Tag: Brandon Stephens

Roquan Smith & Ravens’ Zach Orr can build off the defensive encore

Baltimore Ravens DC Zach Orr continues to thrive with LB Roquan Smith orchestrating plays that has the team defense fully optimized.

Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr and linebacker Roquan Smith have fully amalgamated after 18 weeks of NFL football. The Ravens led the entire NFL in opponent rush yards allowed per game this season, and their dominance over the Pittsburgh Steelers offense in the AFC Wild Card round was yet another indication of performance.

Orr and Smith just aren’t allowing anybody to pummel the Ravens up front when it comes to defending the run. Orr likes to stuff opponents on first and second downs, force them into passing situations, and then unleash his pass rush that has rendered 54 sacks this season. The 54 sacks helped the team rank No. 2 in the NFL in sacks this season.

Last night, the Steelers had 29 rushing yards through 11 carries. With the Ravens’ offense firing on all cylinders, Orr can continue the onslaught, forcing opponents into one-dimensional play-calling and frustration.

In hindsight, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson did finish the game, having completed 20 of his 29 pass attempts, including two impressive touchdown passes. However, Orr is doing his best to accommodate the flaws in the defense’s back end by ensuring he coaches his team to give up minimal yards and points.

Top photos from Ravens 28-14 win over the Steelers in AFC Wild Card game

Top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in AFC Wild Card game

The Ravens are peaking at the right time and look like the most complete team in the AFC after a 28-14 win over the rival Steelers on Saturday night at M&T Bank Stadium.

Baltimore will now wait for Sunday afternoon’s conclusion of the Buffalo Bills’ matchup against the Denver Broncos. If the Bills win, the Ravens will travel to Buffalo, while a Broncos win will see John Harbaugh’s team host the Houston Texans next week.

Here are the top photos from the win.

***

Ravens advance to AFC Divisional Round with 28-14 win over Steelers

Baltimore Ravens advance to AFC Divisional Round with 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Wild Card game

The journey isn’t complete, but the Ravens avoided embarrassment and moved onto the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs with a convincing 28-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday night.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson was 16-21 passing for 175 yards, two touchdowns, and a 132.0 rating. Jackson rushed 15 times for 81 yards, while Derrick Henry carried the night, logging 186 yards on 26 rushing attempts and two touchdowns.

Baltimore’s defense held Pittsburgh to 280 yards of offense, with just 29 yards rushing on the ground. Najee Harris finished with six carries for 17 yards, and Jaylen Warren had two for six yards on the night. The Steelers had the football for just 20:27.

Baltimore will now wait for the conclusion of the Buffalo Bills matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon.

If the Bills win on Sunday, the Ravens will travel to Buffalo, while a Broncos win will see John Harbaugh’s team host the Houston Texans next week.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Sights and sounds from first half as Ravens hold a 21-0 lead over Steelers in AFC Wild Card game

Sights and sounds from first half as Ravens hold a 21-0 lead over Steelers in AFC Wild Card game

Like a Samantha Pollino Broadway Performance, the Ravens were flawless in the first half and looked like a Super Bowl favorite, jumping out to an early 14-0 lead.

After holding Pittsburgh to a three and out, Baltimore navigated a 13-play, 95-yard drive that ate almost 8 minutes of clock to put the Ravens on the board, 7-0. The Ravens dominated offensively and ended the first half with a 21-0 lead.

Here are sights and sounds from the first half.

***

Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey must sustain the Ravens’ pass defense

Baltimore Ravens DB’s Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey need to be anchors in the pass defense to propel the franchise in the NFL Playoffs.

Numbers never lie, and the Baltimore Ravens’ pass defense has been the only consistent weakness in 2024. However, over the last three games, they’ve allowed just 177.3 passing yards per game. Will star defensive backs Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton continue to build on this momentum as the NFL playoffs approach?

In hindsight, the Ravens’ last three opponents, the Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New York Giants, don’t nearly compare to the offensive powerhouses they will face if they catch stride in the NFL playoffs. However, like every other NFL team, the Ravens only play the teams the league puts on their schedule.

Humphrey and Hamilton are both polished veterans with credible experience who can be vocal leaders on the Ravens’ back end. Defensive back Brandon Stephen has held his own, and rookie Nate Wiggins is second behind Humphrey with 12 pass deflections on the season. Humphrey and defensive coordinator Zach Orr might want to increase interception drills in practice to sow up some of the bleeding and prepare their unit for upcoming turnover opportunities.

Ultimately, with the front seven or six producing sacks at a top-tier level, perhaps Hamilton and Humphrey should encourage their supporting cast to play a little ball-hawking on the back end.

Beyonce shines for Netflix on Christmas Day: Top photos from Ravens win over Texans

Top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 31-2 win over the Houston Texans on Christmas Day in front of Beyonce on Netflix

Some thought Baltimore had peaked too soon after its 24-19 loss to the Eagles, but the Ravens have been 3-0 since then, and they have had a much-needed bye week.

