After back-to-back games that went down to the wire, the Ravens' home game against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday appeared to be all but over by halftime.
Lamar Jackson was cooking. The defense forced two turnovers, made a goal line stand, and allowed just one score. And Tyler Loop nailed a 64-yield goal – the longest in the 28-year history of M&T Bank Stadium – to send the Ravens into halftime with a 17-point lead.
However, Jackson suffered an ankle injury on the play prior to Loop's field goal and did not return. Without the two-time MVP, the Ravens didn't score another point.
Three other Ravens were knocked out of the game: cornerback Marlon Humprey (calf), tight end Durham Smythe (Achilles), and right guard Andrew Vorhees (foot), which further decimated the offensive line.
As injuries and penalties (13 for 131 yards) piled up for the Ravens, the Titans made it a one-score contest. The game wasn't decided until safety Malaki Starks recovered an onside kick with one minute, 10 seconds remaining, as the Ravens (3-1) escaped with a 24-18 victory over the Titans (0-4) that ended a four-game home losing streak.
As Head Coach Jesse Minter said after the game, you never have to apologize for getting a win. Still, the injuries, penalties, and uneven play on defense are concerning.
The good news is that Jackson's injury isn't believed to be long-term. Minter said "there were some talks" about Jackson returning in the second half.
Here's a look at pundits' takeaways from the game:
The Baltimore Sun’s C.J. Doon: "This was a painful performance. From the growing injury list to the penalties (13 for 131 yards) to the leaky defense and nonexistent second-half offense, the Ravens' play was often as sloppy as the weather. … The Titans have one of the worst offenses in the league, yet they picked up 21 first downs and got inside the red zone four times. A better quarterback than Cam Ward might have been able to take advantage and put some more points on the board. Fortunately for the Ravens, the former No. 1 draft pick doesn't look close to realizing his full potential in Tennessee.
"And as if we needed any more proof, the second half showed how important Jackson is to this team. Without him, the Ravens don't have any life. The weather was a factor, certainly, but scoring zero points after halftime is inexcusable. The lack of pass-catching talent behind Zay Flowers becomes more glaring each week, and [General Manager] Eric DeCosta should fix it before the trade deadline. Actually, he might need to fill more holes than that."
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: "Jackson is listed as day-to-day. That's good, because it will be a tall order for the Ravens to put [backup quarterback Tyler] Huntley in position to succeed. That's because the injuries run deep. Smythe, the team's best in-line blocker at tight end, went down with an Achilles injury. Right guard Vorhees was declared out quickly with a foot injury. That usually doesn't bode well. The Ravens are already on their fourth starting center since mid-August. Huntley showed that he can be trusted to make some plays, take care of the ball and manage the game last year when he led the Ravens to victories over playoff-bound Chicago and Green Bay teams. However, that will be a much bigger ask of the backup QB this year with the Ravens dealing with so many issues upfront specifically, and with the supporting cast in general."
The Baltimore Banner’s Chris Korman: "Sigh. And so the Ravens' season threatens to become 'Will Lamar Jackson play, and how healthy is he anyway?' Jackson is a terrific passer — let's get that out of the way to start — and can be effective even if hobbled. But to truly carry the Ravens against top teams (behind a mediocre and banged-up offensive line), he needs to be able to escape and improvise. Jackson's injury looked like a standard sprained ankle, and it seems entirely possible the Ravens sat him out of an abundance of caution (and because they believe in Tyler Huntley's ability to manage and close out a game). But Jackson's health is all that really matters coming out of this one; he was playing at an MVP level, and the season relies upon that, especially because Jesse Minter has not immediately fixed the defense."
The Baltimore Banner’s Giana Han: "With so many injuries, the margin for error shrinks even further in an already detail-oriented league. Penalties, especially presnap penalties, are one of the easiest errors to avoid. They should especially be avoided if you're on a team that claims to zero in on the smallest details and emphasize doing things the right way. And yet the Ravens are now in the top three for most penalties in the league (though Carolina had not yet played at the time of publishing). Penalties have kept the Ravens behind the sticks, and they've wiped out big plays. The worst part is they're not being called only on the handful of young players who had significant roles in the game. Veterans Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers, Nate Wiggins and more are committing penalties. Ravens coaches and players have said limiting penalties is a priority … yet the number continues to climb."
Russell Street Report’s Darin McCann: "Not a relaxing Sunday Funday. Should we talk about penalties? But it's a win. And wins are always welcomed around here, thank you very much."
With Jackson Down, Defense Stepped Up
The defense wasn't perfect, but pundits noted that the unit played well for the most part, especially in the second half when the Ravens' offense struggled without Jackson.
