[Baltimore Sun] Instant analysis from Ravens’ 41-31 win over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Read Time:8 Minute, 25 Second
Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 41-31 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Monday night’s Week 7 game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Brian Wacker, reporter: The Ravens have the best offense in the NFL led by perhaps the best player int he NFL. Coach John Harbaugh said last week that Lamar Jackson is playing the best football of his career, and he’s not wrong. Jackson was in total command. Even when Baltimore fell behind 10-0, he was unbothered and shredded Tampa Bay’s secondary. Then Baltimore leaned on the legs of NFL leading rusher Derrick Henry to help salt away the victory.
The final score wasn’t indicative of the Ravens’ dominance, though it was helped by the Buccaneers losing All-Pro receiver Mike Evans to injury in the second quarter. That said, the defense is still having issues, from communication and uncertainty to letting teams climb back into games. That’s a dangerous formula come playoff time and against opponents that have better defenses than the Buccaneers’, which is middle of the pack, but Baltimore should be happy to get out of Tampa with an otherwise mostly impressive victory.
Childs Walker, reporter: The Ravens have never had an offense like this. You give them a crack, as Baker Mayfield did with a pair of second-quarter interceptions, and it becomes almost impossible to keep up. Lamar Jackson threw impeccably in the face of pressure. Rashod Bateman, Justice Hill and Mark Andrews all left defenders eating dust on touchdowns. Derrick Henry broke another tired defense with an 81-yard run in the third quarter. They were ruthless against a quality opponent that jumped ahead 10-0.
After succumbing to Tampa Bay’s pressure on their first drive, the Ravens adjusted beautifully with an up-tempo attack designed to punish that aggression. They picked off extra rushers, giving Jackson time to dial in. The reigning NFL Most Valuable Player excelled as a high-volume passer for the third straight week (11-of-14 for 181 yards and two scores in the first half).
The Ravens did not seem prepared on defense early. They knew Mayfield would throw quickly and count on his receivers to roll up yards after the catch. But they neither prevented his targets from breaking free nor tackled them immediately. Tampa Bay also made a concerted effort to challenge the league’s top run defense and found more success than any previous Ravens opponent. This was a balanced offense doing as it pleased — 6.4 yards per play in the first half — until Marlon Humphrey picked off Mayfield in the end zone midway through the second quarter.
The Ravens needed big plays to cure what ailed their defense, and Humphrey delivered, making a terrific catch for a second interception on the Buccaneers’ next drive. Those two turnovers gave the Ravens the opening they needed to nudge ahead.
Ravens vs. Buccaneers, October 21, 2024 | PHOTOS
Mike Preston, columnist: If the Ravens could pass block up front, they had a good chance of winning the game. It didn’t turn out that way on the team’s first possession as quarterback Lamar Jackson was sacked twice, but the Ravens improved and had very few problems with the Bucs’ blitzes for most of the game. The Ravens simply wore down Tampa Bay with both the passing and running games.
The Ravens did a nice job of moving Jackson in the pocket in passing situations and then ran the game’s best closer, Derrick Henry, in the second half. The Bucs came into the game allowing 252.3 passing yards per game, and Jackson easily sliced up Tampa Bay’s defense. The Bucs lost receiver Mike Evans early in the game with a hamstring injury, and that cost them on offense. Unfortunately, Evans doesn’t play defense, and Tampa Bay had no way of slowing down the Ravens offensively.
There are still some questions about the Ravens’ defense, but this game was over late in the third quarter as the Ravens went up 34-10. At least in the second half, the Baltimore’s defense completely shut down the Bucs’ offense, and quarterback Baker Mayfield looked a lot like the Mayfield most football fans saw in Cleveland.
Sam Cohn, reporter: It was a rocky start, but each week it becomes more clear how dominant this Ravens offense is. Lamar Jackson threw five touchdown passes, including his deepest pass of the season on a 49-yard score to Rashod Bateman (58.3 yards in the air, per Next Gen Stats), Derrick Henry left a quiet first half behind him and rushed for 169 yards on 15 carries, and the once-quiet Mark Andrews scored in his second straight game.
