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Takeaways from Ravens' Loss to Browns
The Ravens were unable to come back with the victory in Cleveland, falling to the Browns, 12-9, in overtime. The loss dropped the Ravens to 3-2, including a 1-2 divisional record. It was the Browns' first win against the North AFC opponent since October of 2015.
"The Baltimore Sun's Childs Walker wrote" After two straight victories fueled by creative offense and adaptable defense, the Ravens crashed to the grimy reality of AFC North football.
Below are a few takeaways from pundits that hurt the Ravens on Sunday.
Mistakes Prove Costly: It should be noted that the Ravens were far from outplayed in Cleveland. The Browns outgained the Ravens in total yardage by just six yards and had more penalties (10 to Baltimore's six). The Ravens even had more first downs than Cleveland (25 to 20) and had five sacks to the Browns' two.
The Browns played well enough to deservedly win on Sunday, but the Ravens also hurt themselves with mistakes. Whether it was a dropped pass, a poor penalty or a foul on special teams, the Ravens always seemed to have a mistake in a big moment, which cost their chances of winning.
"This was the Ravens' sloppiest performance of the season," Walker wrote.
One area where Baltimore really struggled in the red zone. After starting the season 13-for-13, the Ravens have started to stall in the most crucial part of the field. Against Cleveland, the Ravens did not score a touchdown despite reaching the red zone three times.
The Ravens' red zone woes started in the second quarter when the conversation is over. Nick Boyle's feet, but the pass got deflected. At the time, the Ravens had a 3-0 lead, but rather than build on it, the Browns gained some momentum.
Another red zone that did not result in a touchdown with the Ravens trailing 9-6. We've got third-and-10 from the Browns' 14-yard line, which we've gotten that Michael Crabtree's receiver could not haul in while in the end zone. As Russell Street Report Ryan Jones put it, "the catch of the end of regulation was a tough one, but it's one that you need to make."
It was a frustrating afternoon for Crabtree despite having six catches for 66 yards, both team-highs. Crabtree also had two official drops.
To be fair to Crabtree, he was not afraid of being self-critical after the game.
The Ravens' struggles were not limited to the red zone, though. Kicker Justin Tucker had a 48-yard effort blocked by Ward right before halftime. On the season, the Ravens now have two fields blocked and one punt blocked. ace PressBox's Bo Smolka pointed out, that's "uncharacteristic for Jerry Rosburg's units."
Untimely penalty also hurt Baltimore, Chris Moore. The Ravens were in the midst of a promising drive in overtime, and a runner-up of Alex Collins put them on the edge of Tucker's range so he could attempt a game-winning field goal. A flag was thrown on Moore, but it was pushed back by the Browns' 36-yard line, to their 49. It was a question of Flacco questioned after the game.
"It was a questionable call the Browns' defender seemed to be falling to the ground before Moore made minimal contact," The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec wrote.
It was an all-around frustrating performance for the Ravens made it even more difficult, as the Baltimore Sun's Jen Badie put it, "this could have been a Ravens victory."
'Major Regression' for the Revamped Offense: Despite finishing with 410 yards of total offense, the Ravens attack did not get into sync throughout the afternoon.
"This was a major regression for the revamped offense," Smolka wrote.
Flacco went 29-for-56 for 298 yards with an interception. It just was not the same before, and as Smolka put it, "it was done because of pressure or just a day, Flacco misfired on several throws."
One way the offense was different from the lack of a big-play threat. Against the Steelers in Week 4, John Brown wide receiver made two catches for over 100 yards in the first half. That made the Steelers sit back further on, and created opportunities for other playmakers.
It was also noticed by the Browns, who "appeared to focus on negating John Brown," Denzel Ward "for blanket of the game," according to Smolka. Brown had a team-high 14 targets, but finished with four catches for 58 yards.
Without the big play, the Ravens had to drive the field the hard way. As a result, Flacco finished with 5.3 yards per passing attempt.
"I do not know how much of this you can really do on Joe," Russell Street Report Brandon Portney wrote. "He had a decent amount of time to pass, but a lot of balls were tipped to the line of scrimmage and a lot of balls were dropped."
Adding to the Ravens' frustration was that they usually had a good position to work with. Of the Ravens' 15 drives, seven of them were at their own 34-yard line, or in a more advantageous position. As Baltimore Beatdown's Logan Levy put it, "Field position was far from the issue."
"The Baltimore Offense" "Russell Street Report's Derek Arnold wrote.
Unlikely Standout in Strong Defensive Showing: The game ends with the Ravens allowing a 65-yard drive in Browns kicker Greg Joseph connecting on a 37-yard game-winning field goal, the defense did a tremendous job of keeping the team in the game.
"The Ravens defense did their best to try and disrupt [Browns rookie quarterback Baker] Mayfield and the Browns passing attack, but the Ravens offensively struggled to take their end of the bargain, "Pro Football Focus wrote.
Russell Street Report's Mitchell Wolfman added, "Defense played a solid game on all phases. Forced turnovers, including picking and turnover on downs. Pressured Baker Mayfield all game, notched several sacks. Coverage was tight most of the game. "
Indeed, the defense has gone toe-to-toe with Cleveland for the majority of the game, and is certainly enough to win. The group even continues its streak of not allowing a touchdown after halftime, only conceding two field goals.
Anthony Levine Sr. He has finished with five tackles and has been defeated by Pro Football Focus.
