Ravens Flock: "RETURN OF THE OFFENSE" 2019 edition

Refocused: Baltimore Ravens 27, Cleveland Browns 10
BY PFF ANALYSIS TEAM • DEC 17, 2017
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Dec 17, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) scores a touchdown during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Baltimore Ravens briefly trailed against the Cleveland Browns Sunday, falling behind 7-3 early in the second quarter, but quickly squashed any upset talk, outscoring Cleveland 24-3 the rest of the way to maintain separation between the AFC North’s upper and lower tiers.

The Ravens got a rushing touchdown from Joe Flacco, a receiving score from Benjamin Watson, and a fumble recovery score from Brandon Williams en route to the victory, which got the team to 8-6 and kept them in line for a possible playoff berth. Cleveland turned the ball over four times in the loss.

With that, we give you our PFF-exclusive takeaways from the contest for each team.



TOP 5 GRADES:
LB C.J. Mosley, 84.0 overall grade

QB Joe Flacco, 83.7 overall grade

S Tony Jefferson, 83.3 overall grade

DI Michael Pierce, 80.1 overall grade

S Eric Weddle, 79.4 overall grade

PERFORMANCES OF NOTE:
QB JOE FLACCO, 83.7 OVERALL GRADE

After a rough performance in Week 14 that wound up being misleading in terms of headline statistics, Flacco turned in one of his best performances of the season against the Browns and the numbers backed it up. The Ravens’ ground game kept him ahead of the chains for the most part and allowed Flacco to work the short and intermediate game to keep the offense moving downfield efficiently. Flacco hit on some key plays down the middle of the field at all levels, completing 18-of-25 for 208 yards and his touchdown passes on throws targeted between the numbers.

WR MIKE WALLACE, 72.6 OVERALL GRADE
The Ravens’ most productive receiver, Wallace put one ball on the ground Sunday but caught six others, converting four of those catches into first downs. His longest gain came down the left sideline midway through the second quarter. Separating from Jason McCourty for a 30-yard gain, this marks the sixth game this season that Wallace has collected at least one pass with a gain of 20 yards or more.

LB C.J. MOSLEY, 84.0 OVERALL GRADE
It was a strong all-around performance from Mosley, who made plays in all three phases of the game for the Ravens defense. His three defensive stops were his most in a single game since the Week 12 win over Houston and he picked up two hurries (his first multi-pressure game since Week 11) and a batted pass that almost turned into an interception for Terrell Suggs, but for DeShone Kizer’s intervention. In coverage he added a pass defense, breaking up a third-down pass to Duke Johnson, while allowing only one catch for 9 yards in coverage, a much easier ride than he endured against the Steelers last week.

EDGE ZA’DARIUS SMITH, 74.4 OVERALL GRADE
Smith picked up three pressures in the game, but it was his strip sack in the third quarter that was arguably the game-defining play. This was Smith’s first sack since Week 8 and saw him beat Spencer Drango to the outside almost immediately, swiping the ball out of DeShone Kizer’s hand as he threw from the end zone to setup Brandon Williams’ recovery just inside the goal line for six points. Terrell Suggs led the Ravens in volume of pressures (10) but Smith certainly made his count.



TOP 5 GRADES:
LG Joel Bitonio, 84.6 overall grade

Edge Myles Garrett, 83.1 overall grade

LB Christian Kirksey, 81.9 overall grade

LB Joe Schobert, 79.2 overall grade

Edge Carl Nassib, 78.7 overall grade

PERFORMANCES OF NOTE:
RB DUKE JOHNSON, 71.2 OVERALL GRADE

For much of this game it felt like the battle of the running back tandems, with the receiving duo of Johnson and Danny Woodhead complementing Isaiah Crowell and Alex Collins’ more downhill run-focused games. Johnson added to his work in the passing game with a rushing touchdown, beating Terrell Suggs’ contain to bounce to the edge for the Browns’ only TD. Johnson forced two missed tackles as a receiver to take his season total to 22, trailing only Alvin Kamara (27) among running backs in the passing game.

WR JOSH GORDON, 62.2 OVERALL GRADE
Another step back toward assimilation with the Browns offense for Gordon, who spread his production out more evenly through the game this week than last week against Green Bay but still struggled to come up with the meaningful impact to spark the Browns offense. Those flashes have been there in previous weeks and if he can combine those with the pair of third-down conversions he collected in the second half he’ll be well on his way to giving the Browns the receiving threat they need.

