Tag: Lamar Jackson

Key things to know about Chargers’ Week 12 opponent: Ravens

Here are some important things to know about the Ravens ahead of the Week 12 matchup with the Chargers.

The Chargers are at home to face the Ravens in primetime on Monday, Nov. 25, at 5:15 p.m. PT.

To get you prepped for the Week 12 bout, here are a few key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

How things are going…

The Ravens are 7-4 on the season, with their most recent game being a loss to the Steelers.

Harbowl II

Jim and John Harbaugh will meet for the second time. Harbowl I occurred in Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 when John’s Ravens beat Jim’s 49ers 34-31.

Running up the scoreboard

The Ravens have been a problem to opposing defenses this season. Baltimore is averaging the second-most points in the NFL (30.4).

Lamar is legit

One of the main reasons the Ravens’ offense is impactful is Lamar Jackson’s play. Jackson has thrown for 2,876 yards and 25 touchdowns with three interceptions. He ranks first in EPA/play and success rate. Along with being a prolific passer, Jackson is lethal with his legs. He’s carried the ball 95 times for 584 yards and two scores.

All hail King Henry

The Ravens’ acquisition of Derrick Henry this past offseason has paid dividends. The former Titan has run wild this season, leading the league in yards (1,185), rushing touchdowns (13), and 20+ yard rushing plays (13). Between Jackson and Henry, Baltimore is averaging a whopping 177.3 yards per game on the ground.

Uneven defense

The Ravens have been stout against the run, allowing just 77.5 yards per game, which ranks No. 2 in the league. However, Baltimore has been torched through the air. They’ve given up the most passes (39.5) and passing yards per game (284.5).

Look out for…

Zay Flowers. Flowers, the second-year wide receiver, has established himself as Jackson’s top target. He has the fifth-most receiving yards (727) and is nearly always bound to make a big play.

WATCH: First look at HBO’s Hard Knocks In-Season with the AFC North

HBO released the initial trailer for Hard Knocks In-Season with the AFC North featuring the Ravens, Bengals, Browns and Steelers

The AFC North is the most challenging division in the NFL. The season started with four potential 2024 playoff teams and tons of storylines. As HBO’s Hard Knocks takes an inside, in-season look at this historical division, fans will now have an up-close look.

For the first time since its debut, the award-winning docuseries goes behind the scenes of an entire NFL division for the first time. Warner Brothers Discovery made the announcement back in June.

HARD KNOCKS: IN SEASON WITH THE AFC NORTH will document the battle for the AFC North crown during the final six weeks of the NFL season, as well as a playoff run for the division-winner and any AFC North Wild Card teams. The 18-time Emmy®-winning series will deliver its signature all-access coverage as it follows the Mike Tomlin-coached Pittsburgh Steelers, who have never been featured on “Hard Knocks” in the history of the series, as well as coach John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens, coach Zac Taylor’s Cincinnati Bengals, and coach Kevin Stefanski’s Cleveland Browns. Quarterbacks Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, and Justin Fields will share the “Hard Knocks” spotlight with Derrick Henry, Ja’Marr Chase, Myles Garrett, TJ Watt, and an array of other AFC North star players.

It will debut Tuesday, December 3, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and stream on Max. Subsequent Tuesdays will air through the end of the NFL regular season and continue into the NFL playoffs in January 2025. HBO released the first trailer on Tuesday, and it looks as intense as the action presents.

Baltimore was the first team featured on the original “Hard Knocks” training camp series 2001. Since then, the Bengals have appeared twice, in 2009 and 2013, and the Browns in 2018, while the Pittsburgh Steelers will be making their debut appearance. Storylines to watch will include Patrick Queen’s arrival in Pittsburgh and the renewed Steelers-Ravens rivalry.

Contract disputes in Cleveland, Deshaun Watson’s return and subsequent injury, Russell Wilson’s debut, Justin Field’s arrival, and Joe Burrow’s return are just the tip of the iceberg of storylines and interesting subplots.

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Lamar Jackson is sick of the Ravens beating themselves

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is sick of the team beating themselves

The Baltimore Ravens suffered some ugly losses during the 2024 NFL season, resulting in many questions about the team’s actual contender status. That didn’t change in Week 11, as the team embarrassingly lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Baltimore couldn’t get out of its own way once again, gifting Pittsburgh a win in multiple different areas. After the contest, quarterback Lamar Jackson expressed his frustration with the outcome and the way it happened, talking about how the team can’t keep beating themselves up.

“Absolutely. It’s been that way ever since last year, I believe, going back to the AFC Championship game, we killed ourselves. The Chiefs game [in] the [season] opener, we killed ourselves. [The] Raiders [game], we killed ourselves, and today, it’s the same thing. We can’t be beating ourselves in these types of games. We have to find a way to fix that – it’s annoying.”

