The Ravens' COVID-19 issues led to a lot of defensive shuffling against the Green Bay Packers in Sunday's 31-30 loss at M&T Bank Stadium.
Baltimore was already without Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters and others due to injury. Then Chris Westry and Jimmy Smith went on the Reserve/COVID-19 list just a couple days before the game. The Ravens moved Tavon Young into a bigger role, but he went out with a concussion after 20 plays.
That left Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale using recently called-up fill-ins against Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and a dangerous Packers passing attack.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the Ravens' snap counts:
- Kevon Seymour, who has spent much of the year on the practice squad, played 87% of the defensive snaps (54). That was the fourth-most snaps of any player on defense. Robert Jackson, who was signed to the practice squad on Dec. 1, played 61% of the snaps (38).
- The Ravens also mixed some veterans into the rotation as extra dime defenders. Anthony Levine Sr., who hadn't played a defensive snap this season, played 31% of them against the Packers (19). Safety Tony Jefferson, who was brought back on the practice squad last week, was thrown into the fire with nine snaps (15%). In summary, it was an all-hands-on-deck situation.
- Geno Stone stepped in for Chuck Clark, wore the green dot communication helmet, and played 100 percent of the snaps. Stone had previously never played more than 17 defensive snaps and finished with a career-high seven tackles.
- Fellow safety Brandon Stephens and cornerback Anthony Averett also didn't leave the field. Stephens got the defense's highest grade from Pro Football Focus and his best marks of the season.
- Coming off his first career 100-yard game and with Sammy Watkins on the COVID-19 list, rookie wide receiver Rashod Bateman played a season-high 93% of the snaps (65). He was only targeted twice and made one catch for five yards, however. Tyler Huntley took one deep shot to Bateman that fell incomplete.
- Rookie third-round guard Ben Cleveland made his first career start and played the entire game. Cleveland got high grades from PFF in pass protection.
- David Sharpe took over for Tyre Phillips (knee) and played two-thirds of the offensive snaps (47). Sharpe also earned high grades for his pass protection.
- The Ravens split their running back rotation more evenly than in recent weeks between Devonta Freeman (56%) and Latavius Murray (41%). That should help Freeman, who had been carrying a heavy load, be a little fresher against the Bengals.
- Rookie wide receiver Tylan Wallace played a season-high 14 offensive snaps and made his first career catch, a diving 5-yard snag. He had previously not played more than five offensive snaps in a game.
