Tag: Gus Edwards

Ravens have tough test in Titans’ powerful rushing attack

When the Baltimore Ravens take on the Tennessee Titans, they’ll need perfect technique and multiple defenders to take down RB Derrick Henry.

The Baltimore Ravens will get a taste of their own medicine next week when they take on the Tennessee Titans in the AFC divisional round playoffs.

Baltimore’s prolific rushing attack has been predicated on power running from players like Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards, wearing opposing defenses down while opening up throwing lanes. The Ravens also leaned on quarterback Lamar Jackson to pick up yards in key situations as a change of pace in rushing style, forcing defenses into picking their poison.

In similar fashion, the Titans have relied on league-leading rusher Derrick Henry to carry them through the season. And with a mid-season change at quarterback from Marcus Mariota to Ryan Tannehill, the rest of the offense has finally begun to flourish as well. Tannehill’s 4.3 rushing-attempts-per-start ranked 7th among NFL quarterbacks (minimum eight starts), pointing to Tennessee’s offense also utilizing their quarterback in a less traditional role.

In order for Baltimore to secure a win in this game, their defense will have to remain stout for all 60 minutes and shut down the run primarily. That ultimately means wrapping up and bringing down the ball carrier and not allowing them to pick up extra yards. Though the Ravens have the fifth-fewest missed tackles this season, according to Pro Football Reference, when they’ve struggled to tackle, things have gotten bad for them.

Granted it was before many of their defensive roster changes, but take a look at Week 4 for a prime example of how poor tackling has killed Baltimore just this season. Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb routinely ran through and around Baltimore’s defenders en route to 165 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on just 20 attempts. The Browns would beat the Ravens 40-25 and it would be one of just three games this season where Baltimore didn’t own the edge in time-of-possession.

For the Titans, Henry is no slouch when it comes to punishing defenders and picking up extra yards. Henry’s 29 broken tackles are tied for third-most this season among running backs. His 3.2 yards-per-carry average after contact is the second-most this season among running backs.

Against the Patriots, Henry chewed up the clock and New England’s defenders. Tennessee ran Henry to the outside most often where he ran over and carried defenders for extra yards. This is just a single highlight but was the overwhelming picture for the entire game:

And with some speed to his powerful frame, Henry was able to outrun defenders as well, practically daring them to get in his way to get trucked. According to Next Gen Stats, Henry gained 167 rushing yards with a defender within a yard of him.

Following the game, Henry pointed to that physicality as exactly the way he likes to play.

“We want it gritty. We want it dirty. That’s the mentality we got to have.”

That sounds like something we’d hear from Baltimore. You can practically hear Ingram saying that after a game while at the podium. And in a pass-happy league, it’ll be one of a very few instances the Ravens have to go up against that type of mentality this season.

Those stats and talk make it clear that perfect tackling technique and gang tackling will be needed to slow Henry down every time he touches the ball. If the Ravens can do that on every down, they’ll have the biggest edge in this game and should be able to coast to victory. But that’s a tough ask of any defense in the league.

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21 Ravens set to hit free agency in 2020 offseason

The Baltimore Ravens have 21 players set to hit free agency in the 2020 NFL offseason, including OLB Matthew Judon and CB Jimmy Smith

The Baltimore Ravens’ 2019 season is far from over, with hopefully a deep playoff run still on the cards. However, the business of football goes on and it’s important to look ahead at what the Ravens roster could like look in 2020.

Going into this offseason, Baltimore has 21 players set to hit free agency, including 16 unrestricted free agents. While fans will key in on potential free agents the Ravens can sign, they’ll have their work cut out for them in retaining some of their own impact players.

Let’s take a look at the full list of pending free agents for Baltimore.

Ravens 2020 unrestricted free agents:

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Player Position
Jimmy Smith CB
Michael Pierce DT
Patrick Onwuasor ILB
Seth Roberts WR
Domata Peko DT
Anthony Levine S
Pernell McPhee OLB
Josh Bynes ILB
Brynden Trawick S
Justin Ellis DE
De’Anthony Thomas WR
Jordan Richards S
Chris Moore WR
Jihad Ward DE
Hroniss Grasu C
Matthew Judon OLB

UFAs are the ones you’ll hear the most about when free agency hits. They’re able to negotiate solely with their teams until free agency starts, where they then enter the open market and can then sign with any team.

The biggest names on this list are Jimmy Smith and Matt Judon. Smith has been with the Ravens for his whole NFL career but injury has kept him from playing a full season since 2015. This, plus the fact that the Ravens already have more cap salary dedicated to the cornerback position than any team in the NFL in 2020 may lead to a breakup.

Judon has enjoyed a career season with 9.5 sacks, 43 solo tackles and 14 tackles for loss. You would think the Ravens would love to keep him around based on these numbers but they did let Za’Darius Smith walk last season, remember. The classic Ravens tactic has been to let their free agents go out and find out what the market is and then give the team a chance to match or pass. This could be on the cards here again this offseason with Judon.