In their losses and even in some of their wins, the Ravens give the game away and become their own worst enemy. This worrying trend needs fixing, especially for a team that has such high hopes and is striving to win a Super Bowl for the third time in franchise history.

Sunday’s NFL results prove why Commanders are just fine

Why Sunday’s NFL results prove the Commanders will be just fine.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Washington Commanders 28-27 last week, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about comparing Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels to Ravens star Lamar Jackson.

“Man, be real slow comparing people to Lamar Jackson,” Tomlin said. “That’s a multi-time MVP. That’s Mr. Jackson. We’ll see Mr. Jackson in a few days.”

Daniels completed 17 of 34 passes for 202 yards in the game but was not helped by several Washington dropped passes.

On Sunday, Tomlin did see Mr. Jackson — and that was not good news for Mr. Jackson.

The Steelers improved to 8-2 by defeating the Ravens 18-16. Pittsburgh won despite not scoring a touchdown, but the game’s big story was how it defended Jackson.

Jackson completed 16 of 33 passes for 207 yards with a touchdown and interception. Jackson rushed for 46 yards. Jackson’s passing numbers were eerily similar to Daniels’, but the narrative surrounding the two passers couldn’t be any more different.

No one says the sky is falling for the 7-4 Ravens and Jackson. After Washington lost its second straight game last week to drop to 7-4, several analysts questioned how good the Commanders were. Others were critical of Daniels.

Slow down.

Daniels didn’t play well in last week’s loss to the Eagles — on a short week. He isn’t the first talented quarterback to struggle on a short week against a good team, and he won’t be the last. As ugly as the game felt, the Commanders led for over three quarters. They wore down in the fourth quarter. That happens when you’re a tired team facing a healthy and rested team. And let’s not forget, the Eagles are really good.

Now, back to the Steelers and Commanders. Pittsburgh’s defense is legit. It’s Super Bowl good. And yet, Washington scored 27 points against the Steelers and made numerous mistakes. There was also the questionable fourth-down spot late. What happens if Commanders’ receivers catch at least one of those drops? Or if tight end Zach Ertz gets upfield for one more yard? We are talking about a different narrative.

The Commanders blew it against the Steelers. They weren’t outmanned or outclassed. Against the Eagles, Philadelphia’s talent advantage did eventually show up late, wearing down the Commanders in the trenches. However, they went toe-to-toe for most of that game and still only lost by a possession.

On Sunday, you saw what Pittsburgh did to Baltimore — a Super Bowl favorite. Remember, the Commanders went toe-to-toe with Baltimore six weeks ago, losing by a touchdown on the road.

As far as Daniels, he performed better against Pittsburgh than Jackson did.

So, if you think the sky is falling for the Commanders after two straight losses and that they’ll revert to their pre-2024 form, relax. The last two weeks should tell you Washington will be just fine. They host the reeling 3-7 Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, followed by a Week 13 game against the 2-8 Tennessee Titans.

Mike Tomlin keeps outsmarting John Harbaugh, Steelers lead AFC North

Baltimore Ravens HC John Harbaugh has gotten far too comfortable allowing the Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike Tomlin to walk over his team.

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh never seems to outsmart Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, especially when it matters most.

Unlike Harbaugh, Tomlin doesn’t like finesse and beauty. He leads a rugged football team, led by his powerful defense and offensive ground attack. On Sunday, Tomlin stuck to his guns, and his team forced three turnovers on the Ravens in the pivotal week 11 win.

 

Even with Baltimore ranking No. 1 in rush defense, Tomlin still ran the ball 34 times, using a committee of players to forward his attack. Tomlin even dispatched wide receiver Cordelle Patterson and reserve quarterback Justin Fields to cap off the 18-16 victory.

Harbaugh not only allowed offensive coordinator Todd Monken to neglect running back Derrick Henry from the game plan, but he also opted out of an opportunity for the onside kick with the team down two points with under 2:00 minutes to go. The most embarrassing moment in the game was the broadcast zooming in on Harbaugh as he called the aimless final timeout with under a minute to go, not realizing the Steelers had converted on 3rd and 1.

Impulsivity isn’t the leading factor compelling Ravens’ fans to scrutinize Harbaugh. Instead, Harbaugh’s unseemly contentment with coming up just short and his postured composure after losing critical games for the franchise.

Todd Monken sat on the wall & Monken did make the Ravens fall

Of course the Pittsburgh Steelers were ready for Baltimore Ravens OC Todd Monken and his very predictable pass attack in NFL week 11.

