Ravens Report Card 8/15/19
Last night, the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Green Bay Packers by a score of 26-13, winning their 15th consecutive preseason contest. Next week, Baltimore will travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles, but for now, let’s take a look at the grades from this week’s game.
Quarterbacks:
Overall, the quarterbacking group was serviceable, going 16/26 for 180 passing yards with one touchdown and an interception thrown by Trace McSorley. McSorley needs work on his accuracy and ball placement, despite completing eight of his passes thrown(13). McSorley ran once for 17 yards, showing his versatility not only as a passer, but also in the running aspect of the game.
Starting quarterback Lamar Jackson was limited to taking snaps in the first quarter, but he would throw six completions for 58 yards and would play mistake-free football. On the ground, Jackson ran for 14 yards off two carries, and had one spectacular rushing touchdown called back due to a penalty.
Joe Callahan completed two passes for 48 yards, including an incredible lead-pass to Antoine Wesley for 38 yards.
Grade: B
Running Backs:
Justice Hill would be the lead scatback for the Ravens in Thursday’s contest, rushing for 49 yards off 10 carries, including a touchdown. Hill would average 4.9 yards per carry, rounding out a solid performance on the ground. As a whole, the rushers would combine for 37 carries, 171 rushing yards, and one touchdown(Justice Hill), ending the game with something to prove in the dress rehearsal game against the Eagles.
Grade: B+
Wide Receivers:
The wideouts saw limited targets agaisnt the Packers, as Chris Moore would lead the group with four receptions, 54 yards, and a touchdown from Trace McSorley. The coaching staff gave out a small sample size for some wide recievers, especially Miles Boykin, who was targeted just three times and did not make any receptions.
Antoine Wesley would make an incredible 38 yard catch-and-run play, but he was only thrown at twice throughout the entire game.
Overall, the core would combine for 16 receptions, 180 recieving yards, and one touchdown off 25 targets.
Grade: C+
Tight Ends:
Similar to the wideouts, the tight end group would be limited in terms of targets as well, as Nick Boyle led the group with three receptions for 20 yards. second-year tight end Hayden Hurst was also confined, as he made just one reception for a loss of one. In terms of blocking, the group held its ground as Ravens quarterbacks were sacked just once in the game.
Grade: C+/B-
Offensive Line:
As aforementioned, Ravens quarterbacks would be sacked just once, which would be an eight yard loss from veteran backup Joe Callahan. As a whole, like the tight ends, the offensive lineperformed well in the trenches, giving rushers opportunities for big gains, such as Trace McSorley’s 17 yard scamper.
Grade: A
Defensive Line:
The defensive line created pressure throughout the night, generating three sacks and several tackles. Other than sacks, a handful of edge rushers and defensive tackles held the Packers rush attack to just 55 total yards on the ground.
Grade: A
Linebackers:
Likewise with the defensive line, the linebackers covered the entire field, having a handful of players make tackles. Partially, the linebackers helped shutdown the Green Bay rushers as did the defensive line. Other than that, there was not one particular linebacker that stood out from the second and third stringers.
Grade: B+
Secondary:
A handful of players in the secondary group made pass deflections, making it tough for Green Bay signal-callers to move the ball downfield. The secondary held Packers quarterbacks to just 191 total yards and one touchdown on the evening, as they went 18/33 on completions and attempts.
Grade: B+/A-
Special Teams:
Justin Tucker went a perfect 4-4 on the night, including one from 52 yards out. For all kicks, Tucker hit field goals from 52, 45, 41, and 38 yards out, including nailing all of his extra points. Many call Tucker the best kicker in the league for this reason.
Grade: A
Coaching Staff:
The coaching staff prepared the Ravens well enough to get the job done, with a 26-13 win before heading into arguably the most important preseason contest next week for the year. Also, Baltimore has now won 15 consecutive preseason games, which is a franchise record.
Grade: A
Note: the featured image is from the Associated Press and statistics used are from NFL.com