The other players on this list are mostly rotational players and given the stage of their careers, they may struggle to find better deals on the open market. However, there are players at positions that the Ravens could certainly look to get younger (and cheaper) at.

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3 key takeaways from Ravens’ 28-10 win over Steelers

There wasn’t much to learn thanks to the Ravens playing backups against the Steelers but their dominance points us in the right direction

The Baltimore Ravens ended the season strong, winning their 12th consecutive game and finishing with a 14-2 record, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-10.

With so many starters held out for this game, there wasn’t really much to take away from it. Making many judgments on how a bunch of backups functioned isn’t very fair to the entire team and how they’d normally play. However, we did learn a number of things thanks to the backups getting the job done that the Ravens can carry forward to the postseason.

Ravens backups are better than other teams’ starters

Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

The Ravens got the job done on offense (four field goals and a rushing touchdown), defense (safety) and special teams (fumbled punt returned for a touchdown) in this game. In every capacity and every facet of the game, Baltimore’s backups beat up Pittsburgh’s starters.

Beating a division rival is impressive no matter how you slice it. But to have done it in spite of not playing most of the offensive starters and several defensive starters as well makes it even better.

The difference between an 8-8 team and a 10-6 team is pretty small — a few balls bouncing the wrong way or some flags at the wrong times. That makes beating any NFL team a difficult task, regardless of their record. And in 2019, no team has been better than the Ravens at it, even when they’re not at their best.

Considering Pittsburgh was on the verge of becoming a playoff team, the notion that Baltimore’s second-stringers are better than them should scare everyone else in the AFC playoffs.

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Ravens break 41-year old NFL record for single-season rushing yards

The Baltimore Ravens have broken a 41-year old record for the most rushing yards in a single season, going over 3,165 yards in Week 17

The Baltimore Ravens’ offense has been prolific this season. And as of now, no other rushing offense in NFL history has been as impressive.

Against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, the Ravens have officially set the NFL record for the most rushing yards in a single season. Baltimore broke the record on a nine-yard run by running back Gus Edwards in the second quarter, sitting at 3,172 rushing yards for the season. It breaks the 41-year old record previously held by the 1978 New England Patriots.

In a league that has prioritized passing offenses that can strike downfield over rushing offenses that have to grind their way to points, the Ravens’ accomplishment is especially impressive. But Baltimore has been committed to running the ball this season, leading with quarterback Lamar Jackson and a three-headed monster at running back consisting of Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.

Entering this week, Jackson led the team with 1,206 rushing yards, breaking Michael Vick’s record in Week 15. Ingram was second on the team, going over the 1,000-yard mark last week. It’s the first time in Ravens history where the team has had two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season and the first time in NFL history where a player has thrown for 3,000-plus yards while rushing for 1,000-plus as well.

It’s a testament to the entire organization to establish their rushing attack early in games and not back off of it. General manager Eric DeCosta has built up the personnel and offensive coordinator Greg Roman created the scheme while the players executed every week to get to this point. And if history serves as an example, it’ll be decades before another offense comes close to breaking this record.

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Ravens vs. Steelers: Final score predictions for Week 17

The Baltimore Ravens will look to sweep division rival the Pittsburgh Steelers, ending their season in Week 17.

The Baltimore Ravens end their season at home, taking on their division rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the game doesn’t mean much to Baltimore, who have already secured their playoff seed, it’s vitally important to Pittsburgh, who is still searching for a way in.

It’s questionable just how many Ravens starters we’ll see in this game with several already have been ruled out in order to rest for the postseason. The Steelers aren’t in much better shape thanks to injuries piling up.

The writers here at Ravens Wire mostly believe Baltimore’s backups will get the job done, though in far closer fashion than many fans have become accustomed to seeing.

Check out the final score predictions below.

Matthew Stevens:

Ravens 17 – Steelers 16

This is a tough game to gauge simply because we don’t know how many Ravens will be sitting out and which ones will get very little playing time, even if they do start. But with several key players already resting this game, it shows a bit of Baltimore’s hand and I’d expect this to look more like a preseason game than a typical Week 17 contest.

Because of that, this isn’t the blowout win I think the Ravens would hand the Steelers normally. They’ll struggle to move the ball as effectively with Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram out and the defense will have some more headaches with a bunch of members of the secondary likely resting this week. But they still get the job done to sweep Pittsburgh and land the best record in franchise history.

Alex Bente:

Ravens 23 – Steelers 12

To go along with my bold prediction, the Ravens defense will hold the Steelers to only field goals in this one. Baltimore’s offense, on the other hand, may find trouble dealing with Pittsburgh’s solid defense, especially without Lamar Jackson. That said, RGIII should lead the offense admirably with the added benefit of working in the now-trusted system. Even with backups leading the lineup, the Ravens have enough versatility on offense to take care of business and close out the season with an easy victory over their biggest division rivals.

