It was closer than we all would have liked, but the Baltimore Ravens remained perfect this week, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 23-17. The Ravens moved 2-0 ahead of their matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs next week. While it wasn’t as pretty as last week’s win, there were still some really good performances today.
Here are the studs and duds in Baltimore’s Week 2 win over Arizona.
Stud: QB Lamar Jackson
Jackson had another big day, completing 24-of-37 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 120 yards as a runner. He displayed much better judgment when running than he did last year, making it a point to be careful and avoid big hits from defenders.
Jackson has proved he can attack defenses both through the air and on the ground. That’s something that should terrify the NFL as he continues to develop and get better at both things. Just two games into the season, Jackson looks like the real deal.
Dud: Secondary
The secondary did not have a day to be proud of. The Cardinals were still able to get into field goal range thanks to big plays in the passing game. Quarterback Kyler Murray had several jump balls go his way but he also had more than a few wide receivers without a defender within five yards.
Arizona deserves some of the credit, using four- and five-wideout sets frequently to force Baltimore to stretch out their cornerback depth. Injuries in the secondary for the Ravens didn’t help anything either. But Baltimore had some issues in this regard last week.
The secondary needs to tighten up and not give up large chunks of yards so easily. That’s especially the case with a matchup against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on the horizon.
Stud: TE Mark Andrews
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Andrews had another big game, with eight receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. It was the second consecutive 100-yard game for Andrews, the first time he’s ever had that streak in his career.
It’s early in his second season, but Andrews has become a reliable and dynamic playmaker and is clearly Jackson’s favorite target. It’s easy to see why, and it won’t be long before he’s a household name if he keeps going at this pace.
Dud: Run blocking
The Ravens did have 182 rushing yards today, but 120 of those came from Jackson. The trio of Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill gained only 62 yards on 17 touches, in large part because of the lack of good run blocking.
The Ravens have an incredibly dynamic quarterback in Jackson but they can’t call on him to be their leading rusher while also expecting him to be effective as a quarterback. The offensive line is going to have to get better at paving the way for their running backs, even when defenses sell out to stop the run.
Stud: K Justin Tucker
Tucker was his usual self today, going 3-for-3 on field goals, including one from 51 yards. A kicker who’s practically automatic is an asset, and Tucker could have easily been the difference in a win or loss.
The younger Ravens might have been the ones to make the flashy plays, but the veteran kicker earned himself a spot on the list with the way he played. Although hopefully, he won’t have to kick as many field goals as he did today.
Stud: WR Marquise Brown
Brown had another big day today, catching eight passes for 86 yards, including the big 41-yard catch that essentially put the game away with under three minutes to go. It might not have been as flashy as last week, but it was a clutch play, something that Ravens receivers have struggled to make in previous years.
Brown isn’t at 100% yet, something that even he’s said. But he’s a major player in this offense already, and he’s going to be scary when he finally gets healthy and up to full speed.
