Tag: Marcus Williams

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.

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Kyle Hamilton injury update: Latest news on Ravens All-Pro safety

Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton is questionable to return against the Philadelphia Eagles with a concussion

The Baltimore Ravens were already thin at the safety position and could be forced to play without All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton who was forced to exit with a head injury.

Hamilton got tangled up with Grant Calcaterra on a play and initially reached for his shoulder. After entering the blue medical tent, Hamilton was listed as questionable to return with a concussion.

Baltimore was already without Arthur Maulet on defense, and safety Marcus Williams was a healthy scratch on the afternoon. With Hamilton out, the Ravens will depend on

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.

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Ravens safety doesn’t travel with team, ruled out for game vs. Steelers in Week 11

Baltimore Ravens safety Eddie Jackson to miss game vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11 for personal reasons

The Ravens will face the Steelers in Week 11, and backup safety Eddie Jackson (non-injury-related) will not travel to Pittsburgh with the team and has been ruled out for tomorrow’s game.

The Ravens’ 32nd-ranked secondary will have Kyle Hamilton in the lineup but no Arthur Maulet against a Pittsburgh offense that has averaged more than 30 points per game over the past three weeks since Russell Wilson took over as the starter.

After starting in Cleveland in Week 8, Jackson was a healthy scratch in Week 9 and played a season-low 16 snaps in Week 10.

Beau Brade could replace him in the lineup. Marcus Williams, Hamilton, and Ar’Darius Washington will be the three starting safeties.

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John Harbaugh says ‘everything is on the table’ when asked about changes in secondary

Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh says he’s contemplating making changes to the Ravens secondary ahead of game vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Ravens are 7-3 on the season and Super Bowl hopefuls, but they have one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses. They are coming off a game in which Ja’Marr Chase logged 11 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns.

Head coach John Harbaugh met with the media on Monday and clarified that personnel changes could be considered.

“Everything is on the table always. It’s not headline worthy. That’s what you do. We’ll look at every aspect of it.”

When asked specifically what he wants improved, Harbaugh was clear that Baltimore can’t continue getting gashed in the middle of the field by big plays.

Marcus Williams and Brandon Stephens are two of the biggest names under the most pressure. The safety has allowed a 158.3 passer rating in coverage. Stephens is a natural safety who has converted to cornerback, and according to PFF, he’s allowed the third most yards in coverage in the NFL.

Veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White could be added to the rotation, adding more depth and experience.

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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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Twitter reacts to Broncos QB Bo Nix ‘Mossing’ Ravens DB Marcus Williams

Broncos QB Bo Nix went up to make an impressive touchdown catch against the Ravens on Sunday afternoon. Here’s how Twitter/X reacted.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix made a huge play in the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, catching a two-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

Yes, you read that right: Sutton threw the pass to Nix.

Facing a fourth-and-goal from Baltimore’s two-yard line, Nix handed the ball to running back Javonte Williams behind the line of scrimmage. Williams then gave a reverse to Sutton, who then threw to Nix in the end zone.

Nix jumped up and beat Ravens safety Marcus Williams to the ball and came down with the catch in the end zone for a touchdown. Here’s a sampling of how fans and pundits reacted to the impressive play on Twitter/X.

Nix is the only player in the NFL with a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown this season. He also currently leads all rookies this season with 13 scores. At the time of publication, Denver trails in Baltimore 17-10.

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Is Marcus Williams set to return to Ravens lineup for game vs. Broncos in Week 9?

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh says Marcus Williams will play vs. the Denver Broncos in Week 9

Whether it be a difference of opinion on a change in personnel, Marcus Williams was benched and a healthy scratch in Baltimore’s loss to the Browns in Week 8.

Williams played no snaps and, afterward, said all the right things about being ready when his number gets called again.

After the week’s final practice on Friday, head coach John Harbaugh confirmed that Williams would play on Sunday.

Williams’s struggles played a massive part in Baltimore, which had the worst pass defenses in the league, and Zach Orr made a change with the team in Cleveland facing the struggling Browns.

Entering Week 8, he was among the lowest-graded safeties in the NFL, allowing 16.3 yards per catch and a 143.9 passer rating allowed in coverage.

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Injuries to key DBs highlight Ravens’ struggles with pass defense in loss to Browns

The Ravens entered this game dead last in the league in pass defense, so the Browns were well aware they could exploit the secondary.

Those who call the NFL a league of parity (not “parody,” OMG! That common malapropism drives me insane) could certainly point to today’s 29-24 win by the Cleveland Browns over the Baltimore Ravens.

Worst beat first in the AFC North division as Baltimore’s five-game win streak ended, as did Cleveland’s five-game losing skid.

Jameis Winston, who many football pundits have declared “washed” for some time, finished 27 of 41 passing for 334 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions while leading the Browns’ offense to heights that had not been seen under their franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson this season.

The Ravens entered this game dead last in the league in pass defense, so the Browns were well aware the secondary was a position group that could potentially be exploited.

And things worsened for Baltimore even before a single pass was thrown, as Nate Wiggins (illness), Marlon Humphrey (ankle), and T.J. Tampa (IR) were all ruled out.

More change was still to come in the defensive backs position group, as Marcus Williams was benched for being largely ineffective this season. The Ravens’ pass defense has been a persistent problem this year, but it’s not as bad as it may seem.

Baltimore is so stout against the run that opponents consistently find themselves having to rely on their passing attacks heavily. Also, the Ravens entered the day in first place, with a 5-2 record, and teams with winning records tend to find themselves ahead, and even well ahead, most of the time.

And what do you do when you’re behind, often well behind?  You pretty much have to pass.

So, while today was undoubtedly a shocking surprise defeat, all is not lost.