The Baltimore Ravens might not have won by a lot but they won in Week 5, and that’s all that matters. Their 26-23 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field kept them atop the AFC North and got them an even more important division win that could pay dividends in playoff tiebreakers.
With such a close victory over a division rival, there are plenty of positive and negative performances. Let’s take a closer look at the studs and duds from the game.
Stud: WR Marquise Brown
Brown didn’t have the biggest day, with only three receptions for 22 yards, but one of those receptions was an 11-yard touchdown where Brown demonstrated his toughness by holding on to the ball while taking a big hit. The rookie is showing that even if he isn’t burning the defense for a long touchdown, he is still a reliable receiver that will only get better.
Dud: QB Lamar Jackson
This was Jackson’s worst game of the season. While he continued to make plays with his legs and made up for an ineffective attack by the Ravens’ running backs, he had his own problems. Jackson threw three interceptions, most notably one that came deep in his own territory with less than a minute remaining in the first half. Jackson’s decision-making was bad, and it nearly took Baltimore down against a team that was down to its second- and third-string quarterbacks.
Stud: CB Marlon Humphrey
Humphrey had the biggest play of the game, forcing a fumble from JuJu Smith-Schuster in overtime and then recovering it to set the Ravens up in Justin Tucker’s field goal range. Humphrey is making the big plays that a top cornerback would make, which is what the Ravens need him to be right now with Jimmy Smith out.
Dud: Coach John Harbaugh
This was not Harbaugh’s best day in terms of making challenges. In addition to losing all of the challenges he made, he missed making a winnable challenge for pass interference on Jackson’s first interception of the day, which could have prevented the turnover and deprived Pittsburgh of three points in a game that eventually went into overtime. It ultimately didn’t matter when the Ravens won the game, but he really does need to learn when to throw the challenge flag and when to keep it in his pocket.
Stud: Justin Tucker
Once again the Ravens needed him to have Tucker win a game for them, and once again the All-Pro kicker came out and did just that. Tucker kicked a 48-yard field goal to send the game into overtime and then kicked a 46-yard field goal to win it after Humphrey’s fumble recovery. Tucker has won yet another game for the Ravens with his leg, but hopefully, the offense will get back on track next week and his services won’t be needed against the winless Cincinnati Bengals.
