Joe Flacco Helps Ravens by Leading Bengals to Upset Win Over Steelers
If the Ravens are to beat the odds and make the playoffs, winning the AFC North seems like the most direct path. To do so, they not only have to win a large majority of their remaining games, but they also need the first-place Steelers to rack up a decent amount of losses.
The Ravens got some help Thursday night in the form of an old friend.
In Joe Flacco's second game with the Bengals since being traded from the Browns last week, the former Ravens quarterback turned back the clock, throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns to lead Cincinnati to a thrilling, 33-31 upset of the Steelers.
It looks like Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin had good reason to be miffed at the Browns for trading Flacco to a division rival.
Despite the Steelers (4-2) having a three-game lead over the Ravens (1-5), they only have slightly better odds to win the division (+125) than the Ravens (+130) on FanDuel Sportsbook.
"Oh, there's a team currently in the midst of their bye week," CBS Sports' Bryant McFadden said, "and they were sitting at home, enjoying their family and their friends, watching this like we were watching, and when they saw the final score, they perked up a little bit, probably started doing some abs in the living room or some pushups and say, 'You know what? Let's get right, because this bye week can do a lot for us based on what happened tonight,' and that's the Baltimore Ravens."
Sporting News’ Daniel Mader wrote: "[The Ravens] are three games behind the Steelers, but if Lamar Jackson can stay healthy, they also aren't a team that can be brushed aside quite yet."
The Steelers' remaining schedule is daunting. Five of their next six games are against teams that currently have winning records. The stretch begins with games against the Packers (3-1-1), Colts (5-1), and Chargers (4-2). After a second meeting with the Bengals (3-4), the Steelers face the Bears (3-2) and Bills (4-2).
Pittsburgh's final five games include two meetings with the Ravens (Weeks 14 and 17) and a road game against the Lions (4-2) in Week 16.
Conversely, the Ravens' schedule eases up after facing five teams that made the playoffs last season (Bills, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Rams) in their first six games. The Ravens' opponents in their final 11 games have a combined .447 winning percentage.
The Ravens still have an uphill climb. They'll need to go 8-3 just to finish with a winning record. And while the Steelers losing benefits the Ravens, it also helps the second-place Bengals (3-4), who are hoping Flacco can lead them to the playoffs or at least keep them afloat until Joe Burrow returns late in the season.
The Ravens and Bengals play at M&T Bank Stadium on Thanksgiving and at Cincinnati in Week 15.
Looking at Reasons for Optimism and Pessimism That Ravens Can Turn Their Season Around
The Baltimore Sun’s Sam Cohn looked at five reasons to be optimistic the Ravens can turn their season around, while fellow Baltimore Sun writer Sam Jane identified five reasons for pessimism.
Here are some excerpts:
Reasons for optimism
"Two words: Lamar Jackson. The Ravens are a dismal 4-12 without Jackson under center. He's an obvious force multiplier. In each of Baltimore's past six games without their two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, the Ravens haven't scored more than 17 points. With Jackson, they scored at least 30 points in each of their first three games to start the year — and there are still question marks about 'rhythm' and play calling. Any hope of a turnaround starts and ends with Jackson."
"Alohi Gilman opens up the defense. Baltimore's newest safety, acquired from the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for pass rusher Odafe Oweh on Oct. 7, took every rep and even directed traffic his first day on the field. Gilman brought no ego, only vowing to help in whatever way would help pick up the pieces of a broken defense. Trust in Gilman to cover the back end allows the Ravens to lean into what was a considerable strength in 2023 and a Band-Aid for the troubles in 2024: move All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton closer to the line of scrimmage."
Reasons for pessimism
"Poor trench play. There have been two common sights at M&T Bank Stadium this season: Jackson being dragged to the turf and opposing running backs scampering for easy yards. Jackson has been forced to leave the pocket nearly 70% of the time this season, according to Football Insights. That's the highest mark in the NFL. He's been sacked 15 times this year, including seven times against the Detroit Lions. Meanwhile, the Ravens' defense has allowed the most rushing yards through six weeks in franchise history. The unit is allowing 134 yards per game on the ground, which is tied for sixth-worst in the league."
"Nonexistent pass rush. Baltimore's sack rate is the fourth-worst in football and it has only forced 85 pressures this season, according to Pro Football Focus. After trading away Odafe Oweh, the team's leader in pressures before his departure, the Ravens are missing a clear player to disrupt the quarterback in passing situations. Depth is also an issue. Defensive end Tavius Robinson broke his foot against the Rams and will be out for up to two months, which leaves rookie Mike Green, veteran Kyle Van Noy and fourth-year player David Ojabo as the remaining options on the edge."
Which Units Will Make Biggest Jump After Bye?
OK, that's enough pessimism. Let's focus on more potential positive developments.
The Baltimore Banner predicted which units will make the biggest jump after the bye. Jonas Shaffer said it's the running game, while Giana Han went with the secondary.
"Over the next couple of weeks, the Ravens should get one of the NFL's best running quarterbacks (Jackson) and one of the NFL's best fullbacks (Patrick Ricard) back," Shaffer wrote. "If Head Coach John Harbaugh's unhappy with his guard play, the Ravens might also get a shakeup along the offensive line that could diversify their running game. Any offense with Jackson, Derrick Henry, Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell in the backfield should have a floor as a top-10 rushing attack, and the bet here is that the Ravens figure things out after the bye."
Han wrote: "I think the secondary has potential. It's had a lot of players sidelined by injury, and it should return to health. Getting Pro Bowl inside linebacker Roquan Smith back should also help, because the spine of the defense runs through him, and it's currently running through a rookie, Teddye Buchanan. The addition of safety Alohi Gilman also gives Zach Orr and Chuck Pagano flexibility with what they can do. Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey will get healthier, and Nate Wiggins and Malaki Starks will improve with experience."
Ravens Wire’s Geoffrey A. Knox said the presence of veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and Harbaugh could be invaluable as the Ravens look to get their season back on track.
"Some stars are just different. Sometimes a guy walks into an NFL locker room, and other stars can't believe he's now their teammate. DeAndre Hopkins is such a star," Knox wrote. "He's a guy some of the young Ravens watched in hopes of reaching a similar status. Since his arrival, he's had everyone's attention and respect. That respect extends from the coaching staff down to the players. Showing up huge in certain spots has only helped that. He has authored fantastic catches. He's tied for the team lead in TD receptions (2) and ranks second in both yards per reception (19.8) and receiving yards (178).
"Sure, the NFL is about results. Yes, voices become stale sometimes, but John Harbaugh isn't the guy fumbling in the clutch. John Harbaugh hasn't thrown interceptions or missed tackles. Yes, failure sometimes falls back on coaching, but what we've seen happen to Harbaugh's team could have happened to any other team dealt the same hand. Be patient. This will work itself out."
Quick Hits
Yesterday's Most Read: Late for Work: Pundit Says Ravens Should Be Buyers As Long As Lamar Jackson Is Healthy
- Fox Sports' Erin Andrews, a cancer survivor, talked on her podcast about the Ravens' Crucial Catch initiative, which is committed to the fight against all cancers and to providing individuals with the tools they need to help them better understand early detection and ways to reduce their cancer risk.
