Ravens report card: 10/14/2018
The Baltimore Ravens beat the Tennessee Titans 21 to 0 in a game that was not even that close. The Ravens had very long drives on offense and on defense had a franchise record breaking 11 sacks.
Quarterback: Joe Flacco was nearly perfect on the day. Flacco’s interception could have been caught by Willie Snead and was more credit to good defense than bad hands by Snead. Flacco completed 25 out of 37 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown. Flacco’s rating was just 82.0 but that could be a lot different if the Ravens passed on goal line situations. Grade B+
Running backs: The Ravens made a strong effort to get the run game going in this game and that is why Flacco’s numbers were lower than they could have been. Alex Collins had two touchdowns but only averaged 2.8 yards per carry which is not good. Undrafted rookie free agent Gus Edwards got 10 carries and was impressive with 42 yards. Buck Allen was effective in the passing game. Grade C+
Receivers: Michael Crabtree had a comeback game after several big drops against Cleveland. Crabtree had six receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown. Willie Snead also had a big game with seven receptions for 60 yards, he is a first down machine. Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle were the only tight ends with receptions. Grade B
Offensive line: Flacco was under pressure but not sacked during this game. The offensive line is still struggling in the run game but pass protection has come together nicely. Alex Lewis was lost during the game and the Ravens still played well. Grade B+
Overall offense: The Ravens offense was very solid, sure they could have put more points on the board but it was a rainy day in Tennessee and their drives took a lot of time off the clock. Grade B+
Defensive Line: This line had a historic day. The defense had 11 sacks and most can be credited to this unit and the linebackers. The Titans also had a total of 55 rushing yards. Grade A+
Linebackers: Za’Darius Smith had a career day with three sacks. Patrick Onwuasor also had two sacks, Matthew Judon and Terrell Suggs also added sacks. This unit was all over the quarterback. Grade A++
Secondary: Anthony Levin and Tony Jefferson added to the sack party. This unit only allowed 117 passing yards. Grade A
Overall Defense: Shutting a team out on the road is great, breaking the franchise sack record is special. Grade A+++
Special Teams: Sam Koch had some great punts, Justin Tucker did not attempt a field goal. Cyrus Jones showed some signs of being the Ravens answer to the punt return game. Grade A
Coaching Staff: The Ravens had a huge rebound win after losing in overtime to the Cleveland Browns. Grade A
Final Thoughts: This was a great day for the Ravens. The Cincinnati Bengals lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Browns lost so the Ravens are now tied with the Bengals atop the AFC North.