Neil Dutton:

Ravens 14 – Steelers 17

The Ravens never like to lose to the Steelers, but on this occasion the prudence of resting the stars takes precedence. The second stringers will acquit themselves well, but ultimately they’ll fall just short against a Steelers team that needs the win.

Kevin Oestreicher:

Ravens 17 – Steelers 14

I think this is a tough, low scoring game. The Ravens are going to be missing many key pieces due to rest, and the Steelers will be missing some as well due to injuries. I’m not expecting a high scoring output from either offense, but I think Gus Edwards will have a monster day en route to carrying (literally) the Ravens to their 12th straight victory

Joe Serpico:

Ravens 21 – Steelers 17

As noted in our betting preview; Robert Griffin, Gus Edwards and the Ravens’ second team has played a lot for backups. The ground game doesn’t slow down with Edwards and Justice Hill getting the bulk of the touches, and Griffin makes just enough plays to end the Steelers season.

RB Mark Ingram has confidence he’ll be ready for Ravens’ 1st playoff game

Suffering a calf strain in Week 16 won’t keep Baltimore Ravens running back Mark Ingram from the field during the playoffs apparently.

The Baltimore Ravens beat up on the Cleveland Browns, finishing their playoff aspirations with a 31-15 drubbing in Week 16. But for all the excitement about the Ravens clinching the AFC’s top seed in the process, there was a down note as well. Running back Mark Ingram suffered a calf strain and is expected to miss a few weeks as he recovers.

While Ingram was going to sit out Week 17‘s meaningless game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Ravens have a first-round bye in the playoffs, there was some concern Ingram might not be healed up enough to play in the divisional round. But with the players back at practice after Christmas, Ingram told reporters he’s confident he’ll be ready.

Ingram suffered the calf injury late in Week 16’s game, going to the locker room with the training staff. Though coach John Harbaugh noted the injury wasn’t structural, calf strains can vary dramatically in how long they take to heal.

Still, Ingram will effectively have three weeks of rest before having to put on pads for the Ravens’ first playoff game. Baltimore is being cautious with several of their key players like Ingram, quarterback Lamar Jackson and safety Earl Thomas, holding them out of Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If Ingram can’t play, the Ravens will likely turn to Gus Edwards as their primary running back with a mixture of Justice Hill and Jackson to supplement. Edwards has averaged 5.2 yards-per-carry this season, which is actually slightly better than Ingram’s 5.0 average. But there are other things Ingram is tasked with that helped put him back in the Pro Bowl this year, that Baltimore would really miss.

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Ravens highlight: RB Justice Hill puts the final nail in the Browns coffin

Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill effectively ended the Cleveland Browns’ season on an 18-yard rushing touchdown.

The Cleveland Browns threatened to make it a game in the fourth quarter, driving down and scoring a touchdown after some defensive miscues to bring the game to 24-15 with 8:01 left. The Baltimore Ravens still held a two-score lead after foiling the conversion, but things were far from guaranteed.

In response, the Ravens did what they have done so well this season: Grind down the clock with their punishing run game. Quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Gus Edwards ran all over the Cleveland defense, taking it to their 18-yard line.

From there, rookie running back Justice Hill ran it in untouched for his first NFL touchdown — an 18-yard run.

 

The Ravens burned almost five minutes off of the clock with that drive. Up 31-15, it would be the final nail in the Browns’ coffin. Not only did it effectively end the game but it also ended Cleveland’s playoff hopes, officially knocking them out of postseason contention.

In spite of a slow start to this game for both teams, the Ravens found their footing at the end of the first half and never looked back. They’ve now locked themselves in as the top seed in the AFC, making the road to Super Bowl LIV go through Baltimore.

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Highlight: Lamar Jackson walks into end zone untouched vs. 49ers

Lamar Jackson once again does it with his legs, finding the end zone untouched after a fake handoff up the middle against the 49ers.

As the rain continues to fall at M&T Bank Stadium, quarterback Lamar Jackson led the Baltimore Ravens on a 13 play, 65-yard drive that ended with the MVP front runner running it in from a yard out to give his side the lead against the 49ers.

Though both the 49ers and Ravens haven’t been shy throwing the football, it was Jackson’s legs that really got that drive moving. It was Jackson’s fifth carry of the drive, including down to the two-yard line. After a play fake with Gus Edwards, Jackson ran to the left for the go-ahead score. At this point, Jackson has more rushing attempts than the rest of the team combined.

With the score, Jackson became the second player with 25-plus passing touchdowns and 750-plus rushing yards in a single season.

This game is more than living up to expectations as a potentially Super Bowl matchup. Both offenses are hitting on all cylinders today in the poor weather.

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