The Baltimore Ravens are a much better offensive group than they have been final season, particularly within the second half. They confirmed it in an exciting 37-31 time beyond regulation victory in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams. The Ravens wanted a particular groups play, and a few questionable officiating, for a 76-yard punt return for a landing to seal their tenth win this season, making them the primary AFC group to succeed in that whole.
Lamar Jackson was nice with 313 yards passing and three touchdowns. He was additionally the Ravens’ main rusher with 70 yards. In addition to their offense performed in Week 14, the Rams stored tempo with all of them afternoon. Till the ultimate landing, the Rams held the most important lead of the sport at 20-14 and by no means trailed by greater than 4 factors till the sport ended.
It was a Matthew Stafford-led drive with a minute left on the clock that pushed the sport into time beyond regulation. Nonetheless, he solely needed to get his group into area purpose vary. The drive prior, Jackson led Baltimore on a 13-play, 75-yard drive for a landing and a two-point conversion to take a 31-28 lead.
Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken determined to experience Jackson’s arm. The 2019 MVP put the ball wherever he needed, finishing eight passes to 5 totally different gamers. He relied on Zay Flowers essentially the most who was the highest cross catcher on that drive with three. A kind of was a 21-yard landing on third and 11 with simply over a minute remaining within the sport. Flowers additionally caught the cross on the profitable two-point conversion.
Popping out of the two-minute warning business break, the Fox broadcast crew knowledgeable viewers that the Ravens had the worst point-differential within the league within the ultimate two minutes of a sport this season. Final season, Baltimore ranked twenty third in second-half factors per sport. Whether or not Monken or Greg Roman have referred to as the performs, the offense has been too tight late in video games.
A number of Ravens’ wins have been nearer than needed this season as a result of they’ve been too conservative with playcalling. They might be standing on their lonesome atop the AFC, in the event that they had not misplaced to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3 once they ran the ball time and again within the fourth quarter.
Jackson goes to need to let the ball fly regularly late in video games if the Ravens need to compete for a championship. They introduced in a brand new offensive coordinator, drafted Flowers, and signed Odell Beckham Jr. to juice up their passing assault.
Flowers has been the Ravens’ finest cross catcher this season. Whereas he sealed the sport, he wouldn’t have gotten the chance to take action and not using a nice efficiency by Beckham. The veteran led the group in receiving with 4 catches for 97 yards and a landing — his second-best efficiency of the season. One his largest catches was an inbreaking route on that fourth-quarter drive.
The Ravens did go three and out on their solely time beyond regulation possession, so the offense is way from excellent. Their protection tightened up on the proper time, and so they escaped with an enormous particular groups play.
Nonetheless, the Ravens let Jackson be the first playmaker on a drive that they desperately wanted, and rewarded his coaches. That’s the participant he must be each week. The receiving corps was improved so he may have moments like Week 14 in opposition to the Rams.
If the Ravens need to win massive, the recipe is to place the ball in Jackson’s fingers and reside with the outcomes.
