Mink: There's no magic elixir that can cure the Ravens' fourth-quarter issues, and I don't know that there's an obvious over-arching reason why they keep happening. The only thing that Head Coach Jesse Minter pointed to was that he thought the defense was "pressing." Veteran Ravens defenders are well aware of their history of fourth-quarter troubles and perhaps they are trying to do too much to avoid them.
Other than preaching to stay fundamentally sound and not try to overextend their duties, the Ravens will attack correcting the problems just like they would if they happened in any other quarter.
The primary reason why the Ravens gave up two fourth-quarter touchdowns to the Saints, in my opinion, was poor tackling on a few plays that let New Orleans convert on key third downs. The Ravens offense also left the door open because it committed too many penalties and didn't convert on a huge third-and-1.
I agree that this team is too good to continue to have fourth quarter meltdowns, and I do expect them to happen less frequently moving forward for a few reasons. They have a better pass rush and gave Trey Hendrickson the biggest free-agent contract in franchise history to be a "closer." The Saints countered that with a quick passing game down the stretch, which wouldn't have been a problem for the Ravens if they tackled better.
The Ravens also have a Derrick Henry strong run game that should help protect leads better than most teams. Henry didn't have much of a chance to get going down the stretch against the Saints (more on that below).
Brown: I understand why you're asking.
While Moore (32 snaps) and LaJohntay Wester (31) played almost the same number of snaps against the Saints, Devontez Walker was far behind with just 17 snaps.
With Zay Flowers and Ja'Kobi Lane sidelined, Bateman and Mark Andrews became the focal point of the passing game with 16 targets between them. No other wide receiver or tight end was targeted more than twice.
I thought Walker would have a bigger role in Week 2. He was part of Baltimore's longest play from scrimmage against New Orleans, hooking up with Jackson for a 47-yard completion early in the second quarter. But Walker was targeted just once after that big catch. Perhaps the Ravens wanted to be careful with Walker after he missed Week 1 with a groin injury.
I don't think Walker necessarily had to be wide receiver No. 2 for that game. There are a lot of people vying for targets. With as many young receivers as the Ravens have, all of them won't play a major role every week. However, I do think Walker has shown he can produce if given more snaps. With just 13 career targets, he has eight catches, 204 yards, and four touchdowns. That's impressive. We'll see if Walker becomes a bigger part of the picture as the season progresses.
Mink: I'm honestly tired of this narrative because it lacks depth and understanding. The Ravens had four offensive drives in the second half. It really comes down to just a couple plays where handing the ball to Henry may have been the better choice. Let's look at each drive:
1st drive: Henry ran four times on the 14-play drive that ended with a 49-yard field goal. He may have had more, but he was stopped for no gain on first-and-10, which set up a passing situation on second-and-10, and then Lamar Jackson was sacked on third-and-10.
2nd drive: The Ravens were behind the chains from the start as the drive began with a false start on Chris Moore. They still got the ball to Henry on a pass, but it was stopped for a 3-yard loss. Jackson was sacked on third down, and the Ravens went three-and-out.
3rd drive: The Ravens picked up seven yards on a pass to Bateman, then Henry got the handoff, but only picked up two yards. That set up the third-and-1 that is the play most in question. Instead of giving the ball to Henry again, Jackson took a deep shot to Moore. It was aggressive and it didn't pay off – but it was really close. If Jackson had a little more time to throw, my guess is he would've found Bateman wide open for an explosive play underneath.
4th drive: The Ravens were trailing by a touchdown with 1 minute, 21 seconds left to play and no timeouts. Of course they aren't going to run the ball in that scenario.
Brown: That's a good call.
Robinson leads the Ravens with two sacks and looks destined to smash his career-high of 4.5 sacks set last season, when he missed seven games due to a broken foot. He's played 80% of the team's defensive snaps so far, generating consistent pressure with five quarterback hits, while maintaining his physicality as a run defender.
Trey Hendrickson commands plenty of attention with his pass rushing from the opposite side, and Robinson has taken advantage and been rewarded with more playing time.
"His play style is tone-setting for the team and the defense," Minter said.
A native of Canada, Robinson was a fourth-round pick from Ole Miss in 2023, and this is a contract year for him. Robinson could be having a breakout season at an opportune time.
