BALTIMORE — It’s hard to look at the four remaining games on the Ravens regular-season schedule and not get excited about a playoff berth. But proceed with caution.
The Ravens face a hot Cleveland team (9-3) on the road Monday night followed by home games against Jacksonville (1-11) and the New York Giants (5-7) before closing with Cincinnati (2-9-1). Both the Browns and Giants will provide stiff competition. The Browns are solid on both interior lines while the Giants have won four straight and given up 17 or less points in three of those contests.
If the Ravens finish with 10 wins, they at least put themselves in the conversation to get into the postseason, and if they win out that would give them 11, which is the magic number for a playoff spot.
The Ravens have the easiest schedule of any of the contending teams in the AFC, but there are still a lot of questions about to be answered.
On offense the Ravens aren’t getting much production from receivers other than tight end Mark Andrews. Because of injuries the line is in a state of constant flux. The Ravens don’t have a designated featured back in the running game and quarterback Lamar Jackson has to become more of an accurate thrower.
On defense, there aren’t as many concerns.
There is uncertainty about the health of end Calais Campbell and tackle Brandon Williams after both couldn’t get off blocks against Dallas. The cornerbacks still struggle with speedy receivers and an old problem resurfaced on Tuesday when the Ravens couldn’t get a consistent pass rush versus Dallas.
But before we move onto the final games, The Baltimore Sun gives out its third-quarter grades:
———
Quarterback: Jackson has been typical of the team’s season. He has been inconsistent and hasn’t shown he can throw outside numbers, but still has completed 187 of 293 passes for 17 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Entering the final quarter of the season, Jackson has to stop worrying about being a complete quarterback and do what he does best — win games with his legs and improvise. Can he win a Super Bowl in this manner? Yes, but a lot has to fall into place. Shoot, Trent Dilfer won one here even though he did have a great defense. Jackson just needs to be Jackson again, and let everything else play out. Grade: B-
———
Running backs: The three-headed monster was a good idea at the beginning of the season, but rookie J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards deserve to be No. 1 and No. 2, regardless of the order. Dobbins, who has 451 yards on 83 carries, is a threat from anywhere and appears to be running more with anger since he isn’t the starter. Edwards doesn’t say much but just mauls the opposition inside for tough yards. He has 487 yards on 101 carries. The Ravens apparently have a special appreciation for veteran Mark Ingram II, whom they keep as the starter. But it might be time to turn this into a two-player backfield and hitch rides on Dobbins and Edwards. Grade: B
———
Receivers: Uncertainty remains about who is to blame for the lack of production from this receiving corps. Is it Jackson’s fault because he is inaccurate throwing to the outsides of the field or are the receivers because of a lack of talent? If it’s the latter, doesn’t that responsibility fall on the front office for drafting and signing these players? Andrews has been the most dependable, catching 38 passes for 454 yards and six touchdowns, but he hasn’t been a factor downfield. Second-year receiver Marquise Brown (41 receptions for 555 yards, four touchdowns) has had a touchdown reception in each of the past two games and there is hope this might be his breakout point after a disappointing first half. Willie Snead IV, operating out of the slot, has been a pleasant surprise and the Ravens need to use him more, especially against zone coverage. Miles Boykin was expected to have a decent year but has only 15 catches for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Grade: C-
———
Offensive line: This group has been solid, which is a plus considering the moves that were made. Tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has performed well making the transition from right to left for injured Ronnie Stanley. The Ravens have had starting rookie right guard Tyre Philips back for the past two games and will have him on the field full time soon. Patrick Mekari has become the starting center, replacing Matt Skura, who had trouble snapping the ball in the shotgun formation. Left guard Bradley Bozeman and Mekari have improved the combination blocks and the Ravens are doing a better job working into the second level. The Ravens still struggle pass blocking and that could hurt them in games against Cleveland and New York. Grade: C
———
Defensive line: If the Ravens are going to succeed, they need to get major production from this group. They have been inconsistent but still are one of the better run-stopping units. The talent level dropped off without Williams (ankle) and Campbell (calf) in two of the past three games, but the team got solid play from backup tackles Justin Madubuike, Broderick Washington and Justin Ellis. With Williams and Campbell out of the lineup, the top player has been end Derek Wolfe, who has 44 tackles. It’s just a matter if both Williams and Campbell are close to being 100%. When they bring their A games and draw double teams, the opposition finds it tough running. Grade: C+
———
Linebackers: The Ravens have been playing regularly with a couple of rookies on the inside in Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison, and both players have held up well. Queen is leading the team in tackles with 84 and has been impressive as a blitzer. He still makes rookie mistakes in pass coverage and lack of strength doesn’t allow him to get off blocks quickly enough, but his athletic ability and instincts will make him a good player. Weak side linebacker L.J. Forte (42 tackles) is always around the ball. Outside linebacker Matthew Judon has been a hustle guy, good enough for 34 tackles, including four sacks. He does a good job in holding the edge. Judon doesn’t make spectacular plays but he usually turns in a good performance. A surprise has been fourth-year outside linebacker Tyus Bowser. It’s a contract year for Bowser and either the Ravens or some team is going to pay him good money after posting 23 tackles in 12 games. Grade. C+
———
Secondary: This unit is not as dominant as it was earlier in the season. It’s still a good group but weaknesses have been exposed. Cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey are play makers with either interceptions or forced fumbles. They cover well in most situations, but Peters likes to peek in the backfield sometimes, which can be costly. The word is out that the Ravens can’t handle speed, which is why they played so far off Dallas receivers CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper. Safeties DeShon Elliott (62 tackles) and Chuck Clark (75) are good tacklers but Elliott struggles covering tight ends. The Ravens seemed to hit their peak when cornerback Jimmy Smith was playing outside or over the slot receiver, but injuries have forced him to miss some playing time. Grade: B+
———
Special teams: Justin Tucker has been so good for so long that’s it’s bothersome that he missed a 36-yard field goal against Dallas. It just proves that he his human. Tucker has converted on 21 of 23 field goals and remains one of the top at his business. The same can be said for punter Sam Koch, who is averaging 45 yards on 45 punts. The Ravens return game appears to have become stagnant. They started with rookies as specialist, Devin Duvernay on kickoffs and James Proche II on punts, but opposing teams have covered well or limited their opportunities. Duvernay has a strong return average with 468 yards on 16 returns. The Ravens need to reduce some of the penalties because it helps turn the field position. Grade: A
———
Coaching: Coach John Harbaugh kept his team together during the COVID-19 outbreak and focused on getting into the playoffs. Offensively, the Ravens are struggling finding an identity and it’s not good when players start publicly questioning decisions. Defensively, the Ravens have come up with the needed game plans and made good adjustments during halftime. But coaching also includes the strength and conditioning coach, who was disciplined for violating league and team protocol on the virus that played a part in the outbreak. That was one of the worst decisions in team history. Grade: C
