Category: Ravens stats

Obscure statistical trend forecasts a Ravens Super Bowl win

Here is another interesting statistical coincidence for you to ponder as the NFL postseason begins this weekend. 

A lot of sports fans and sports media are huge numbers nerds. Many of us love statistics, and that’s one of the primary reasons why we got into sports in the first place.

Statistical coincidences are even more fascinating—the correlations that we might want to believe are potentially causational but are almost certainly spurious.

Here is another one for you as the NFL postseason begins this weekend.

Stuckey, known only by one name, like Drake or Neymar, is a sports pundit with The Action Network.

He’s also pointed out a statistical trend here that every Ravens fan hopes to see continue. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don’t. We fixate on them when they hold true but forget about them when they miss the boat.

You might have heard about the “Redskins Rule:” if the Washington Football Team/Commanders/Redskins wins their final home game before a U.S. Presidential election, the incumbent party wins.

However, this rule did not hold in November. It has now failed in three of the past four outcomes after being upheld 19 straight times, dating back to 1936.

Or you can take the Kentucky Wildcats-New York Yankees Title Theorem. Kentucky won the NCAA Tournament in 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, and 1998. And the Yankees won the World Series in all six of those years.

But what about Kentucky winning it all in 1948 and 2012? The Yankees did not claim the World Series title in either of those years, so the rule isn’t always upheld.

Derrick Henry first NFL player to accomplish specific rushing feat

Like Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry just keeps on achieving unprecedented milestones this season.

Like Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry keeps on achieving unprecedented milestones. Until Saturday, no NFL player has ever attained three seasons with 1,500 rushing yards and 15+ rushing touchdowns.

Saturday was Henry’s 31st birthday, and he celebrated by carrying 20 times for 138 yards (nearly seven yards per rush) and two touchdowns. That gave him 1,921 rushing yards and 16 rushing TDs on the season.

Had he accumulated 79 more rushing yards, he would have become the first man to accomplish a 2,000-yard rushing season twice.

“On his birthday, and I’m looking at the jumbotron and they’re saying he broke the record for this, and he broke the record for that,” Lamar Jackson said in the postgame sideline interview for the television broadcast.

“Man King Henry just breaking records, but I feel like he do that week in, week out, though.”

The 2024 regular season saw The King live up to all the off-season hype that accompanied his free-agent signing and then some.

Now, Henry will look to ride the positive momentum of a record-setting regular season into next weekend’s Wild Card game at home against either the archrival Pittsburgh Steelers or the L.A. Chargers, which would be the Harbaugh Bowl or Harbowl 4.

With yesterday’s win, the Ravens clinched the AFC North division title and secured the #3 seed in the AFC.

Derrick Henry could reach a unique individual milestone on Sunday

Derrick Henry could become the first running back with two 2,000 yard seasons, if he has a monster game with a lot of carries on Sunday.

Only eight NFL players have rushed for 2,000 yards in a single season. They are, in descending order:

Eric Dickerson, Adrian Peterson, Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders, Derrick Henry, Terrell Davis, Chris Johnson, Saquon Barkley (this season, with one game left to go), and O.J. Simpson (the less said about the final name on that list, the better).

As you can see, no one has done it twice, but Henry could become the first, provided he has a monster game with many carries on Sunday. Henry currently has 1,783 yards rushing on the season, so if he can rack up 217 against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, he’ll do something no one else has ever done.

Of course, that would still not be enough to break the Ravens’ single-season record, as Lewis accumulated 2,066 during his out-of-this-world 2003 season.

Henry’s numbers are overshadowed by Barkley’s, who is currently at 2,006 and within striking distance of Dickerson’s 1984 all-time greatest of 2,105.

In an exclusive interview in 2021, Dickerson told The Sports Bank that he believes his record will never be broken.

“Everything has to go perfect,” Dickerson said.

“It’s like Derrick Henry, he got it (2,027 yards in 2020) last year and was ahead of the pace this year, and then he got hurt.

“I was ahead of the pace a couple times, and although I got there, I just couldn’t get there again.”

While both the NFL and the Ravens’ records are almost certainly out of reach for Henry, 2K can still happen.

Flashback to the COVID-19 pandemic-altered season of 2020, when Henry, then with the Tennessee Titans, needed 223 rushing yards in the season finale to hit the prestigious 2,000-yard benchmark.

He lit up the Houston Texans for 250 yards in a game, much like this Sunday, where a division title was on the line.

NFL stats leaders: Where Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers rank entering Week 17

We’re looking at where Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and Zay Flowers rank in NFL stats leaders entering Week 17

With the Ravens looking to stay in the race for the AFC North title, John Harbaugh’s team was back on the practice field just hours after a thrilling 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday.

Baltimore will be featured in the Netflix Christmas Day slate of games, meaning the team has Sunday and Monday to prepare before departing for Houston on Tuesday.

We’re tracking where Ravens players land in several key categories.

***

NFL Passing Yards Leaders

Lamar Jackson is fifth in the NFL with 3,787 passing yards.

Jackson is 2nd in the NFL with 37 passing touchdowns.