A team unsure about their AFC North status can win the division in Week 18 after an impressive 31-2 win over Houston on Christmas Day in front of Beyonce and a monstrous Netflix audience.

Lamar Jackson was 10-15 passing for 168 yards, two touchdowns, and a 143.9 rating.  As a rusher, Jackson carried the ball four times for 87 yards and a touchdown, moving past Michael Vick on the NFL’s all-time rushing yards list for a quarterback.

With preparation for the Browns set to begin, we’re looking at the top photos from Christmas Night.

***

Sights and sounds from first half as Ravens hold a 17-2 lead over Texans on Christmas Day

Sights and sounds from first half as Ravens hold a 17-2 lead over Texans on Christmas Day

The Ravens can smell a division title. After watching the Steelers fall to the Chiefs in the earlier game, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry have Baltimore rolling through one half in Houston. With Beyonce and Post Malone in the building, the Ravens jumped out to a 17-2 lead on the back of Jackson’s arm, Henry’s strong running, and a stingy defense that improves each week. Baltimore held Houston to 125 yards of total offense in the first half, and if not for a Texans safety, it would have been on its way to blowing out the host team on Netflix. With the second half set to begin and Beyonce’s incredible performance just finished, here are sights and sounds from the first half. ****

Sights and sounds from first half as Ravens hold a 17-10 lead over the Steelers

Sights and sounds from first half as Ravens hold a 17-10 lead over the Steelers

It wasn’t a pretty start, but the Ravens again held a halftime lead over the Steelers, 17-10, with 30 minutes left to play at M&T Bank Stadium.

Baltimore had 201 yards of offense and went 2-5 on third downs in the first half. Pittsburgh has 170 yards of offense, 2-4 on third down, and one turnover in a highly intense first half.

With the second half set to begin, here are sights and sounds from the first half.

***

Have the Ravens solved their defensive struggles with a reshuffled secondary?

Have the Ravens solved their defensive struggles with a reshuffled secondary?

By far, the Baltimore Ravens‘ biggest weakness and biggest surprise through 11 weeks of the 2024 season has been the secondary’s play. The Ravens entered the season with what looked like one of the league’s top coverage units on paper, but reality disagreed once the pads came on.

All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, and rookie first-round cornerback Nate Wiggins have all had good seasons. Still, the drastic falloff from veteran free safety Marcus Williams and cornerback Brandon Stephens to go with poor play from newly acquired safety Eddie Jackson has tanked Baltimore’s pass defense. Through 11 weeks, the Ravens have allowed the most passing yards in the league.

After allowing quarterback Joe Burrow to throw for 428 yards and four touchdowns, with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase going for 264 yards and three touchdowns through the air against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10, Baltimore decided to make changes on the backend of the defense. Williams was benched for the second time this season, while Hamilton and Ar’Darious Washington formed the starting safety duo against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11. This was a change for Hamilton, as the do-it-all star is best known for his game-wrecking ability closer to the line of scrimmage, but after the results against the Steelers, he may have found a new home on the defense to finish this year.

The Ravens’ secondary stifled quarterback Russell Wilson, holding him to 205 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and -7.41 expected points through the air. Wide receiver George Pickens was held under 100 yards and out of the endzone, with cornerback Tre’Davious White having a pair of impressive pass deflections against him to prevent touchdowns. White played 24 snaps against Pittsburgh, eating into Stephens’ role on the boundary.

While the Steelers offense has not been one of the league’s best this season, Wilson’s ability to connect with Pickens down the field was something to fear coming into the game, and Baltimore kept a lid on the duo for the most part. The Ravens will face more formidable challenges to see if reshuffling the secondary has fixed the issues plaguing the defense, starting with a Monday Night Football showdown against star quarterback Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers.

Ravens fall to 7-4 as offense sputters in 18-16 loss to Steelers in Week 11

Ravens fall to 7-4 as offense sputters in 18-16 loss to Steelers in Week 11

Lamar Jackson will have to wait a few weeks to get that much-needed win over the Steelers after the Ravens sputtered in neutral for most of the afternoon in an 18-16 loss to Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium.

The NFL’s No. 1 ranked quarterback in QBR, Jackson was 16-33 passing for 207 yards (6.3 avg), one touchdown, one interception, and a 66.1 rating, the lowest of this season.

Jackson had four carries for 46 yards, while Derrick Henry was held to 65 yards (5.0 avg) on 13 carries and one rushing touchdown, tying the single-season franchise record for touchdowns.

Zach Orr’s maligned defense held Pittsburgh to 4-16 on third downs and 303 total yards, but Pittsburgh held the football for 36:22, compared to Baltimore’s 23:38.

The Steelers held the Ravens ‘ top-ranked offense to 329 yards and just 124 yards rushing. Justin Tucker’s two missed field goals will further magnify the two-point loss. On the day, Tucker was 1-3 on field goal attempts, while Steelers kicker Chris Boswell was a perfect 6-6, including a 57-yard field goal.

Baltimore will quickly regroup before a massive Monday night matchup against Jim Harbaugh and the 6-3 Los Angeles Chargers.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]