5 things we learned from Ravens’ impressive Week 6 win over the Commanders

Some questions were answered while others came into focus on Sunday.

There were numerous clear and obvious takeaways from the Baltimore Ravens’ 30-23 win over the Washington Commanders in the ‘Battle of the Beltway’ on Sunday in Week 6 of the 2024 regular season.

In an interconference showdown between two of the hottest teams in the league, the Ravens proved who has the better dual-threat quarterback and who the more complete team is between the two. They not only didn’t blow another double-digit lead but they ensured that they finished the game with the ball and the lead. For the fourth week in a row, they emerged victorious and did so over another high-quality opponent.

There were several encouraging performances by players and units on both sides of the ball that were vital in securing this victory to improve the Ravens’ overall record to 4-2 as they stay on top of the AFC North standings.

Here are five of the main things that can be learned from Sunday’s commanding triumph at M&T Bank Stadium.

---

Ravens continue to stand on business and not just talk about it

There was a lot of anticipation surrounding this matchup leading into the game with both quarterbacks and teams overall garnering a lot of hype and praise but the home team proved just why they deserved to be nearly touchdown favorites to prevail. The Ravens commended the Commanders during the week but expressed their confidence in their belief in themselves to have a strong performance and backed up those words with even stronger action.

“I really feel like we just proved ourselves right. Instead of just talking about it, we [were] about it today. Just putting points on the board – we started off slow. Even when we [were] scoring on those drives, I still feel like we [were] kind of off somewhat. Like I said, there’s room for improvement [and] we just got to keep stacking [victories].”

Even after their opening drive that looked destined for points ended in Jackson being intercepted for just the second time this season and setting the Commanders up to take their first and only lead of the game, there was never a point where it didn’t feel like the Ravens weren’t in control or were in danger of getting upset.

Even when Washington answered Baltimore’s first touchdown drive with one of their own to tie the game at 10-10, momentum never shifted and once they went up by two scores 27-13 late in the third quarter, there still felt like there was no reason to worry. With how efficient their offense was operating and how even when their defense gave up points, nearly half came on long field goals and both touchdown drives they allowed took 10-plus plays to put together.

Offense is still just scratching the surface

It’s hard to imagine a unit averaging 33.5 points during the team’s four-game winning streak and just posted over 420 yards of total offense for the fifth time this season has an even higher level of production and execution to reach but in the case of the Ravens, it’s not inconceivable in the slightest. Against the Commanders, they outgained an opposing unit in total yards and in rushing by more than 100 yards for the sixth straight game to open the season—the second of which extended an NFL record—and marched down the field for a pair of 90-plus-yard scoring drives.

They produced a 100-plus-yard rusher and receiver and a 300-plus-yard passer for the second week in a row and at one point prior to the game-sealing drive to milk the rest of the clock out, they had scored on five straight possessions including three touchdowns. Had Jackson’s first target to tight end Mark Andrews not bounced off his hands and right into the arms of a defender and if Tyler Linderbaum hadn’t snapped the ball into his ankle on a third down from the Washington 23-yard line, the Ravens’ first two drives might’ve finished in the end zone as well. Nevertheless, this is a unit with plenty of room to improve that is leaving plays on the field and is still winning games comfortably over good teams and outpacing some of the most potent opposing offenses in the league.

“We’re really good, but I feel like we can get better, [and] we can keep getting better as the year goes, just in everything we do. I think we’re one of the best offenses in the league,” Flowers said.

Jackson had another sensational outing in which he did the vast majority of his damage through the air, connecting with six different targets and finishing with 323 passing yards, a touchdown and a passer rating of 114.7. As a runner, he picked up several first downs with his legs including a two-yard sprint to a first down to officially ice the game and finish with 42 yards on nine attempts before taking two kneeldowns in victory formation.

“I thought Lamar had a great game,” Harbaugh said. “He was on point against man coverage. They were loading the box up against the run and playing a lot of man coverage, which they had not done a lot of throughout the course [of the season]. We had a lot of first- and second-down play-action passes up. Guys like Zay [Flowers were] running crossing routes and sail routes away from those guys, and they were on our guys, but [they had] enough separation [and] Lamar dotted it.”