This game was expected to be a shootout, and Baltimore came prepared. With 150 yards and a touchdown on the ground, Baltimore became the first team in the Super Bowl era to eclipse both marks in each of its first seven games. The Bucs were one of the last in a brutal stretch of white-hot offenses on the Ravens’ schedule, and despite allowing 31 points, the offense did plenty for a fifth straight win.
C.J. Doon, editor: This offense is truly something to behold. After a sluggish start, the Ravens looked like they could be in trouble playing on the road against a high-powered offense that could go shot-for-shot with them. Then Lamar Jackson simply took over, leading the Ravens to 34 straight points to put the game out of reach.
We’ve said it ad nauseum, but this is the best version of Jackson we’ve ever seen. He’s in complete command of the offense, taking what the defense is giving him while also taking shots downfield and picking up big chunks with his legs. That 49-yard touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman, his longest of the season, is pretty much the only thing that’s been missing. His passer rating fell short of being perfect by a fraction of a point, but for all intents and purposes, this was a perfect night from Jackson.
About the only thing you can nit-pick is the play of the defense, both early and late in the game. In the first quarter, Baker Mayfield led two straight long scoring drives and was on the verge of a third before throwing an inexplicable interception in the end zone right to Marlon Humphrey. Then, after holding the Bucs in check for most of the night, Tampa Bay marched 70 yards in 2:46 to make it 41-24, recovered the onside kick and scored five plays later to make it a 10-point game. It was an ugly ending to what was otherwise a dominant performance and raises some questions about a defense that has yet to find its form. Big plays are still a problem.
Related Articles
Lamar Jackson dazzles to lead Ravens past Buccaneers, 41-31, for 5th straight win
Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey ruled out with knee injury after 2 interceptions vs. Bucs
Tight end Mark Andrews passes Todd Heap for Ravens receiving TD record
Ravens vs. Buccaneers, October 21, 2024 | PHOTOS
Ravens vs. Buccaneers live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 41-31 win
Tim Schwartz, editor: In the words of Michael Scott, how the turntables. Tampa Bay jumped all over Baltimore early for a 10-0 lead, and it looked like it could be a long night for the visitors. Then Baker Mayfield threw an interception to Marlon Humphrey, then another, and that little bit of wiggle room was all the Ravens needed to turn this into a rout.
Lamar Jackson is perhaps playing the best ball of his career right now. He looks to be in total control, probably because he’s in Year 2 of Todd Monken’s offense, and it’s fun to watch him grow as a passer. Most importantly, he’s getting all of his playmakers involved, which opens the door for back-breaking runs from Derrick Henry, the game’s best closer.
The defensive backfield is the lone weak spot on the roster right now, especially is Humphrey’s knee injury is deemed serious. They get a reprieve Sunday with a trip to Cleveland, then again the following week against Denver and its rookie quarterback, Bo Nix. The Ravens have won five straight and it should be seven when the Bengals roll into Baltimore for another prime-time game Nov. 7.
Bennett Conlin, editor: Baltimore’s offense is a thing of beauty. The Ravens entered Week 7 first in offensive DVOA and yards per game, as they’re undoubtedly one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. They delivered on the deserved hype yet again.
While the Ravens’ rushing attack was one of the major stories from the first six weeks of the season, it was Lamar Jackson and the passing attack that impressed most Monday. Of course, Henry still went over 100 yards on the ground. Rashod Bateman had a breakout performance, surpassing 100 receiving yards and reaching the end zone. He’s delivering as Baltimore’s No. 2 receiver, and Mark Andrews is becoming a favorite red-zone target again. He caught two touchdown passes, giving him three in the past two games. The offense’s array of weapons makes it borderline unfair to defend. Tampa Bay’s defense stood no chance.
Baltimore’s defense started slow, but a pair of Marlon Humphrey interceptions energized the unit. He left with a knee injury, but the rest of the defense stood tall after the first couple of Tampa Bay drives. Mike Evans leaving with a hamstring injury provided a reprieve for the Ravens’ inconsistent secondary, and the Ravens took advantage of one of the NFL’s best wide receivers exiting early. Baltimore is cruising, winning five in a row. With Cleveland next, the winning streak could easily grow to six Sunday.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0