[Baltimore Sun] Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 28-25 win over Cowboys | COMMENTARY
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Here’s how the Ravens (1-2) graded out at every position after beating the Dallas Cowboys, 28-25, in Week 3 on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
Quarterback
The Ravens turned quarterback Lamar Jackson into a game manager for most of the contest, and that was perfect for this situation. Jackson didn’t have to thread any passes inside the red zone or make any back-shoulder throws down the sideline. He did what he does well, and that’s run the ball to the outside on option plays or make play-action passes. Jackson rushed 14 times for 87 yards and completed 12 of 15 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. It was a near-perfect storm for the Ravens. Grade: B
Running backs
The Ravens took advantage of Dallas’ weak run defense and pounded away with Derrick Henry both inside and outside. It was Henry’s best game of the season as the former Titans star rushed 25 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns, including one of 26 yards. The Ravens even used Henry on a screen pass for a 23-yard gain in the first half. Backup Justice Hill also rushed five times for 33 yards and did some damage out of the backfield as a receiver with two catches for 21 yards. Grade: A
Offensive line
This group has been much maligned for the first two games, and deservedly so. Coach John Harbaugh hinted that there might be some changes Sunday, but he stayed with the same lineup. The Ravens were aggressive at the point of attack and pretty much did whatever they wanted to against Dallas’ defense. Tackles Patrick Mekari and Ronnie Stanley did a good job of hooking the Cowboys and allowing Henry and Jackson to get outside, and guards Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele and center Tyler Linderbaum pushed Dallas around inside on combination blocks. The pass blocking was good because the Ravens controlled the tempo with the rushing attack. The Ravens had 456 yards of total offense. Grade: B+
Instant analysis from Ravens’ 28-25 win over Dallas Cowboys in Week 3
Receivers
The Ravens only used their pass catchers as complementary weapons. They got a good game in the slot from Zay Flowers, who had three receptions for 20 yards and came up with a big catch on third down late in the game to help seal the win. Tight end Charlie Kolar came up with big catch of 30 yards early in the game and receiver Nelson Agholor’s 56-yard reception on a short hitch led to the Ravens’ second touchdown. Grade: C
Defensive line
Dallas came into the game with a very unproductive running game and finished with just 51 yards on 16 carries. The Ravens controlled the line of scrimmage with Nnamdi Madubuike, Michael Pierce and Travis Jones. That trio didn’t always get pressure on Prescott, but they made him move in the pocket, which is an asset against a quarterback who can’t scramble like Jackson. They forced Dallas to abandon the running game early in the second half. Grade: B
Linebackers
Maybe this game might quiet some of the questions about the Ravens’ lack of a pass rush. For the third straight week, the Ravens got pressure on the quarterback with outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy. Van Noy finished with two sacks and two pressures, and while Oweh didn’t have a sack, he played well holding the edge. Middle linebacker Roquan Smith had his best game of the season and finished with 11 tackles. In the previous two games, Smith looked slow and couldn’t get off blocks. Weak-side linebacker Trenton Simpson had four tackles, and the Ravens might need to get him into the lineup more than sharing the position with Malik Harrison, who is stronger in run defense. Grade B+
Secondary
The Cowboys had 379 passing yards, but the Ravens were more content playing zone and not giving up the long ball, especially in the second half. Rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins had trouble with Dallas receiver CeeDee Lamb (four catches for 67 yards), but that was expected and he’ll learn from the experience. Safety Kyle Hamilton played his best game of the season and tackled better (12 tackles), but he also missed some key tackles late in the game. The Ravens played cornerback Marlon Humphrey on the outside and he played reasonably well against receiver Brandin Cooks, but there were times when the Ravens looked confused on the back end again. The Ravens still need to improve here to have a shot at going deep into the postseason. At times, they look lost, especially the linebackers and the secondary in the fourth quarter. Grade: C-
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Special teams
Kicker Justin Tucker missed a 46-yard field goal attempt, which will open up discussions again about whether Father Time has caught up with him again. The Ravens also failed to recover an onside kick in the fourth quarter, even though the other team is obligated to tell them it’s coming. Jordan Stout averaged 42.8 yards on four punts and pinned three inside the 20, while the Ravens averaged a respectable 14.5 yards on two punt returns. Overall, this is another area where the team needs improvement. Grade: C
Coaching
Since the Ravens had a 21-6 lead at the half, they didn’t blow any timeouts or make any silly changes early in the game. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken stayed conservative with his game plan, and that was sufficient enough to secure the win. Defensively, coordinator Zach Orr seemed to revert back to last year’s game plan of calling multiple blitzes and playing Hamilton near the line of scrimmage early in the game. But in the final quarter, the Ravens had problems in coverage and allowed the Cowboys to get back into the game. Overall, it was the best called game for Baltimore this season. Even though the situation got a little dicey at the end, they handled their business and got their first win of the season. This team, though, is still shaky. Grade: C+
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