NFL.com's Bobby Kownack: "It got a little hairy at the end, with Tennessee going 70 yards on seven plays for a touchdown and subsequent two-point conversion to pull within six as 1:12 remained, but by that point Baltimore's defense had saved the day multiple times. It only made sense the group would eventually break a little, and the Ravens recovered the ensuing onside kick anyway. Baltimore's defensive unit did an excellent job controlling momentum throughout Sunday's contest. Trenton Simpson's interception on the second play of the game set up Baltimore's opening five-play, 37-yard touchdown drive. Later, in the second quarter, the Ravens made a goal-line stand to prevent Tennessee from knotting the score at 14. Nnamdi Madubuike, in his second game back from last year's season-ending neck injury, was the hero in that instance, stonewalling Tony Pollard's wildcat run. That again shifted the tenor of the game, as Lamar Jackson led an impressive 99-yard TD drive to extend the lead.
"Following Jackson's departure, Baltimore steeled itself against a Titans offense looking to take advantage during the second half. A first-drive field goal and the touchdown toward the game's end was all Tennessee would muster. The Ravens held the Titans to 9 yards on their other three second-half possessions -- all three-and-outs -- to compensate for a Baltimore offense suddenly unable to find points."
Baltimore Beatdown’s Zach Canter: "The defense was incredibly solid outside of the first drive of the game. Outside of Carnell Tate's catch and run at the end, the tackling was massively improved and they were in Cam Ward's face all day."
The Baltimore Sun’s Michael Howes: "The defense stepped up. Glimpses of second-half issues still showed up, including a 33-yard completion on fourth down from Cam Ward to Carnell Tate that helped set up a late touchdown, but Baltimore still limited Tennessee to just two trips past midfield on five second-half drives and did enough to close it out."
Safety Kyle Hamilton (six tackles, one tackle for loss, forced fumble, pass breakup) once again led the defense.
"Hamilton has been one of the few defensive bright spots this season and he made plays all over the field," Press Box’s Antonio Barbera wrote. "It's difficult to imagine where the defense would be without him."
Meanwhile, Simpson continued what has been a breakout season thus far, as he had a team-high nine tackles and a pass breakup to go along with his first career interception.
"Simpson said he dreamed about an interception and texted a friend about it Friday night. In his version, he also took it back for a touchdown, so there is still room for the sequel," The Baltimore Sun’s Josh Tolentino wrote. "The more meaningful development is how consistently he is taking advantage of his starting role in a contract year. Simpson looks like one of the defense's most physical tacklers, trusting his reads and attacking downhill with conviction alongside Roquan Smith."
Jackson-Flowers Connection Is 'Something Special'
The naysayers who questioned whether Flowers is a true No. 1 wide receiver and deserving of his massive contract extension haven't had much to say through the first month of the season.
Despite a hamstring injury that forced Flowers to miss the second half in Week 1, the entire game in Week 2, and limited his snaps in Week 3, Flowers is seventh in the league in receiving yards (352) and leads all wide receivers in yards after the catch (165). Flowers is on pace for 1,496 receiving yards, which would break the franchise's single-season record held by tight end Mark Andrews (1,361 yards in 2021).
The Jackson-Flowers combination has become as lethal as any quarterback-wide receiver duo in the league.
"The Jackson-to-Zay Flowers connection is turning into something special," Barbera wrote. "Flowers is making catches at every level, and Jackson is targeting him early and often. Flowers has been constantly separating from defenders and getting yards after the catch. Flowers' best grab, a 52-yard deep shot along the right sideline, came during a second-quarter 98-yard touchdown drive, which may have been the best of the season for the Ravens so far.
"Jackson was 15 of 20 for 222 passing yards and two touchdowns in one half. Flowers finished with eight catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. The two have only played together for four out of eight possible halves of football, and that includes one game during which Flowers was on a 21-snap pitch count. If both players had been healthy for four games, who knows what their production would be, which bodes well for the rest of the season, assuming they can both stay on the field."
Loop Becoming Another Weapon for Offense
It would be hard for Loop to top the dramatic, game-winning, 56-yard field goal in Rio de Janeiro last week that earned him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors, but he may have done it with his 64-yarder on a rain-soaked field.
After going 1-for-4 on 50+-yard attempts last season, the second-year kicker is 3-for-3 on kicks from that distance this season.
"Let's think, for a moment, about what Loop's developing range offers the offense," Tolentino wrote. "A stalled drive near midfield can still produce a scoring chance, and a sack like the one Jackson suffered at the end of the half doesn't necessarily put Baltimore out of field goal range.
"After two consecutive weeks of extraordinary distance in pressure moments, Loop has provided evidence that Baltimore's kicking job is in capable hands."
Overall, Loop is 6-for-8 on field-goal tries this season. His 49-yard miss in Week 2 was blocked, and the hold may have contributed to his 40-yard attempt that sailed wide left on Sunday.