In NFL week 11, the Pittsburgh Steelers were ready for Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and his predictable pass attack.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson finished week 11 with just 207 passing yards and completed only 16 of his 33 pass attempts. More incompletions than completions are always a recipe for disaster, but what’s more incomplete is the explanation as to why running back Derrick Henry only received 13 carries on the ground in Sunday’s 18-16 loss.

Monken continues to get into big games just to abandon his strongest player, Henry, who leads the NFL in rushing yards. Henry continues to lurk in the shadows behind Monken, who wants badly to make the Ravens a pass-first offense.

The Ravens’ defense held its ground, granting the team another opportunity with a fourth-quarter interception by defensive back Marlon Humphrey. Still, the Ravens’ offense got stifled in the red zone when Monken called a quarterback sweep from the two-yard line as if the Steelers were going just to let Jackson walk in. 

What about Henry? Why wouldn’t Monken hand the ball to a man ranking No. 1 in the NFL in rushing yards? Ravens fans have been asking these same questions since the team squandered the AFC Championship in January. The saga continues, and thanks to Sunday’s loss, the Ravens are now two games behind the Steelers in the AFC North.

Why was Derrick Henry barely involved during crunch time of Ravens loss to Steelers?

Derrick Henry had zero touches in the fourth quarter, and was not in the game for the potentially tying two-point conversion attempt  

The next time Baltimore Ravens Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken meets the media, the first question should pertain to Derrick Henry, specifically, why the superstar tailback wasn’t part of the plan when the game was on the line.

If Henry is truly “The King,” then regicide was committed with the crunch time play-calling. Henry was not in the game on the two-point conversion attempt on Baltimore’s final drive, which could have tied the game.

Henry, with his 5.0 yards per carry, should have been considered one of the primary potential options in that goal-line situation.

He also had no carries in the fourth quarter. And while Henry did have one touch in the final stanza, a 15-yard reception from Lamar Jackson, it was nullified by an illegal man downfield penalty.

So, in other words, he had zero official touches in the fourth quarter.

Compounding his problems this afternoon, Henry also lost a fumble for the first time since 2002, a streak of 538 touches. However, this one very rare gaffe does not justify Monken’s decision to go away from him.

Lamar Jackson’s career struggles against the Steelers continue

Once again Lamar Jackson just couldn’t put up the same kind of numbers against the Steelers that he regularly does vs the rest of the NFL

Once again, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson couldn’t put up the same numbers against the Pittsburgh Steelers he regularly does versus the rest of the National Football League.

In an 18-16 loss on the road, Jackson’s quarterback rating was 66.1, about half where it had been (123.2) for the season entering this game. He also completed just 48.5% of his passes on Sunday, a significant drop-off from the 69.1% completion rate he was at before this game.

His yards per attempt at Pittsburgh today was three below his season average.

“I don’t know what it is, man,” Jackson said, somewhat presciently, heading into this game.

Compounding the problem was that he threw his third interception of the season. He had thrown just two in 10 games and 288 attempts entering this massive divisional clash.

In the run-up to this game, head coach John Harbaugh discussed how well his franchise quarterback had been handling the football.

“I think Lamar has just been intentional about playing as well as he can across the board, and that’s a big part of it,” Harbaugh said, as cited in ESPN.

“There are so many things that go into playing the quarterback position, and then so many things that go into the thing that you’re talking about, as well.

“We’ve improved greatly in those huddle, pre-snap communication areas; we have to continue to get better at that and then operating the plays at a high level.

“So, all of those things go into it, and all of us would say we have to continue to improve with a sense of urgency in everything we’re doing.”

The subpar performance dropped Jackson’s record at Heinz Field/Acrisure Stadium to just 1-4. In those games, he’s accounted for five touchdowns versus 11 turnovers, completing 56.7% of his passes while guiding the Ravens to just 19 ppg.

Steelers fans react to Chris Boswell’s incredible Week 11 performance

Chris Boswell shines again, leading the Steelers to an 8-2 start in 2024 going six for six on field goals in Week 11’s victory.

The ‘Wizard of Boz’ strikes again. While fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers anticipated QBs Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson to create a high-scoring Week 11 contest, they were instead treated to another Chris Boswell masterclass.

Boswell has achieved accolade after accolade to begin the 2024 season, being named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month in both September and October, as well as kicking his 1,000th career point in the Steelers’ Week 3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

His best performance in 2024 came all the way back in Week 1, kicking a perfect six-for-six field goals from 57, 56, 51, 44, 40, and 25 yards.

Boswell matched his season-best six field goals made in the Steelers’ Week 11 victory over the Ravens, kicking for 57, 52, 50, 32, 32, and 27 yards.

The Steelers’ kicker is putting together one of his best seasons to date, with his confidence, accuracy, and consistency rallying his team to an unbelievable 8-2 start in 2024.

Here are some of the best fan reactions to Boswell’s immaculate Week 11 performance.

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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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