The latest news covering the Baltimore Ravens.
The latest and greatest content covering the Baltimore Ravens.
NFL winners and losers, Week 5: Ravens’ Lamar Jackson is the ‘best player in the league’
Sam Cohn, The Baltimore Sun
Have we reached a turning point in terms of where Jackson ranks among his peers? He’s a former Heisman Trophy winner and a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, and yet because of his underwhelming postseason record, untimely injuries and the misfortune of playing at the same time as Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady, he’s rarely been considered the league’s best player.
In the annual NFL Top 100 list chosen by players, Jackson has ranked No. 1 (2020), No. 24 (2021), No. 36 (2022), No. 72 (2023) and No. 2 (2024). Most quarterback and player rankings from the media have put Mahomes at the top since his breakout 2018 season, and that has only calcified with the Chiefs star winning three Super Bowl titles over the past five years.
Why your NFL team won, lost in Week 5
Thomas Valentine, Pro Football Focus
Why the Ravens won: The Lamar Jackson MVP campaign is alive again. Jackson finished 26-of-42 for 348 yards and four touchdowns, and he added another 55 yards on the ground. Jackson was sacked just once, showcasing his ability to escape pressure from all angles. He earned a 78.1 passing grade and registered three big-time throws.
Why the Bengals lost: The Bengals’ inability to turn pressures into sacks cost them. The defense generated 28 total pressures and pressured Jackson on 42.6% of his dropbacks, but the unit only sacked the quarterback once. Jackson had a pressure-to-sack rate of just 5%, and his ability to extend and keep plays alive hurt the defense in a big way.
NFL Week 5 best and worst coaching decisions: Aaron Rodgers’ influence hurts Jets
Ted Nguyen, The Athletic
The potential of a Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson backfield is finally being realized. In weeks 3 and 4, Henry rushed for a total of 350 yards. In Week 5, the Bengals defense was scared to death of being trampled by Henry so it loaded the box, played in odd fronts and run blitzed.
The Ravens used multiple tight ends and/or multiple backs on 63 percent of their snaps. From those personnel groupings, they presented the threat of the run but dropped back 27 times (not every dropback results in a pass attempt). On those dropbacks, Jackson was 17-for-23 (73.9 percent) and averaged 9.6 air yards per pass for 245 yards and three touchdowns. The Ravens tight ends (Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar) combined for 11 receptions, 177 yards and three touchdowns
Even when they weren’t using play action, the threat of Henry and the Ravens’ use of heavy personnel groupings drew the defense up and helped create explosive pass plays…
…Throughout the day, the Ravens took advantage of the Bengals’ loaded boxes and linebackers. Receiver Zay Flowers had a lot of space to work with on the sideline and caught several curls and comebacks. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken should continue to lean into his usage of heavy personnel with defenses scared of Henry. As soon as the Bengals took a safety out of the box, Henry gashed them for a 56-yard run to seal the game in overtime.
Ranking every 2024 NFL division leader by likelihood of staying on top
Bradley Locker, Pro Football Focus
It turns out that the Ravens’ winless two-game start may not have been as concerning as it looked. Baltimore has rolled to three consecutive wins and now ranks second in overall team grade.
John Harbaugh’s run-oriented offense looks as dominant as expected. At 30, Derrick Henry remains a game-changer as a runner and sits second in rushing grade (90.1) through five weeks. Lamar Jackson also overcame a slow opening two weeks, with his 89.0 passing grade in Weeks 3-5 good for the second-highest in the NFL over that span.
There are still some lingering imperfections about the defense, which is 20th in EPA allowed per play. The Ravens’ 40 explosive passing plays allowed are the most in the league, and only one regular starter (Marlon Humphrey) has earned a coverage grade above 70.0.
At the same time, the Ravens — having played the hardest schedule in the NFL, per PFF ELO rankings — appear the safest bet to repeat as North champs.
The 3-2 Steelers have revealed some problematic trends across the last two weeks; the 1-4 Bengals are playing better than their record indicates but have serious climbing to do; and the 1-4 Browns generate little optimism given their offensive situation.