LB CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY, 81.9 OVERALL GRADE
Another productive showing from Kirksey who racked up 5 stops for the sixth time this season, putting his season total at 57, 6 shy of his career high set last season. Kirksey made the most of plays in front of him, picking up 3 of his 5 stops against the Ravens’ short passing game. Kirksey tied for the team lead in stops with fellow LB James Burgess Jr., with all three of the Browns’ starting linebackers playing every defensive snap.

EDGE CARL NASSIB, 78.7 OVERALL GRADE
Nassib picked up a trio of stops for the second straight home game and was productive in the passing game as well. Nassib picked up a pair of pressures (1 hit, 1 hurry) and added his fourth batted pass of the season midway through the third quarter, swatting away a screen pass. Nassib has racked up more production in the last two games in terms of stops, batted passes, and total pressures than he had in the previous four games combined.

PFF GAME BALL: LB C.J. MOSLEY, 84.0 OVERALL GRADE
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*Grades subject to change

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-refocused-baltimore-ravens-27-cleveland-browns-10

--- every Raven player that graded well is really great to see. Mosley hasn't been playing well and they need production from Za'darius Smith on the d-line, too. Mike Wallace needs to continue to play well and so does Flacco. Safeties grading high as well -- great sign. Really need those high grades on the d-line and edge rushers tho if they want success in the playoffs I think.
 
Ravens may be just outside the top 10 this year but these next two weeks could change things
 
It's great getting to play the Browns twice a year. Tanking Colts and completely done Bengals all that's left. If they can win out, playoffs locked. Let's do this shit.
 
Need Collins to get some TDs today. Should be easy vs the colts.
 
Ravens 23-16 Colts
Season: 9-6

Hmm.. I have to say I was a little disappointed in this game: mainly in that ridiculously stupid call to throw Nick Boyle a pass out by the sideline AGAIN, but give him blockers. Like, why do that? Nick Boyle is slow as fuck, why would you do it? Ben Watson fucked that play up though by totally missing his block. Pretty sure that cost them a touchdown, altho I can't remember exactly.

It was good to see the offense sustain drives, but the defense didn't play that well. Good to win a game without forcing a turnover though -- there were opportunities. Good to get a win. Flacco continues to look better than he did in the beginning of the season and he didn't throw a pick (his QBR for the season has gone from like 33 to 46.2 so that's really good - it can only improve so much as it was extremely low for the first 10 games), the team won, so I'll take it as a win and continued improvement. A little bit nervous about the Bengals next week.

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Refocused: Baltimore Ravens 23, Indianapolis Colts 16
BY PFF ANALYSIS TEAM • DEC 24, 2017
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Dec 23, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; Indianapolis Colts linebacker Jabaal Sheard (93) applies pressure as Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) throws during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Baltimore Ravens defended M&T Bank Stadium with a 23-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

QB Jacoby Brissett went 16-of-33 for 215 yards and a touchdown. RB Frank Gore led the way on the ground for Indy, rushing 17 times from 68 yards and contributed through the air by catching Brissett’s touchdown throw. WR T.Y. Hilton had six receptions for exactly 100 yards.

QB Joe Flacco went 29-of-38 for 237 yards and two touchdowns. RB Alex Collins was given plenty of opportunities (18 carries) but only came away with 51 rushing yards. TE Maxx Williams caught his first touchdown of the season, and the second of his career, to put the Ravens up for good. With that, we give you our PFF-exclusive takeaways from the contest for each team.



TOP 5 GRADES:
CB Maurice Canady, 80.8 overall grade

TE Maxx Williams, 78.7 overall grade

QB Joe Flacco, 78.0 overall grade

G Matt Skura, 77.5 overall grade

CB Brandon Carr, 77.1 overall grade

PERFORMANCES OF NOTE:
QB JOE FLACCO, 78.0 OVERALL GRADE

Flacco wasn’t spectacular, but he protected the ball well enough to hold on for the win. He was accurate when he turned the ball loose down the field (5-of-7 on passes 10-plus yards), but often opted for the check down.

G MATT SKURA, 77.5 OVERALL GRADE
Skura has often times been a liability at guard in replacement of Marshal Yanda, but he had one of the best games of his young career in this one. He only yielded one pressure on 41 pass-blocking snaps.

CB MAURICE CANADY, 80.8 OVERALL GRADE
Canaday allowed one catch on two targets into his coverage and came up with a huge pass breakup to seal the win for the Ravens. Canaday also recorded one stop in this game, his third over the last two weeks.

