Ravens Reportedly Not Pursuing Davante Adams
Speculation that Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams could be traded to the Ravens intensified last week when the three-time All-Pro posted a photo of Edgar Allan Poe on his Instagram along with the Poe quote, "Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see."
It remains a mystery what message Adams intended to convey with his cryptic post, but The Athletic reports that the Ravens are not among the teams pursuing him.
"Adams churned up rumors about the Baltimore Ravens' getting involved last week when he posted a picture of poet Edgar Allan Poe, who's best known for his poem 'The Raven,' on Instagram, but Baltimore is not in conversations to acquire the receiver," The Athletic's Tashan Reed, Vic Tafur, and Dianna Russini wrote.
The teams who are in talks with the Raiders about Adams are the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, and Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Buffalo Bills are monitoring the situation, according to The Athletic.
The Ravens acquiring Adams always seemed like a longshot, largely because they are tight against the salary cap and Adams' immediate cap hit would be $13.5 million unless the Raiders ate some. Reports have suggested that Vegas has been unwilling to do so.
Lamar Jackson was asked yesterday about the Adams speculation and how satisfied he is with his pass-catchers.
"My guys are doing a great job – receivers, tight ends, running backs, fullbacks. Our guys are doing it all right now, and we're winning games, so that's all that matters," Jackson said.
Baltimore got widespread contributions from its pass catchers in the 41-38 win in Cincinnati, with Zay Flowers leading the way with seven catches for 111 yards. Rashod Bateman saw a season-high eight targets and scored a 16-yard touchdown. Even No. 3 tight end Charlie Kolar caught three passes for 64 yards and a score.
673: Charlie Kolar Shows His Unique Personality Talking About His Breakout, Career Challenges, Corn Rows & More
Ravens TE Charlie Kolar joins team insiders Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing to discuss his big day in Cincinnati, how he's evolved as a player, his academic background, why he loves playing football, and his unique personality within the Ravens locker room.
Ravens Have NFL's Best Rushing Duo
The dream team backfield of Jackson and running back Derrick Henry has lived up to the hype.
The pair was ranked as the NFL's No. 1 rushing duo by NFL.com analyst and former All-Pro running back Maurice Jones-Drew.
"Jackson and his new backfield mate, King Henry, are the perfect lightning-and-thunder combination," Jones-Drew wrote. "The two-time MVP keeps defenses on their heels with his quickness and speed and is an ankle-breaker in the open field. While Jackson runs around defenders, Henry, a two-time league rushing champion, runs through them. The 247-pound freight train has forced 30 missed tackles on runs this season and racked up 29 first downs, both second-most in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats. Both Henry and Jackson rank in the top 10 in rushing yards this season; the running back leads the league with 572, while the quarterback ranks eighth with 363."
Quarterback Jayden Daniels and running back Brian Robinson of the Washington Commanders, the Ravens' opponent Sunday, were ranked fourth on Jones-Drew's list.
Individually, Henry was No. 1 for the second straight week in Jones-Drew's running back rankings.
"Henry was relatively quiet against the Bengals with 30 rush yards in regulation -- though he did score a touchdown to open the scoring. But thanks to some magic from Lamar Jackson and big stops from Baltimore's defense, the King was eventually able to shine as one of the Ravens' heroes," Jones-Drew wrote.
"After Cincinnati missed a field goal in overtime, Henry took the next snap 51 yards to set up the game-winning boot by Justin Tucker. It wasn't the only big moment for Henry, as the four-time Pro Bowler became 32nd player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career rush yards. He'll keep climbing the all-time ranks; the 30-year-old back still looks spry."
Peter Schrager Says Fans Should Savor First Meeting Between Jackson and Daniels
As anticipation continues to build for the "Battle of the Beltways" between the Ravens and NFC East-leading Commanders at M&T Bank Stadium, "Good Morning Football's" Peter Schrager said fans should savor the first meeting between Jackson and Daniels.
"I cannot wait to see these two quarterbacks not only play, I want to see them interact beforehand, I want to see all the dialogue that they have if there's anyone mic'd up afterwards," Schrager said. "I can't wait for this one and it's one of those rare deals where it's like, 'Hey, you're the king right now and you've owned this market since you got in the league in 2018, but I'm coming.' And is it just respect or is it, 'I'm coming for that crown?'
"They only play once every four years so it's not going to be a division rivalry twice a year and all that. Savor it while you can. Jayden vs. Lamar Part I. I'm here for it. I can't wait."
Ravens Given Best Chance of Making Playoffs Among 3-2 Teams
Ten teams have a 3-2 record, and NFL.com’s Kevin Patra noted that teams that start 3-2 have made the playoffs 49.7 percent of the time since 1990.
Given that statistic, Patra predicted which five 3-2 teams will make the playoffs. The Ravens were at the top of his list.
"No need to belabor the lead. If Isaiah Likely's shoe was a half-size smaller and the Ravens didn't have a collective brain cramp for 10 minutes against Las Vegas, we'd be talking about Baltimore as one of the two undefeated teams in the NFL, and a favorite to get to the Super Bowl," Patra wrote. "In a rare case, the Ravens' record doesn't say who they are.
"Lamar Jackson continues to play at an MVP level. The offense is starting to find a balance with Derrick Henry, a development that should only increase in comfort as the season progresses. The defense has holes but can force big swings. Ranking No. 1 in offensive DVOA and second in EPA per play (0.16), Baltimore has a road-grading offense that can plow through modern defenses. And when in a bind, you can always count on Jackson to melt your brain with a ridiculous play."
Patra predicted the AFC North rival Steelers would not make the playoffs.
"The real issue for Mike Tomlin's team is an offense that, at its best, has been a helter-skelter operation and, at its worst, an impotent sloth," Patra wrote. "Pittsburgh's 18.4 points per game in 2024 is the lowest among the 15 teams above .500 through five weeks. ... Until Arthur Smith's offense becomes more than an inefficient rushing operation with the occasional completed pass, I can't buy Pittsburgh as a legitimate threat."