Defense bounces back with solid overall performance

A week after allowing a season-high 442 yards of total offense and getting lit up for nearly 400 yards through the air alone at the hands of a former Heisman-winning quarterback from LSU, they fared much better against another on Sunday. Commanders star rookie signal caller Jayden Daniels has had such a stellar start to his inaugural season in the NFL that he is not only viewed as the front-runner to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year but he has begun creeping into the MVP conversation as well in the eyes of many pundits.

While the Ravens didn’t completely shut him down, they still managed to put the clamps on the NFL’s highest-scoring offense that had been on a historic pace to open the season in terms of efficiency enough times to hold them to their third-lowest points total of the season after averaging 31 coming into this game.

The Commanders’ 305 yards of total offense was their lowest since Week 1 in their first loss of the season. Even though Daniels’ 269 passing yards set a new career high and he threw for a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions and a passer rating of 110.3, he was consistently pressured, sacked three times, hit eight times and held to a season-low 22 rushing yards between scrambles and designed runs combined.

“He’s the truth, for sure,” inside linebacker Roquan Smith said. “For him to come into a hostile environment and throw the way he did, I’ve got much respect for him. He took some licks, too. Knowing it’s a rookie quarterback, you’ve got to lay the hits on him and try to affect the game.”

Zay Flowers is emerging as one of NFL’s top young receivers

The second-year wide receiver continued to bolster not only his breakout campaign but his case as one the best up-and-coming players at his position in the entire league with his prolific performance on Sunday. Flowers caught all nine of his targets for a career-high 132 receiving yards in just the first half alone to set a new franchise record for most receptions in an opening half. He could not be contained or consistently covered as he ran sharp routes and was slippery after the catch.

“[Zay Flowers is] exactly the weapon we absolutely knew he was and would be and has been, to be honest with you,” Harbaugh said. “He’s been there all along, and the opportunities came up today. Sometimes the defense doesn’t allow it. Sometimes the ball doesn’t come your way for whatever reason, but today the opportunities showed up.”

This marked the 2023 first-rounder’s second straight game of over 110 receiving yards and the fourth time eclipsing the century mark in his last seven outings and now leads the team with 401 receiving yards through six games which puts him on pace to become the first Ravens pass catcher to reach a 1,000 yards since they had two in 2021.

“I just play ball [and] when my number is called, I try to make all the plays and coach was dialing them up in the first and we let [Derrick Henry] take over in the second [half],” Flowers said.

Derrick Henry continues to be better than advertised

When the Ravens signed the four-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer in free agency, it was viewed as a long-overdue match made in heaven. Since the season started and especially during the team’s four-game win streak, it has looked like the best addition of any team of the entire offseason as he seemingly makes history with each passing week. Against the Commanders he led the team with 132 rushing yards and a pair of scores on 24 attempts for an average of 5.5 per carry.

With his performance on Sunday, he became the first player to score a rushing touchdown in each of his first six games of a season since Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005. He is also just the second player to have six rushing scores to begin a tenure with a team since New England Patriots running back Robert Edwards in 1998. Henry already has nine total touchdowns this season which is the most by a player through six games of a season in franchise history.

“He’s the king,” defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike said. “He’s ‘King Henry’ for a reason, and I’m glad he’s on our side.”

Henry is not only the Ravens leading rusher with his league-leading totals on the ground but he has helped them reverse their fortunes when it comes to their ability to close out games in which they have a big or even minimal lead. As their finisher, he is leaned on to help pick up the necessary yards to move the chain and salt the precious seconds off the game clock. The 30-year-old has done that and then some as has ripped off late chunk runs of 20-plus yards in several of the team’s wins this season.

“I definitely just want to be able to close the game so we can win, and everybody is happy, and everybody is high-fiving in the locker room,” Henry said. “You have to take pride in that – to be able to finish games and have the ball last.”