Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 30-23 win over Commanders | COMMENTARY
By Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun,
1 days ago
Ravens running back Derrick Henry, right, runs seven yards for a touchdown against the Commanders in the third quarter. The Ravens defeated the Commanders 30-23 at M&T Bank Stadium. Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun/TNS
Here’s how the Ravens (4-2) graded out at every position after beating the Washington Commanders, 30-23, in Week 6 on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson did pretty much whatever he wanted in this game. The Commanders (4-2) had trouble stopping the run, and Jackson picked them apart going across the middle with the intermediate passing game. Jackson completed 20 of 26 passes for 323 yards and a touchdown.
He did throw an interception, which was a catchable pass to tight end Mark Andrews in the first quarter. The only problem for Jackson was being indecisive on when to run the ball off the edge. He finished with a passer rating of 114.7. Grade: A-
Running backs
The Ravens are relentless in using Derrick Henry. He doesn’t always pile up a lot of yards early in games, but he can still close out an opponent like he did the Commanders on Sunday. Henry had 132 yards on 24 carries, including 47 yards on six attempts in the fourth quarter.
The toss sweep has become a major staple of the Ravens in grinding down opponents in the final period. Patrick Ricard is the best blocking fullback in the NFL, and when he gets a running start, it’s almost unfair for the opposition. Grade: B+
Offensive line
Except for occasional pressure, the Ravens handled Washington’s defensive line. The Commanders got very little pressure, and the Ravens are most effective when they can mix the run and the play-action passing game.
The team apparently has found the right chemistry with tackles Ronnie Stanley and rookie Roger Rosengarten, guards Patrick Mekari and Daniel Faalele and center Tyler Linderbaum. Faalele and Rosengarten still have to improve in pass protection, but it’s not as glaring when facing a weak defensive team like Washington. Grade: A-
Receivers
Besides Jackson, slot receiver Zay Flowers might be the team’s Most Valuable Player on offense. Flowers, in his second season, was targeted nine times Sunday and had nine catches for 132 yards, including a long of 44 yards. The Ravens use him inside, outside and even as a running back. Because he is only 5 feet 9, Flowers can catch the ball, plant his foot and reverse field quickly. In the future, the Ravens might want to use him more on the outside because of his speed and quick-strike ability.
Tight end Mark Andrews had three catches for 66 yards and his first touchdown of the season, while receiver Rashod Bateman caught four passes for 71 and drew several pass-interference penalties. The Commanders could not hang with this group. Grade: A-
Defensive line
The Commanders had a few plays in which they gained decent yards on the ground, but the Ravens dominated the line of scrimmage. Washington finished with 52 yards on 18 carries, as the ground game never got in sync.
Without a running game, the Ravens’ group of tackles Nnamidi Madubuike, Michael Pierce and Travis Jones kept consistent pressure on Jayden Daniels. The rookie had some outstanding throws, but the harassment made it hard for him to connect. Madubuike had two tackles, including a half a sack. Pierce also had four tackles and half a sack. Jones might have been the most dominant player up front with four tackles and a sack. Grade: A
Middle linebacker Roquan Smith seemed to start slow, but he got better and dominated from the middle of the first quarter onward. Smith finished with seven tackles, two behind cornerback Marlon Humphrey for the team lead. The Ravens got pressure on Daniels from starting outside linebacker Odafe Oweh as well as backup Tavius Robinson, who had two hits on Daniels. That’s a major plus for a team looking for pressure off the edge.
The Ravens also seemed to clear up some of their problems with their linebackers getting deep drops and cutting off slants inside the red zone, an area in which the Bengals had success a week ago. Second-year inside linebacker Trent Simpson had four tackles. Grade: B
Secondary
It was hard to get a read on the Ravens’ defensive backs. For the most part, they came up and tackled well. In fact, it was one of their better games, but Washington’s offense was very vanilla. Besides Humphrey, who had nine tackles, safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerback Nate Wiggins finished with four.
The Commanders had to help out their offensive line, which is why sometimes they only had two or three receivers running routes. Overall, the Ravens were decent, and they got victimized by some great throws by Daniels into tight windows. It was an improvement from a week ago against Cincinnati, but this group still has a lot of work to make significant improvement. Grade: C+
Special teams
Washington kicker Austin Seibert either didn’t have the leg strength or he was willing to challenge the Ravens’ return units on kickoffs. Justice Hill had two returns for 57 yards, and Deonte Harty had two for 47. Ben Cleveland, a 6-6 offensive lineman, actually blocked a 52-yard field goal attempt at the end of the second quarter. Kicker Justin Tucker made field goals of 45, 39 and 32 yards. Jordan Stout only punted one time for 50 yards, which is an indication of the Ravens’ offensive success. Grade: B+
Offensively, coordinator Todd Monken picked Washington apart, and that was to be expected. The Commanders were ranked No. 23 in third-down efficiency at 43.6% and No. 29 in red-zone defense at 68.8%, and they played like it. The Ravens ran the ball and threw over the middle at will.
Defensively, there are still questions about the secondary despite the Ravens bringing in former coordinator Dean Pees as an advisor early this past week. But at least it’s an attempt to get better, especially for a team that has aspirations to go deep into the postseason. Grade: B
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