Tag: Nate Wiggins

NFL Week 16: Zach Orr is systematic, Ravens rank No. 3 in total sacks

Baltimore Ravens DC Zach Orr is catching stride at the right time of the season and his unit rank No. 3 in the NFL in total sacks.

Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr is beginning to catch stride at the right time of the season. Using a shell coverage to beguile defenses, the Ravens allow just 20.3 points over their last three games.

Orr’s defense also ranks third in the NFL in total sacks this season. The Ravens picked up three sacks in their victory over the New York Giants in Week 15. With seven quarterback hits and seven pass deflections, the Ravens’ defense held the Giants to a 16 percent conversion rate on 12 third-down conversion attempts.



Linebacker Malik Harrison led the flock with eight tackles and tallied in one of the team’s three sacks mentioned above. Moving forward, Orr needs his unit to remain disciplined versus the run as he slowly deploys combo coverage packages that may lead to turnovers down the stretch. 

With defensive back Nate Wiggins coming into his own, the Ravens may be able to play more man coverage and approach games with a pass rush that complements their high-scoring offense.

Orr’s ability to yield sacks and tackles for loss will be pivotal to the team’s success as the Ravens prepare for the postseason. As the successor to Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald, Orr has been nothing less than fantastic. 

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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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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Report: Ravens offered third-round pick for CB Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline

Ravens offered third-round pick for Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline

After a night in which the Baltimore Ravens allowed 428 passing yards and four touchdowns from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, with 264 yards and three touchdowns going to star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, it was reported that New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore was almost a member of the purple and black at the trade deadline just a few days prior.

According to NFL Insider Albert Breer, the Ravens offered the Saints a third-round pick for the four-time Pro Bowler but was ultimately outbid by the Washington Commanders.

Instead, Baltimore traded for Los Angeles Rams cornerback Tre’Davious White in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick and received a 2027 seventh-round pick back in the deal.

The Ravens’ pass defense has been the team’s biggest weakness through the first 10 weeks of the season, and that was never more evident than when they were against the Bengals on Thursday Night Football. Baltimore’s safety play has been a significant reason for the unit’s regression, but cornerback Brandon Stephens had a rough season after a breakout performance in 2023. Veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey is back to playing at a high level, forcing a game-changing fumble on running back Chase Brown to jumpstart a comeback victory over Cincinnati, and rookie first-rounder Nate Wiggins has been solid. The team could still use any form of help in the secondary.

Whether or not White will be able to make a difference for the Ravens’ secondary down the stretch remains to be seen. The former first-rounder has struggled this season, leading to several inactivations as a healthy scratch on gameday for the Rams. The former All-Pro cornerback suffered a torn ACL with the Buffalo Bills in 2021 and is coming off a torn Achilles that ended his 2023 season.

 

Ravens HC John Harbaugh evaluates 2024 rookie class halfway through NFL season

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh evaluated his rookie class halfway through the 2024 NFL season

The Baltimore Ravens were able to secure an extremely solid rookie class during the 2024 NFL draft. The team drafted for need while also taking the best available prospects on the board, and are already seeing early returns on their investments.

Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh was asked about the team’s first-year players at the halfway point of the 2024 season, and said that the class is growing. He made sure to shout out cornerback Nate Wiggins, offensive lineman Roger Rosengarten and others, discussing some of the other players who he’s seen good things out of as well.

“Yes. I would say [they’re] growing. Both [Nate Wiggins and Roger Rosengarten] are growing, other guys, too. Some guys have been hampered by some injuries or things like that; some guys are waiting for their chance. You have other guys like Sanoussi Kane doing it on special teams [and] Beau Brade – a Maryland player [that’s] stepping up that in the last few games on special teams [and is] playing really well. And those two players you mentioned – I think they’re all doing really well, and I think there’s a lot of room for growth, even this year during the season. You’re probably making a lot of progress from the beginning to the end if you’re playing your rookie year, and we expect those guys to keep doing that.”

With quarterback Lamar Jackson on a big contract, it’s more important than ever that the team hits on their draft picks so that they can have cost-controlled players that play at a high level. They’ve gotten that this season, and hopefully it can continue moving forward.

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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Ravens vs. Broncos: Top photos from Baltimore’s 41-10 win in Week 9

Top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 41-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 9 at M&T Bank Stadium

Denver entered the game 5-3 with the NFL’s third-ranked defense, but the Baltimore offense shredded them, as Vance Joseph’s defense surrendered 396 yards and five touchdowns on the afternoon.

The Ravens are 6-3 after a 41-10 win over the emerging Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium.

Here are the top photos from the win.

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Lamar Jackson finished with perfect passer rating as Ravens demolish Broncos 41-10

Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson finished with a perfect passer rating in Week 10 as the Ravens defeated the Broncos 41-10

The Ravens spent all week talking about removing the taste of an ugly loss to the Browns in Week 8. John Harbaugh’s team responded solidly, dominating the upstart Broncos 41-10 at M&T Bank Stadium.

Denver entered the game 5-3 with the NFL’s third-ranked defense, but the Baltimore offense shredded them, as Vance Joseph’s defense surrendered 396 yards and five touchdowns on the afternoon.

With talk about Josh Allen potentially winning MVP, Jackson completed 16 of 19 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, marking his fourth perfect passer rating.

Derrick Henry finished with 101 yards rushing and two touchdowns, moving past Barry Sanders for 10th on the all-time touchdowns list and going over 1,000 yards for the sixth time in his career.

Zay Flowers had another 100-yard game, finishing with 127 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

On defense, Zach Orr’s unit surrendered 319 yards, including 197 passing and, most importantly, just ten points.

Baltimore will now prepare for Cincinnati on a short week and Amazon’s Thursday Night Football.

Lamar Jackson injury updates: Latest news on Ravens QB

Here are the latest updates for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens ahead of Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos in Week 9

The Ravens released their initial injury report for Week 9, and quarterback Lamar Jackson was among five players who did not practice.

Jackson was listed as dealing with knee and back injuries.

Marlon Humphrey, Broderick Washington, and Nate Wiggins were limited participants.

In what can be described as great news, running back Keaton Mitchell logged his first full practice since returning off the PUP list.