LB C.J. MOSLEY, 73.5 OVERALL GRADE
Mosley got sucked up on a play action fake but recovered in time to get his hands on the ball – and nearly came down with an interception he might have had a chance to take back to the end zone – to break up what would have been a big completion to Jack Doyle over the middle. He also led the Ravens defense with four stops, making this his second-consecutive week with at least three stops after failing to reach that mark in Weeks 13 and 14.



TOP 5 GRADES:
CB Kenny Moore, 84.8 overall grade

Edge Jabaal Sheard, 84.1 overall grade

TE Jack Doyle, 82.9 overall grade

CB Quincy Wilson, 82.8 overall grade

DI Johnathan Hankins, 79.5 overall grade

PERFORMANCES OF NOTE:
QB JACOBY BRISSETT, 66.6 OVERALL GRADE

Brissett was lucky to not have thrown an interception in this one, with multiple balls falling out of defenders hands and hitting the turf. The second-year player also had his struggles under pressure. He only saw pressure on nine of 37 dropbacks but he completed just one of seven pass attempts for a total of nine yards with pressure in his face.

TE JACK DOYLE, 82.9 OVERALL GRADE
Doyle hauled in five of seven targets and earned 28 of his 41 yards after the catch. It wasn’t a huge day on the stat sheet for the tight end but he was certainly valuable, four of his five catches resulted in a first down.

CB KENNY MOORE, 84.8 OVERALL GRADE
Moore was targeted six times on the day and yielded four catches for 40 yards. He broke up a pass and had a crucial third down stop on an early screen to Nick Boyle.

LB ANTONIO MORRISON, 38.3 OVERALL GRADE
Morrison took his lumps in coverage and against the run. He allowed 49 yards in his coverage and was taken off the ball multiple times in the run game.

PFF GAME BALL: JOE FLACCO, QB
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*Grades subject to change

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-refocused-baltimore-ravens-23-indianapolis-colts-16
 
Not an excuse, especially since it didn't effect the Colts (and can't be allowed to happen again), but honestly thought the weather conditions were a huge factor. They were missing tackles, having guys slip through their arms and didn't look like they were getting good footing all game. Again, that seemed to only effect the Ravens, which is a problem, but I don't think they'll look that sloppy next week. One more game and if things go right, we get to see January Joe. Let's go Ravens.
 
Ravens 27-31 Bengals
Season: 9-7

Very tough loss for the 2nd year in a row to miss the playoffs on the last game. I knew they should have kept attacking on that last offensive drive and not given the Bengals a chance, but, whatever. Good season, good turnaround. The offense was starting to look so good, too, I really feel like they could have gone deep in the playoffs, but, it is what it is.

Next season I'm excited about the rookie defensive players growing up and being much better. The defense wasn't quite ready to 'strike back' this season, but if the offense stays on this level or improves, I'm looking forward to next season.

Honestly, injuries played a huge role this season, but I think an even bigger factor was that the ball simply bounced the wrong way too many times. There were like 5 or 6 dropped passes (that should have been clear catches) intercepted this year and several of them returned for touchdowns. Too many drops, too many fumbles at inopportune times, too many injuries, it is what it is.

What's disappointing is that Jimmy Smith won't be back till later next season likely bc of the torn achilles, Jaylen Hill is out with the torn ACL, but they do get Tavon Young back who is a great player. Really hoping the other defensive draft picks, namely Bowser and Tim Williams, start playing as well as Marlon Humphrey did all season. If they do, the defense will be truly great next year.

Need a new defensive coordinator, as Dean Pees is retiring, but I'm kind of glad to see him go. Overall, this season was better than last and next season will be better than this one I think, for sure. Hard for too many more things to go wrong for one team than they did this year.
 
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Just keep the fucking injury demons away and I'm hopeful for next season. No way that happens if the secondary is healthy. Just a cursed season.
 
Refocused: Cincinnati Bengals 31, Baltimore Ravens 27
BY PFF ANALYSIS TEAM • JAN 1, 2018
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A late touchdown pass from quarterback Andy Dalton to wide receiver Tyler Boyd gave the Cincinnati Bengals the last-minute lead and ultimately the 31-27 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

Boyd thrived as Dalton’s go-to target all the way up to his game-winning reception, as he led the team with 91 yards on five receptions.

Ravens running back Alex Collins stood out once again for Baltimore, rushing for 78 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Of course, his efforts weren’t enough to help his team come out with a win.