The Ravens Darious Williams Jimmy Smith on the roster. That left the Ravens with just four healthy cornerbacks on the roster, including Smith, who had not played in an NFL regular-season game since last December.
"With Baltimore down to four healthy cornerbacks in this game and then with Tavon Young going into the affair protocol at one point," RavensWire's Matthew Stevens wrote. "He played all over the field and even made a spectacular play on the third part of the game."
Another positive was the return Smith from suspension, he played 35 snaps and "looked like his normal self in his first game back," according to Baltimore Beatdown's Frank Platko. Ultimately though, the defense's resilient effort was not enough to pull out a win.
"Pennin 's Aaron Kasinitz wrote" All in all, the defense played well in a defeat. "It is the enemy of the day and keeps the Ravens afloat."
Battle Wins Battle Without Michael Pierce: The Browns' best offense Yes, much of the focus of the game was on how Mayfield would hold up against a Baltimore defense that had stifled Pittsburgh just the week before.
In terms of strategy though, the Browns were always going to lean heavily on the run. Cleveland averaged NFL-best 152.75 rushing yards per game entering Sunday's contest, and were second in yards per carry with 5.6.
On Sunday, the Browns' running back trio of Carlos Hyde, Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson Jr. combined for 100 yards, and the team averaged 4.0 yards per run. It was a solid effort by the Ravens considering Cleveland had been held to 4.0 years in this game, but it was far from a dominant vintage Baltimore defense against the run.
The Ravens also had a fight with Michael Pierce, who did not play the game. As Kasinitz put it, the Ravens "bottled up Cleveland's running backs."
Michael Pierce, "I thought they were up to the back of the Browns," Portney wrote.
With Pierce out, the Ravens had to rely on defensive end Willie Henry, who played in his first game since having hernia surgery. Henry finished with two tackles and one sack, which was a big one because it came while the Browns were in the red zone.
Another bright spot on the defensive line was defensive tackle Brandon Williams, who finished with six tackles to double his season to 12. He also picked up his first sack since 2016, and was a regular nuisance for Mayfield by working his way into the Cleveland backfield.
"One positive takeaway from this game was the pressure of the middle," Portney wrote.
More Debate About Run-Pass Balance: While it was a frustrating afternoon for the Ravens' offense as a whole, the team did run the ball more effectively than it has in recent games. In fact, Baltimore's average of 4.6 yards per team was previously high on 3.4, which came in the team's opener against the Buffalo Bills.
As a team, the Ravens ran 25 times for 116 yards. Running back Alex Collins started the game with a 19-yard lead and 12 carries for 59 yards, while running back Javorius Allen finished with 34 yards on eight attempts. It was not a flawless display though, as Allen did a fumble, which led to a Cleveland field goal. The unit has taken a step in the right direction.
A few pundits believed the team did not like the game during the contest, as the Ravens called 58 passes plays to 25 runs in a game where they are trailed by more than six points. Smolka wrote "That has never been, and never will be, the recipe for success with this offense," while Levy believes the game is the most consistent part of the offense.
"Taking into consideration the high-level Cleveland's playing secondary school, the Ravens' pass-heavy game was irrational," Levy wrote. "They were having success at various points throughout the game, yet when it mattered most, [Offensive Coordinator Mary] Mornhinweg stuck with the aerial attack. "
Up to this game though, the Ravens' rush attack had struggled this season. The unit was No. 31 in the league in yards for this contest. If you want to improve your chances of getting your money, you should get more chances in high-leverage situations.
Eric Weddle Fires Back at Bayless Skip
Fox Sports One's Bayless Skip took to Twitter to Mayfield's pledge for how well he was doing on third downs against the Ravens. After the game, Eric Weddle's safety took exception to Bayless' take.
If you can stomach it, keep an eye on Bayless' "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed" this week. NFL players – just ask outside linebacker Terrell Suggs. No doubt, he'll have a response for Weddle.
It should be noted that Weddings, like a lot of the defense, were the best of the game, saying, "I respect good players and he did a good job." He also clearly feels the Ravens let the rookie off the hook on a few of his throws.
"He made some throws that were really good, he made some other throws that were really bad we could have capitalized on," Weddle said. "Goal, shoot, the game's on the line and he made a great throw and the guy made a great catch-and-run. As good as we play, they are one more play than us. "
PFF Offense and Defense Rankings
- Right guard Marshal Yanda led the way for the offense with a PFF score of 4.5. Left guard Alex Lewis scored 1.8, while tight end Maxx Williams finished with a 1.1 mark.
- Matt Skura Center had the lowest score for the offense with a -3.8. Crabtree scored a -3.7, while rookie tight end Hayden Hurst finished with a -2.1 rating in his first NFL regular-season game.
- Levine easily had the best score for the defense with a 3.1. Suggs finished with a 1.5 mark, while Weddle scored at 1.4.
- Rookie inside Kenny Young's linebacker final rating was -1.5. Cornerback Tavon Young registered a -1.4 score, while inside linebacker C.J. Mosley finished with a -1.0 mark.
Quick Hits
- With the game set to go to overtime, the Ravens lined up to kneel the ball and run out the clock. Only the Ravens did not kneel. He managed a 13-yard win, and though it did not result in any points, the Ravens were commended for their trickery.
- NBC Sports' Peter King announced that Tucker will be a guest on his weekly podcast, which comes out this Wednesday. As King puts it, "The current (and likely future) state-of-the-art NFL kicker is an interesting guy – and we did not even get it to his singing opera."
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