The potential of the deep ball connection between Lamar Jackson and Rashod Bateman has been apparent for years. This year, it has come to fruition.
With his 49- and 20-yard touchdowns against the New York Giants, Bateman has now scored four touchdowns on deep targets (20+ yards) this season. That's tied for second most in the NFL, only trailing Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
Jackson said that years ago, he and Bateman were in California working together right after the season and had good chemistry, but it has been interrupted by injuries. Now they've built the kind of constant connection that has led to results.
"[It's been] us just trusting each other, us just trusting the play call and just connecting with our chemistry," Jackson said. "Both of us had injuries in the past, so our chemistry would die off at some point of the season, but this year, we've been healthy, and it's just been going how it should be going."
Bateman entered this season talking about how much better he felt physically and mentally. He was in a good place.
Last year, Bateman was still coming back from foot surgery. That foot injury ended his season six games into the 2022 season, and his 2021 rookie campaign was delayed by five weeks due to a core muscle surgery.
"I feel like a rookie this year. It's just the first time that I feel 100%," Bateman said. "It's the first time that I feel like part of the offense and actually involved. I haven't been this involved since I've been in the league."
Bateman is second on the Ravens in receiving yards (654) and receiving touchdowns (seven), and his 17.5 yards per catch ranks seventh in the league among players with at least 20 receptions.
"I just have to continue to build this team's trust and obviously there's plenty more on the field to be gotten," Bateman said. "Hopefully we can continue that stride into the playoffs."
Patrick Queen Expects Boos in M&T Bank Stadium Return
Patrick Queen was a highly respected player in Baltimore, but he expects to hear jeers when he returns as a rival Pittsburgh Steeler this Saturday.
It will be Queen's first time in the visitor's locker room of his old stomping grounds.
"I'm probably going to get a lot of [curses] and boos and stuff, but at the end of the day, I wouldn't want any other way," Queen told Steelers reporters Tuesday.
"That's football. That's competition. That's a high level of competitiveness, so I'm all for it."
In his first game against his former teammates in Week 11, Queen had 10 tackles and ripped the ball away from tight end Isaiah Likely for a key turnover.
Desmond King Says Returning Punts Is 'Muscle Memory'
Desmond King had only returned 10 punts over the past two seasons before joining the Ravens, but when Baltimore called his number, he was ready.
King busted loose for a 22-yard return on his first chance, which was the Ravens' longest punt return of the season. In his eight NFL seasons, King has returned 112 punts and averaged 9.3 yards per return.
On Monday, Head Coach John Harbaugh said King will remain the punt returner against the Steelers.
"It's muscle memory to me," King said. "It's the experience, but it's also the decision making back there. The most important thing is just getting the ball back first and then from there you do what you do. You've always got to be smart when you're back there."
Nnamdi Madubuike Knows He Need to Limit Penalties
The Ravens lead the league in penalties and had another flag-filled game Sunday against the Giants. Baltimore was penalized 12 times for 112 yards, and both of New York's scoring drives were helped heavily by Ravens fouls.
Nnamdi Madubuike had his fourth roughing the passer penalty of the season against the Giants. Entering Week 15, nobody else in the league had more than two.
"We're just playing hard. I had a penalty. I should have let up," Madubuike said. "Just little things that we know we can fix and we will fix.
"Especially when you're going full steam, heavy dude, it's hard to let up. Football's football. There's going to be penalties ... but you want to do your best to not hurt your team."