With that, we give you our PFF-exclusive takeaways from the contest for each team.

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TOP 5 GRADES:
LB Jordan Evans, 85.9 overall grade

DI Pat Sims, 84.9 overall grade

WR Tyler Boyd, 84.6 overall grade

CB Dre Kirkpatrick, 82.9 overall grade

CB William Jackson, 81.9 overall grade

PERFORMANCES OF NOTE:
WR TYLER BOYD, 84.6 OVERALL GRADE

When the game was on the line, the Bengals threw the ball in the seam to Tyler Boyd, who took the play 49 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Outside of the biggest play of his career, Boyd recorded four other catches 42 yards. All of his targets came against Maurice Canady.

QB ANDY DALTON, 74.8 OVERALL GRADE
Dalton ran hot and cold against the Ravens, either producing good throws or being very inaccurate, as he only hit on 52.3 percent of his passes. When he was pressured, his completion percentage dropped to 33.3 percent. Where Dalton succeeded was throwing the ball 10-plus yards down the field in between the numbers, as he completed 5-of-6 such passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. However, when he attempted a pass under 10 yards between the numbers, he was just 3-of-8 for 21 yards.

LB JORDAN EVANS, 85.9 OVERALL GRADE
The rookie linebacker only played 23 snaps; however, he was very effective in coverage, allowing two catches for 15 yards and knocking down the ball on his other target. Also, one of his tackles in coverage was good for a defensive stop.

CB DRE KIRKPATRICK, 82.9 OVERALL GRADE
The talk of the season has been the play of the other cornerback William Jackson (who was once again excellent). But this week, Kirkpatrick was able to show why he was a first-round pick in 2012. Kirkpatrick allowed just three catches on eight targets for 20 yards and knocked down two passes. He was tested frequently but came off the victor.



TOP 5 GRADES:
DI Brandon Williams, 87.6 overall grade

RB Alex Collins, 85.9 overall grade

S Chuck Clark, 83.3 overall grade

S Eric Weddle, 83.2 overall grade

QB Joe Flacco, 83.0 overall grade

PERFORMANCES OF NOTE:
RB ALEX COLLINS, 85.9 OVERALL GRADE

The Ravens’ offensive line did very little to help Alex Collins. In fact, Collins gained 79 yards after contact and only had 78 yards total in the game. The play of the Ravens’ offense was the touchdown run, where Collins had to reverse field after being contacted four yards deep in the backfield.

QB JOE FLACCO, 83.0 OVERALL GRADE
The Ravens ended up losing the game on a dropped pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, which will go on Flacco’s stat line but was a good pass and had nothing to do with him. In fact, he received very little help from his pass-catchers, as Baltimore’s receivers dropped five passes.

DI BRANDON WILLIAMS, 87.6 OVERALL GRADE
Williams is one of the premier run-stopping defensive lineman in the game, and he proved just that against the backup offensive guards for the Bengals. Even though the Bengals had success in the run game, their strong box-score production had more to do with their running backs being able to bounce out than the run near Williams in the middle.

EDGE TERRELL SUGGS, 82.6 OVERALL GRADE
Even in the latter stages of Suggs’ career, he is still one of the better edge defenders in the league. Suggs can be a force in the run game or pass game and very rarely has a game of little value. Against the Bengals, he had four pressures and added three stops in the run game. He also blew up multiple plays before they had a chance to get going, as he was too quick and strong for the Bengals’ offensive line and tight ends.

PFF GAME BALL: TYLER BOYD, WR
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*Grades subject to change

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-refocused-cincinnati-bengals-31-baltimore-ravens-27
 
Chuck Clark is another very promising player -- 6th round draft pick from this year who ended up playing a lot at the end of the season, not just on special teams but on defense (safety)
 
They're getting a new defensive coordinator, which is much needed, and I'm sure whoever is selected will be good... but my big wish is for Gary Kubiak to come back as the offensive coordinator.

Marty started to get the offense going late in the season, but, man, there were so many times where he just called the wrong series of plays at crucial moments and cost the team games. Like, MULTIPLE times the playcalling could be blamed for losses, and that's not acceptable no matter how good the offense started to look at 'certain times'.
 
The Ravens need a #1 running back. In order to really utilize Joe Flaccid's hail mary abilities, they need to be strong in the running game.
 
Ravens retain Greg Roman by adding 'Assistant Head Coach' to his title (and probably a pay-bump). Great news!

Hoping for Pagano or Fangio for DC, particularly Pagano.
 
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