3 Things We Learned From the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11
The Baltimore Ravens took care of the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football for the second time this year in Week 11.
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1. How do the Ravens Move Forward Without Mark Andrews?
Besides Lamar Jackson, you can make a pretty good case that Mark Andrews was the one player on offense that the Ravens couldn’t afford to lose. Reports suggest that Andrews will miss the rest of the season with multiple injuries he suffered against the Bengals on Thursday. Andrews has been a tremendous blocking presence and a safety blanket for Jackson, especially in the red zone. Without Andrews in the fold on offense, Isaiah Likely must step up in the tight end room. In addition, Zay Flowers will need to take on a higher target share, while Rashod Bateman has to find a way to be more impactful with his touches. The veterans in this receiver corps are what they are at this point in their careers, meaning the youngsters must step up.
2. Ravens Can Run the Football With Multiple Options
When you think of the Ravens, running the football is one of the things that comes to mind. The Ravens are being led by running back Gus Edwards, but he’s not the only option in the backfield. What’s special about this Ravens run game is its multiple change-of-pace options. Edwards can break tackles, but rookie Keaton Mitchell has explosive breakaway speed. The idea of a team having one running back taking the majority of the touches is going extinct in the NFL, and the Ravens continue to have multiple that make a difference in their scheme. In the Ravens Thursday night win over the Bengals, Edwards led the charge and rushed the football 12 times for 62 yards and a pair of touchdowns. This doesn’t even factor in quarterback Lamar Jackson’s mobility. The Ravens are scary offensively and can beat you in multiple ways.
3. This Defense is Better Than We Thought
There’s been some noise around the Ravens and their defense because of blown leads in the fourth quarter. We’ve seen that three times this season, but that wasn’t the case in Week 11 against the Bengals. Defense coordinator Mike Macdonald runs an excellent scheme, but it can sometimes be complicated and cause confusion. Is that the cause of the Ravens’ blown fourth-quarter leads? Maybe. Still, the Ravens have continued to make life difficult on opposing quarterbacks, and a big reason for that is Roquan Smith. Since being acquired from the Chicago Bears, Smith has taken over as a leader on this defense and has been a difference-maker. If the Ravens make a deep playoff run, can this defense handle the likes of Patrick Mahomes?
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