Ravens 'Nuclear' Offense Goes Off in Second Half
Pundits and fans expecting another shootout between the Ravens and Bengals got it on "Thursday Night Football" with a 35-34 Ravens victory, but it didn't look like it was headed that way.
Baltimore's offense was slow out of the gates and the Ravens trailed 14-7 at halftime.
In the second half, however, the Ravens proved why they boast the NFL's most lethal offense, scoring 21 unanswered points to come back from a 14-point deficit. Pundits were surprised it took so long to get going, but once they did, they couldn't be stopped.
"[The Ravens'] offense hit a rare lull in the first half as Cincinnati hit Jackson with unexpectedly conservative defensive looks. He has carved up pressure so relentlessly that they tried another way," a Baltimore Sun writer wrote. "It worked. The Ravens roared back with 287 yards and 28 points after halftime, but that only scratches the surface of the wiled spectacle we witnessed Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium."
Leading the charge was Lamar Jackson, who put together another dominant performance and once more earned credit from those watching. Jackson finished with 290 yards passing and four touchdowns.
"The Ravens' nuclear offense took more than a half to shake out of its slump, but Jackson and the rest of the crew were special when they had to be," NFL.com’s Eric Edholm wrote
"This game turned out to be a tale of two halves. The Ravens could hardly get anything going on offense in the first half with season-lows across the board," Baltimore Beatdown’s Joshua Reed wrote. "But a clutch defensive turnover gave them new life in the third quarter, kicking off an incredible comeback from a 14-point deficit fueled by another sensational MVP performance by Lamar Jackson."
"It was a slow start for the Ravens offense. By midway through the third quarter, they had already punted more than they had all year," The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec wrote. "But Jackson got going and added another chapter to a potential MVP season. Jackson completed 25-of-33 passing attempts for 290 yards and four touchdowns. He picked up a few big first downs with his legs. Burrow was again brilliant, but Jackson's heroics in the fourth quarter led Baltimore to the win."
We Are All Witnesses to Lamar Jackson's Ability
With five minutes left in the third quarter, Jackson delivered another one-of-a-kind play. The box score will show he rushed for 10 yards, but what he did was evade three pass rushers, tight-rope the sideline, dodge two more tacklers and get the offense down to the 1-yard line. It stunned the football world.
Pass Defense Woes Dampen the Victory Mood
While the Ravens were thrilled to win, the pass defense was not happy it allowed Joe Burrow to throw for 428 yards and four touchdowns and Ja'Marr Chase to deliver another performance that nearly led to a loss. Chase had a historic game finishing with 264-yard and three touchdowns.
The Ravens' defensive performance has left pundits with long-term concerns about Baltimore's viability.
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm: "Five plays [after Hamilton's injury], the Bengals scored to go up, 14-7. Then, on the Ravens' next defensive snap in the third quarter, it was 21-7 after Chase burned them and went 67 yards untouched through the middle of the secondary. Chase would score twice more in the second half, continually roasting Baltimore's already maligned secondary. But without Hamilton out there, things were often ugly. Brandon Stephens was repeatedly picked on. Marcus Williams, who was benched a few weeks ago, took some shaky angles to the ball on all the big plays. The Ravens had the right idea on money downs, playing man defense and forcing lower-percentage throws, such as the fourth-down miss to Jermaine Burton."
NFL Research: Ja'Marr Chase's 431 yards receiving this season versus the Ravens are the most ever for one player against a single opponent in a season, topping Art Powell's 428 yards for the Raiders versus the Oilers in 1963.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: "The Ravens' pass defense, which is the worst in the league, looked like it in the second half, when Baltimore was without All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton (ankle). The Ravens allowed touchdown passes of 67 and 70 yards to wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. For the season, Baltimore has now given up a league-high 28 completions of 25 or more yards."
The Baltimore Sun’s Tim Schwartz: "This offense is dominant right now. If the defense (and, uh, special teams) can be even league average, this is going to be a tough team to beat. But their ceiling is so high because this defense was the league's best last year. Something needs to change in the defensive backfield, but they have Superman at the top of his game playing quarterback."
The Baltimore Sun’s Bennett Conlin: "John Harbaugh's team still has major defensive woes. An injury to Kyle Hamilton depletes the weak secondary — the Ravens need him back healthy as quickly as possible. Until the pass defense improves, Baltimore will rely on its offense to win games. Through 10 games, that strategy seems good enough to at least contend for the AFC North."
Russell Street Report’s Tanner George: "The secondary once again struggled mightily, giving up two huge touchdowns to Ja'Marr Chase, who's seemed to have Baltimore's number in recent years. Marcus Williams had a bit of an up-and-down game, and Brandon Stephens once had some problems in coverage. On the other hand, Marlon Humphrey played lights-out ball and Nate Wiggins had a solid game."
Bleacher Report Staff: "Once again, the Ravens almost lost [to the Bengals]—because the defense was awful against the pass. This is not a new problem for the Ravens. Entering Week 10, they had the NFL's best run defense and the league's worst pass defense. The 280 yards and change Baltimore allowed through the air entering Week 10 is going up. Joe Burrow ravaged the Ravens Thursday night to the tune of 428 yards and four scores. Ja'Marr Chase caught three of those scores, topping 250 receiving yards. Mind you, the Bengals didn't have Tee Higgins for this game. They knew Burrow would lean on Chase—and there was absolutely nothing the Ravens could do about it… Jackson may well be the NFL's MVP (again). Henry could be the first running back to gain 2,000 rushing yards in a season twice. But this Ravens team isn't playing in New Orleans in February. Not with a non-existent secondary."
PressBox’s Bo Smolka: "Ja'Marr Chase had the middle of the field all to himself on a 70-yard touchdown pass that tied the game at 28 in the fourth quarter, but that was just the most obvious and pronounced continuation of a glaring trend for the Ravens this season: They aren't really stopping anybody in the middle of the field. Early in the game, Joe Burrow had his way tossing quick slants or curl routes on third down, as his receivers found open space across the middle."
The Baltimore Sun Staff: "Chase had to be priority No. 1, the human embodiment of a skull and crossbones, but there he went, blazing free to catch a 70-yard touchdown pass that tied the game. He even rubbed it in, stopping short of the goal line and dancing along it for several seconds to emphasize just how far he was from being covered… With the Bengals' No. 2 wide receiver, Tee Higgins, sidelined by a quadriceps injury, there was really only one Cincinnati playmaker who could devastate the Ravens. And devastate them Chase did, catching 11 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns."
Ravens Outbid for Marshon Lattimore; Nearly Reunited with Calais Campbell
It wasn't for a lack of trying that the Ravens didn't land another trade at the deadline on Tuesday, as General Manager Eric DeCosta looked to upgrade the defense.
According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, the Ravens were involved in negotiations for former Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
Breer reported that the Ravens offered a third-round pick for Lattimore. The Washington Commanders, however, outbid them with 2025 third-, fourth-, and sixth-round picks.
Another pass rusher was something Ravens fans were hoping for as the deadline approached, and according to Breer, it nearly came to pass in the form of a reunion with Dolphins defensive end Calais Campbell.
"That deal fell through at the last minute," Breer said.
While the Ravens didn't get either of them, they did land a deal for cornerback Tre'Davious White, who according to Breer altered his contract terms to facilitate the trade to Baltimore.
"White actually agreed to remove all the playtime incentives from his contract to facilitate the deal to the Ravens," Breer said. "He should make his debut for Baltimore against Pittsburgh a week from Sunday."
