The grades and snap counts are in from the Ravens' season-opening loss in Kansas City.
Here are the top takeaways:
- Tight end Isaiah Likely was Pro Football Focus' (PFF) highest-graded Raven by far after posting career single-game highs in receptions (nine) and receiving yards (111), including a 49-yard touchdown that he finished with a brake-check juke move. Likely came within a whisker of getting a second touchdown on the final play. Likely was a monster down the stretch last year and throughout the summer in practice, and he rolled that into the regular season.
- The Ravens used "12" personnel (one running back, two tight ends) on 52.7% of their plays against the Chiefs. That's more than in any game last season, per Next Gen Stats. Mark Andrews had 59 snaps and Likely had 53, showing that combo is here to stay.
- Safety Ar'Darius Washington took home the Ravens' highest defensive grade, thanks in large part to an impressive leaping pass breakup in the end zone versus Chiefs rookie Xavier Worthy. It was one of only five defensive snaps for Washington, but he made it count. Eddie Jackson saw 41% of the defensive snaps in his Ravens debut as the No. 3 safety.
- First-round rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins played 31% of the defensive snaps in his debut, mixing into the rotation along with Jalyn Armour-Davis, who played just three fewer snaps than the rookie. Wiggins made two tackles and gave up a 1-yard reception, per PFF.
- Linebacker Trenton Simpson played 70% of the defensive snaps in his first game as the new starter next to Roquan Smith. He finished with five tackles, a half sack, and a pass deflection that he nearly picked off.
- It was an up-and-down night for Smith in coverage. He had a first-half diving interception of Patrick Mahomes, but he gave up five completions on six targets for 69 yards, per PFF.
- The Ravens had strong pass rush pressure. David Ojabo got home for a sack in his first game back from last year's knee injury. Odafe Oweh, who received Baltimore's second-highest defensive grade from PFF, won his pass rush reps at a 14.3% clip. But the top win percentage goes to defensive tackle Travis Jones at 15.8%.
- Derrick Henry scored a touchdown on his first drive as a Raven and finished with the offensive's third-best grade (67.9) from PFF. He was closely followed by Hill, who had six catches for 52 yards.
- Rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten surrendered a strip-sack on his first NFL regular-season snap when going against Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, who is one of the best in the game. Rosengarten got a chance at redemption later in the game and finished with 25% of the snaps in a timeshare with Patrick Mekari (75%). Right guard Daniel Faalele played all 80 Ravens offensive snaps, allowing a team-high six pressures on 52 pass blocking attempts, per Next Gen Stats.
- Despite his three illegal formation penalties, left tackle Ronnie Stanley had a solid game with an 83.3 pass blocking grade that would have ranked as one of his best games from last season.
