Roquan Smith has had so many great games as a Raven that when John Harbaugh was asked whether Sunday's Week 2 game versus the Browns was the linebacker's best, the head coach had trouble picking the best.
"I've seen so many good ones. It was in that category," Harbaugh said. "But he's such a consistent player. That's probably why it's such a hard question to answer, because he plays so well pretty much every week."
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades, Smith's game against the Browns was the second-best of his eight-year career.
The three-time Pro Bowler earned a 91.9 grade after registering a whopping 15 tackles, including three for loss, two quarterback hits, and one 63-yard touchdown on a fumble recovery that sealed the Ravens' 41-17 win.
Smith became the first NFL player since at least 2008 to have at least 15 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a defensive touchdown in a single game.
Smith's only other higher PFF grade was in his fourth game as a Raven in 2022, when he logged 11 tackles, including two for loss, in a defensive slugfest 10-9 Ravens win over the Broncos.
To no surprise, Smith stiff-armed a question Sunday about whether it was his best game.
"I don't really look into all that," he said. "My job is to just go out each and every week, play to the best of my ability, and that's just what I do. [I] let everybody else decide if it's the best game or not. That's not my decision. I'm just focused on being the best teammate, best leader, and best linebacker for the guys."
Here are more takeaways from the Ravens' grades and snap counts versus the Browns:
- DeAndre Hopkins played just 10 snaps and saw two targets, but he caught both for big gains – a 41-yarder spotted just short of the end zone and a 23-yard touchdown. Both were impressive, contested catches. Hopkins isn't playing at a high volume, but his efficiency has been off the charts. His 96.5 grade from PFF is the highest of his illustrious career.
- Second-year wide receiver Devontez Walker also made the most of his 13 snaps, catching two touchdowns. His 93.1 PFF grade is the best of his young career.
- Rookie fourth-round pick Teddye Buchanan took over the starting job next to Smith and played 82% of the defensive snaps (60) and all 26 special teams reps. Buchanan made six tackles. Trenton Simpson played 15 defensive snaps but made the most of them with four tackles.
- With veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy going down with a hamstring in the first half, second-round rookie Mike Green saw an increase to 45 snaps (62% of the defensive action) after playing 26 defensive snaps in Week 1. Green recorded one quarterback hit and two hurries.
- Undrafted rookie Keyon Martin played 22 snaps (30%) after Marlon Humphrey left the game with a groin injury. Martin made five tackles and gave up just 11 yards on two receptions.
- There's something about the Browns for Nate Wiggins. He earned an 83.9 grade after making his first interception of the season, three passes defensed, and three tackles. Wiggins was targeted nine times but yielded just four catches for 15 yards, per PFF. It's his second-highest grade in his young career, only trailing when he had a pick-six in last season's regular-season finale against the Browns.