NFL Rushing Yards Leaders

Derrick Henry is second in the NFL with 1,636 rushing yards.

Henry is tied for 2nd with 13 rushing touchdowns.

NFL Receiving Yards Leaders

Zay Flowers is 11th with 1,016 yards receiving.

 

Ravens WR Zay Flowers goes over 1,000 yards for 1st time in NFL career

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers goes over 1,000 yards for 1st time in NFL career with huge game vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Ravens have one of the NFL’s top young wide receivers, Zay Flowers. The former Boston College pass catcher just passed 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.

With a 49-yard reception down to the Pittsburgh 38-yard line, Flowers eclipsed 1,000 yards and went over 100 on the day.

Flowers is already in the top 15 in franchise history in career receiving yards, and he’s 361 yards away from the single-season record set by Mark Andrews (1,361) in 2021

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Ravens WR Rashod Bateman is finally having his ‘breakout’ season

Ravens WR Rashod Bateman is finally having his ‘breakout’ season

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to honor the final passing of the “Is This the Year Rashod Bateman Breaks Out?” column.

Born in 2021, when the Baltimore Ravens selected the wide receiver 27th overall out of the University of Minnesota, this story angle had a short but active life.

For a few years, this narrative gained traction across all media types. However, the “Is This Gonna Be Bateman’s Breakout Year?” column trend died on December 15, 2024, when the Ravens’ fourth-year receiver had three receptions, two for touchdowns, and 80 yards in his team’s 35-14 thrashing of the New York Giants.

The two TD catches gave Bateman seven (which is tied for 20th in the NFL) for the season. He entered the campaign with only four for his entire career. Bateman has also totaled 657 receiving yards, with three games left to play.

His previous career high was 515 in his rookie season. He’ll tie single-season career highs in those categories with eight more targets and receptions.

In other words, the Bateman breakout campaign has arrived, and it has been evident since late October that it is finally happening.

Much maligned Ravens defense has significantly improved in recent weeks

defensive coordinator Zach Orr has led a major turnaround on his side of the ball in weeks 11-14.

The sample size is small, but the Baltimore Ravens defense has seemed to figure some things out in the past three weeks. As you can see from the CBS Sports screengrab below, defensive coordinator Zach Orr has led a significant turnaround on his side of the ball in weeks 11-14.

Orr, head coach John Harbaugh, and the rest of the defensive coaching staff made some changes, especially in the secondary, which have paid off. Due to his multiple capabilities and skill sets, the staff has also found the most optimal ways to utilize Kyle Hamilton, the unit’s “Swiss Army Knife. ”

The defensive backs position group was under special scrutiny, as the Ravens’ pass defense ranked dead last in the NFL for weeks 1 through 10.

However, they moved up to #2 in the league in yards passing allowed per game for the last four games. The Ravens still have the best run and worst pass defense for the 2024 NFL season.

But the marked improvement over the past four games is not a matter of jacking weaker opposition. BThisspan of games has seen Baltimore play host to Cincinnati (5-8) and Philadelphia (11-2), in addition to traveling to Pittsburgh (10-3) and the L.A. Chargers (8-5).

The defense should continue to pad their stats this week against a weak offensive unit in the New York Giants. The Giants have declared that they will start Tommy Devito at quarterback. Devito is an incredible, feel-good story of a guy who defied long odds to become the QB1 for his hometown team, but he’s not an elite quarterback.

The Ravens’ defense should feel pretty good about facing Devito and the poor offensive line blocking in front of him.

 

Jon Gruden says he’s irritated by Ravens problems with penalties

Gruden went on to point how Ronnie Stanley, who he says is one of his favorite left tackles in the game, has nine penalties.

On the eve of the season opener, former NFL head coach Jon Gruden posted a video on his YouTube channel expressing his excitement for the potential of the Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry backfield combination.

Gruden used a whiteboard to illustrate how the sky was indeed the limit for the Baltimore Ravens’ zone-read attack.

In a new video discussing the Ravens, Gruden’s tone has shifted from optimistic enthusiasm to angry disappointment.

“They have really irritated me with their slow starts,” Gruden articulated, referencing the games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.

“They really have to get started faster, and that’s critical for their defense as well. Play with a lead, and make somebody chase ya.”

Chucky then brought up the biggest bugaboo of this Ravens season so far.

 “Very important that the Ravens eliminate the penalties. They’re No. 1 in the league in penalties, it’s ridiculous…they’ve gotta get rid of the penalties”

Gruden went on to point out how Ronnie Stanley, who he says is one of his favorite left tackles in the game, has nine penalties.

He then mentioned how left guard Patrick Mekhari has ten and right guard Daniel Faalele five.

“Now if you’re the offensive line coach, you’re probably gonna say ‘hey, you’re pissing me off.’ We gotta get rid of the penalties.”

No lies detected.

But the best part of this video, which appears to be in sponsored partnership with a sportsbook, is when Gruden mocks referees with jacked arms going out of their way to show off their biceps for the cameras.

