, Vikings win in London, Raiders fall to 0-4 - John Breech

Buffalo (2-1) at Baltimore (2-1)

Jackson has been so good this year that he’s actually gotten off to a better start than he did back in 2019 when he was voted MVP. The guy who supposedly can’t throw the ball not only leads the NFL in touchdown passes with 10, but he also has the highest QB rating in the NFL. For most quarterbacks, that’s impressive enough, but Jackson is also the fifth-leading rusher in the entire NFL and he’s accounted for more total touchdowns (12) than 30 of the NFL’s 32 teams.

Unfortunately for the Ravens, although Jackson has been great this year, their defense has been the opposite of great. Through three weeks, the Ravens are surrendering an average of 353.3 passing yards per game, which is an insanely high number when you consider that NO OTHER TEAM in the NFL is even surrendering 300 yards per game. The ugly part about those numbers is that it’s not like the Ravens have faced a murderer’s row of future Hall of Fame quarterbacks: They’ve faced Mac Jones, Joe Flacco and Tua Tagovailoa, and they’re still getting diced up.

The problem with this is that the Ravens now have to face the quarterback who currently leads the NFL in passing yards: Josh Allen. Allen is the only QB in the NFL who has gone over 1,000 passing yards through three games this year, and based on how the Ravens are playing, Allen might top 1,000 yards in Week 4 alone.

At this point, I think the only way the Ravens can slow Allen down is if they put Lamar Jackson on defense, but that might be too much to ask.

The pick: Bills 37-30 over Ravens