Tag: Charlie Kolar

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.

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Top photos from the Ravens 35-34 win over the Bengals on Thursday Night Football

Top photos from the Ravens 35-34 win over the Bengals on Thursday Night Football

Underused pass catcher Tylan Wallace had three catches for 115 yards (38.3 avg) and one touchdown, including an 84-yard catch and run that resulted in Lamar Jackson’s longest touchdown pass of his career, as Baltimore held on for a 35-34 win at home on Thursday night. Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase almost spoiled the Purple Rising party, as the former LSU star logged 11 catches on 17 targets for 264 yards (26.4 average) and three touchdowns, with a long of 70 yards for a touchdown.

In another near-perfect performance, Jackson was 25-33 passing for 290 yards (8.8 avg), four touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a 141.4 rating. His AFC North rival, Joe Burrow, did his part for the Bengals, hanging in the pocket as he went 34-56 passing for 428 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions.

The Ravens defense allowed 470 yards, as Cincinnati was 8-16 on third downs.   Baltimore was sloppy on the night, with 11 penalties for 81 yards.

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John Harbaugh expresses confidence in Ravens’ WRs amid Davante Adams trade rumors

John Harbaugh expresses confidence in Ravens’ wide receivers amid Davante Adams trade rumors

Whenever a notable wide receiver becomes available in free agency or via trade, fans of the Baltimore Ravens inevitably become fascinated with the idea of pairing them with MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. Davante Adams is the latest example after the six-time Pro Bowler requested a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was asked how he felt about the team’s current group of wide receivers amid speculation that Baltimore could be a team to pursue Adams.

“You know how we feel about our guys,” Harbaugh said. “I really can’t comment on anybody else’s players. We talked about Davante Adams a couple of weeks ago [when we played the Raiders], and I didn’t want to talk anything about him after the game – we had seen enough at that point. We love our guys.”

Adams was instrumental in the Raiders Week 2 upset win over the Ravens as he caught nine passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. The superstar receiver would undoubtedly help take Baltimore’s already explosive offensive to another level, but considering his current salary, the needed draft capital to give up, and the fact that the Ravens are a run-heavy team, the move for the soon-to-be 32-year-old receiver seems unlikely to occur for Baltimore.

The Ravens appear content to roll with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor as the team’s top trio of wide receivers, with tight ends Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews, and Charlie Kolar also featuring heavily in the passing attack.

All three Ravens tight ends get involved in wild win over Bengals

Take a bow, Ravens Tight Ends Coach George Godsey. 

In the immortal words of Archie Bell & The Drells, “Let’s tighten it up now. Do the tighten up.”

If you were a Baltimore Ravens tight end on Sunday in Cincinnati, then you played an integral part in the team’s 41-38 overtime win.

A team rarely sees three of their tight ends catch a pass in the same game. It’s also uncommon to see two tight ends on the same team each record a touchdown reception in the same game, but it all happened in the very high-scoring affair staged on the banks of the Ohio River.

TE1 Mark Andrews, who is still trying to find his usual groove this season, led the position targets with five. He finished with four catches for 55 yards.

TE2 Isaiah Likely led the team in TD catches with two.

TE3 Charlie Kolar had, by far, the most productive day of his career, finishing with three catches for 64 yards and a touchdown.

In other words, reigning MVP Lamar Jackson spread the wealth around this weekend as nine different Ravens caught passes. This is definitely something that offensive coordinator Todd Monken should continue striving for each week.

The more reliable, consistent weapons the Ravens have on offense, the harder they will be to scheme against. An overall balanced attack is excellent for all involved.

Take a bow, Ravens Tight end Coach George Godsey.

Ravens TE Charlie Kolar has fun with the media after his career day

There were many wild aspects in this game, including who some of the heroes were, like Ravens third string tight end Charlie Kolar.

Baltimore Ravens fans can now sit back and exhale after watching a victory for which the word “wild” would be a gross understatement.

With 7:16 left in the 4th quarter, ESPN’s win probability index had the Cincinnati Bengals at 90.9%.

However, the only win probability index that matters is when the game goes final, and in the end, the Ravens prevailed 41-38 in overtime.

Another wild aspect of this one is who some heroes were, like third-string tight end Charlie Kolar.

He had a career day, catching three balls for 64 yards, including a touchdown. 

When asked to comment on his longest grab of the day, a 55-yarder in the middle of the third quarter, he told the media: 

“They get so worried about Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely that they forget about the fat white guy.”

He then added: “I’m not going to answer anything seriously, I can’t after this one.”

Entering the day, the fourth-round draft pick in 2022 only had 11 catches for 136 yards for his entire career. So this was a “breakout game,” to say the least.

“It was beautiful,” Kolar said of the thrilling, high-scoring victory.

