The "Sunday Night Football" broadcast crew was clearly impressed by Ravens' safety Kyle Hamilton during pre-production meetings ahead of the primetime Ravens-Chargers matchup. They were raving about him early and often.
Hamilton backed up the hype, turning in a performance that showed off his wide array of skills in the Ravens' 20-10 victory.
Hamilton had a three-sack game in Week 3 against the Colts. He had a tipped pick-six against the Browns in Week 10. While there weren't any splash plays like that, Sunday night's effort may have been his most complete.
"I told you from the beginning, in my first presser in the beginning of the year, I told you that he was going to be a Pro-Bowl type of player," Pass Game Coordinator/Secondary Chris Hewitt said.
"He does everything; he covers, he blitzes, he tackles. There's nothing that kid can't do. Don't let the babyface fool you. He'll try to rip your face off."
It's not exactly Xs and Os, but another thing that's evident is that Hamilton has also developed some more swagger. Notre Dame products are usually known for being more buttoned-up, but Hamilton had a couple statements after his tackles for loss.
Hamilton was just one part of the Ravens' defensive dominance in Los Angeles. A major part was Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith turning in their best game as a tandem since Week 5 in Pittsburgh. Both had a forced fumble and they combined for 15 tackles.
The Ravens' four turnovers, including three forced fumbles, were the difference. The biggest of the three was Jadeveon Clowney's sack-strip of Justin Herbert to end a 19-play Chargers drive inside the red zone.
Baltimore's pass rush continues to lead the league with 47 sacks, and it's coming from a variety of sources. Justin Madubuike reached 10 sacks with a half-sack against the Chargers, but Travis Jones got on the board for the first time this season and Broderick Washington got one after being a scratch last week.
Offensively, the Ravens had a tougher day, but there was still plenty to take away. A big change for the offense was the first game without Mark Andrews, who may be out the rest of the season. Isaiah Likely stepped into that top role. The feel between Andrews and Lamar Jackson has been crafted over several years, and that's a work in progress with Likely.
While it will still be an adjustment process, Likely showed a different skillset than Andrews that the Ravens can utilize. Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken described Andrews as more like a "bull" when he gets the ball in his hands, and Likely is a little more elusive. While Andrews has been a player that has made countless contested catches with his physicality, Likely is a weapon in space.
Speaking of making plays in space, rookies Zay Flowers and Keaton Mitchell continued to show how they can stretch defenses horizontally.
Veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who played for the Chargers last season, has a fun fact on the 3-yard touchdown pass to Flowers …
Baltimore's offense had a solid 361 yards of total offense despite not moving the chains as well as it should. The Ravens went 3-of-14 on third down, raising concerns about whether that's one area where Andrews cannot be replaced.
Looking back through each situation, pressure was the primary cause. The Chargers have one of the best rushers in the game in Khalil Mack (13 sacks) and he had a big day against both Ravens offensive tackles.
One of the Ravens' toughest offensive moments was when a spot on a Jackson scramble was short and then the Ravens went for it on fourth-and-1 and Gus Edwards was stuffed on a Wildcat run. While some have questioned the play-call, the Ravens should have been able to move the chains.