Gruden does a great job imitating how a buff official will use the rule book gesture that indicates holding as an excuse to do the old “Which way to the beach?” routine.

Funny stuff!

And again, no lies were detected.

Ravens display elite red zone defense in blowout win over Broncos

While Bo Nix was able to “move the sticks” on the Ravens, his yards per attempt was just 6.8 and Denver found the end zone just once.

The Baltimore Ravens blew out the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium, 41-10 yesterday, despite not having a dominant advantage in the yardage comparison.

The Ravens gained only 77 more yards (396-319) than the Broncos, and first downs (25 to 20) were pretty even as well. Both teams had precisely ten drives, while Denver ran more plays (68 versus 54).

With only one turnover in the game (a Bo Nix interception to Ar’Darius Washington), you may be wondering what the difference was.

Red zone efficiency is the answer, as Baltimore perfectly embodied the ideal of “bend but don’t break” on defense while consistently capitalizing on offense. The Ravens scored in four of their six trips (66%) inside the red zone, while Denver went only one in four (25%).   

While Nix could “move the sticks” on the Ravens, his yards per attempt was just 6.8, and Denver found the end zone just once. And that lone touchdown came on a trick play, with Nix catching a two-yard pass from Courtland Sutton.

Last week, former superstar safety and nine-time Pro Bowler Brian Dawkins hailed Nix’s ability to move the chains while consistently avoiding critical mistakes.

“What you see from Bo is that with some of the creativity, he has to get the ball down the field to get first downs,” said the four time first team All-Pro, in an exclusive with RG. “It’s going to be imperative for him not to turn the ball over. That’s always the case for a quarterback – especially for a rookie – and to not beat himself up too much when he makes mistakes. Because mistakes will be made.

“They will be made, and you can’t beat yourself up to the point that it affects you on the next play on the next read, and that’s going to be the learning thing for him. But from what I’ve seen from him and from that relationship [with Sean Payton], it seems they’re clicking.”

Dawkins, who had a Hall of Fame nickname in Weapon X, is right—Nix and Payton had been clicking together entering this weekend. But the Ravens did a great job limiting his production in the vertical passing game and preventing the big play.

Baltimore needed to apply pressure, which would force Nix to make mistakes. They did just that, sacking him four times.

Tavius Robinson had half of those sacks with four quarterback hits. He was one of the brightest stars on defense for the Ravens yesterday.

“As a defense, we prepared well during the week and came out and did what we had to do today,” Robinson told the Ravens website. “[I’m] happy with how we responded to last week, and now we’ve got a quick turnaround for Cincinnati.”

Ravens fared much better versus Myles Garrett than they did against Maxx Crosby

Look at how the Ravens OL performed against Garrett today, versus what happened earlier this season against Crosby, it’s a great litmus test

You can call the Baltimore Ravens offensive line Sarah Connor or Kyle Reese because they just handled the Terminator. In case you missed it, Cleveland Browns franchise defensive end Myles Garrett showed up to the game on Sunday dressed as The Terminator in honor of the coming Halloween holiday.

Garrett typically wins Halloween and set the bar for costumes even higher this year. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Garrett’s Terminator mask collaborated with Mike Castro of Madness FX, a former Hollywood costume design team.

But Garrett wasn’t precisely a nightmarishly fearsome machine on the field today, as he recorded only one tackle and just one QB hit. To his credit, his team won, and they pulled off a major upset, but Garrett was anything but dominant on Sunday.

While he did sporadically generate some pressure on Lamar Jackson, the reigning MVP was pretty much consistently able to elude him, and thus, Garrett didn’t make much of an impact on the stat sheet.

This is the polar opposite of what happened the last time the Ravens faced one of the league’s top pass rushers in their week two loss to Maxx Crosby and the Las Vegas Raiders.

On that day, Crosby stuffed the stat sheet, registering two sacks, four tackles for a loss, five solo tackles, one pass breakup, and two QB hits.

Crosby is having a better season than Garrett so far, and he may be surpassing him as the league’s top pass-rushing threat.

In a recent exclusive interview, the Raiders DE explained the secret to his success.

“Consistency is everything,” Crosby said in a one-on-one with RG. “It’s consistency at work. A lot of people can do it for a couple weeks, a couple months, but the ones that do it every day – no matter what part of the year it is – when you know most guys are on vacation, having drinks at the beach, doing their thing.

“It’s the guys that are putting in the work 24/7 and that’s who I am. That’s what I feel separates myself.”

It’s only natural to compare Garrett, who has led the league in sacks the past three seasons, to Crosby, who is third in this category, over that span. (Nick Bosa is second). And when you look at how the Ravens OL performed against Garrett today versus what happened earlier this season against Crosby, it’s a great litmus test.

It’s pretty apparent that some progress has been achieved in a position group with new starters at three of the five positions.

If you flash back to just after the season opener, when the O-line came under heavy criticism for what many Ravens fans felt was an underwhelming performance at Kansas City, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh preached patience with this retooled unit.

He said back on Sept. 9: “I think by the end of the season, you’re going to feel real good about our offensive line.”

Maybe his words are indeed proving prophetic now.