Ravens tight end coach George Godsey praises Charlie Kolar ahead of his third season

Ravens tight end coach George Godsey praises Charlie Kolar ahead of his third season

The Baltimore Ravens are arguably the league’s best tight end group, with Mark Andrews being one of the NFL’s best at the position and Isaiah likely emerging as a legitimate weapon in the passing attack last season. Lost in the shuffle behind those two is third-year tight end Charlie Kolar, who was drafted 11 picks ahead of Likely in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Ravens tight end coach George Godsey had high praise for Kolar ahead of his third season.

“I think you’re going to see a big jump from him,” Godsey said. “He’s made a huge [stride] from, not only just Year One to [Year] Two, but now [Year] Two to [Year] Three. I think you’re going to see a big jump – he’s working extra, again he’s another guy that’s capable of taking in a lot of information – both in the run game and the pass game. He’s going to make his mark physically at the line of scrimmage controlling the defender. I’m excited about what he’s doing.”

It will be hard for Kolar to find targets in the passing game behind Andrews and Likely, but he could carve out a more significant role as an inline blocker. While Todd Monken’s offense is not as tight-end-heavy as previous offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s, Baltimore remains committed to producing a dominant rushing attack, evidenced by signing veteran running back Derrick Henry in free agency this offseason. This leaves a part for players like Kolar and fullback Patrick Ricard to play in the offense.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh on TE Charlie Kolar: ‘He’s looked good’

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said tight end Charlie Kolar looks good

The Baltimore Ravens selected tight end Charlie Kolar in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft. While he hasn’t played a significant role yet, tight ends are critical in the Baltimore offense, with plenty of opportunities to go around.

Many are talking about Kolar’s draft-mate in fellow tight end Isaiah Likely, but Kolar has also impressed throughout the offseason. When asked about Kolar, head coach John Harbaugh said he looks good and has worked hard, mentioning he’s put on a lot of muscle in the process.

“Yeah, he looks good. Charlie has worked really hard. He’s put on a lot of muscle, lean muscle mass, and I know he’s committed to all the aspects of being a good tight end. He wants to be a really good blocker; I know that’s important to him, and he’s preparing himself just for that.”

Kolar is all but a lock to be the No. 3 tight end behind Likely and No. 1 option Mark Andrews. However, it’s possible that the team could use more sets that Kolar can be involved in, and with his strong start to the offseason, he could take advantage of those opportunities.

Mark Andrews shares what he’s seen from Ravens’ TE Charlie Kolar

Ravens tight end Mark Andrews shared what he’s seen from tight end Charlie Kolar

The Baltimore Ravens drafted two tight ends in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft. Coastal Carolina star Isaiah Likely was one of them, with the other being Iowa State’s Charlie Kolar, and Baltimore has had high expectations for both.

While Likely has had plenty of amazing moments throughout his two-year NFL career, Kolar has been lurking more in the shadows. When Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was asked about what he’s seen from Kolar, he mentioned how the third-year player is working hard and wants to be great.

“He’s working hard. He’s focused. The big thing about Charlie is [that] he just wants to do everything. He wants to be great at everything. And he loves blocking. He loves hitting people, and he loves being versatile. He can still catch the hell out of a ball. He can still run incredible routes. He’s an all-around tight end. He’s going to be big for us as well.”

Baltimore’s offense is set up to allow all three tight ends to thrive. Kolar can be an underrated chess piece in the team’s offense, especially if he continues to work and improve.

WATCH: Ravens’ Charlie Kolar earns a nickname from Lamar Jackson after debuting cornrows

Ravens’ tight end Charlie Kolar earned the nickname ‘White Chocolate’ from Lamar Jackson after debuting cornrows

The Ravens are back at the Under Armour Performance Center for offseason workouts, and reserve tight end Charlie Kolar unveiled a new hairdo to match his upbeat attitude.

On Thursday afternoon, MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson nicknamed Kolar ‘White Chocolate’ after the tight end was spotted with fresh cornrows in his hair.

Kolar explained the new hairdo to the Ravens Editorial Director, Ryan Mink.

Ravens running back Justice Hill referred Kolar to a hairstylist name Kia, and the rest is history.

“I just wanted to try something new,” Kolar said. “I’ve never really seen a white guy with twists or braids before, so I wanted to see how it looked.”

“It came out better than I thought, honestly. I didn’t know how it would look. But I thought it was solid,” Kolar said.

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Kolar finished the 2023 regular season with seven catches for 87 yards and a touchdown on nine targets.

The second-year tight end started to see more playing time after Mark Andrews’ injury, which kept him out for weeks. More run blocker than pass catcher at this point in his career, Kolar averaged 25 snaps per game down the stretch and caught six of seven targets for 74 yards and a score on 41 pass routes.

10 pending free agents the Ravens should not re-sign

We’re looking at ten pending 2024 NFL free agents that the Baltimore Ravens should not re-sign

Baltimore faces an offseason of change after Mike Macdonald bolted for the Seahawks job. Anthony Weaver landed the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator job, and 26 players, headlined by Patrick Queen, are set to be free agents.

Justin Madubuike landed the franchise tag, leaving Baltimore -$9 million over the salary cap ahead of the early tampering period.

With an urgent offseason underway, we’re looking at ten pending free agents who shouldn’t return.