Tag: Rashod Bateman

NFL stats leave no debate, Ravens WR Rashod Bateman can be great

Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman finished the 2024 NFL season ranked No.9 in the league in touchdown receptions.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman is somewhere living life right now, away from football. Nevertheless, we must praise him for his performance at wideout this past NFL season.

Bateman caught six touchdowns over the last six games (including playoffs) and finished the season with a 16.8 yards per catch average. He also ranked No. 9 in the NFL in touchdown receptions. Often overshadowed by the superstar prowess of teammate Zay Flowers, Bateman turned his seven post-season targets into six catches.

Flowers will return from injury next season, and both Ravens’ tight ends, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, will continue to be at the top of the league in their craft. Hopefully, Bateman will continue to improve winning on routes at the intermediate level to give quarterback Lamar Jackson a viable target.

The Ravens continue to fall short of championship glory, but faith tells us it’s only a matter of time. Bateman has definitely proven his weight in gold, though.

Derrick Henry had his way too, but meddling Ravens OC Todd Monken

Baltimore Ravens HB Derrick Henry had just 16 carries in the most important game of the year but meddling OC Todd Monken sees no problem.

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry had just manhandled the Pittsburgh Steelers with 26 carries for 186 rushing yards in the 28-14 Wild Card victory. So common sense would tell Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken to give Henry more than 16 carries in the AFC Divisional round versus the Buffalo Bills, right?

Tied 7-7 to begin the second quarter, the Ravens had gained chunks on four consecutive rushing plays for 46 yards on the Bills defense. That’s when, on 1st & 10 from the Bills’ 45-yard line, Monken decided to get cute and sequence in a few passing plays to try and cap the drive off in style. 


Jackson’s second-quarter fumble on 2nd & 10 from the Bills 28-yard line was the fourth consecutive pass play called by Monken on the drive. Perhaps center Tyler Linderbaum was preoccupied with having to pass block so many successive times and rushed the snap. Yet, it doesn’t end there.

Monken used the exact same recipe on the ensuing drive, a drive that stalled out with a field goal by kicker Justin Tucker. With the Ravens on the Bills 2-yard line, Monken called a reasonable run-play out of 21 personnel, and rightfully so. The Ravens successfully used the I-formation in the red zone all year but were stuffed for losing one on first down.

No big deal, Monken still had 2nd & Goal from the 3-yard line with 4:38 to go in the second quarter. Monken could’ve forced the unstoppable Henry or even sequenced in the QB inside zone play. Fans had seen the Ravens succeed with Jackson all season. Instead, Monken tried to use play-action with the same 21 personnel and tackle Ronnie Stanley, reporting as an eligible receiver! Take a look below, Jackson’s eligible targets on the play-action play that led to a five-yard loss (sack) were Stanley, fullback Patrick Ricard, tight-end Mark Andrews, Henry and wide receiver Tylan Wallace. 

While Ravens head coach John Harbaugh defends Monken, it’s obvious that Monken’s play calling always favors passing the ball over running it in the most important games. For perspective, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had three more passing attempts than Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the AFC Divisional Round.

Monken’s genius sometimes suggests that he tends to be overwise. Yet, his wisdom doesn’t seem to prompt him to do the most obvious thing: give Henry the ball. 

Ravens TE Mark Andrews has now learned why nice guys finish last

Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews will have to regroup after dropping a two point conversion in the Ravens loss to the Bills

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews ended the 2024 season as a community hero, but his epic two-point conversion pass drop in the 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional won’t soon be forgotten, especially by teammate quarterback Lamar Jackson, who will be mocked endlessly by the slanted aims of sports media professionals nationwide.



Andrews might have saved a woman’s life last year, but he surely didn’t save the Ravens’ season. To add insult to injury, Andrews tallied two drops and was bullied out of the ball by Bills defensive back Terrel Bernard on a forced fumble that swayed momentum in the Bills’ favor in the fourth quarter. 



Critics should be friendly and let Andrews live this pivotal moment down. Bills fans will boast and mock, but internally, they could feel their hearts drop into their stomachs when Jackson led the Ravens on that final touchdown drive.

Thanks to Andrews’ blooper on the game-tying play, Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich can posture as self-destruction wasn’t the primary reason the Bills escaped the Ravens.

Bills will want to limit Ravens TE Isaiah Likely, but that’s unlikely

Baltimore Ravens TE Isaiah Likely creates a very apparent mismatch for the Buffalo Bills defense in the AFC Divisional Round.

Baltimore Ravens tight-end Isaiah Likely isn’t easy to defend or block. Mainly when his close companion, tight-end Mark Andrews, operates right near him in the team offense. Likely pummeled Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Cameron Sutton last weekend, and he’ll be looking for more physicality versus the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round.

The Bills ranked No. 20 in pass yards allowed per game on defense this season, so it’s unclear why many believe the Ravens offense isn’t prepared to flock fiercely over them this weekend. Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich had better have a game plan that includes double coverage on Likely because neither safety Taylor Rapp nor Damar Hamlin is tough enough to limit Likely in man coverage.

It’s so easy to dream big, but the reality is that Likely is big. Standing 6-foot-4, 247 pounds, and running a 40-yard dash time of around 4.7 seconds, Likely is pretty much a monster in the open field. Marry Likely’s physicality as a receiver, in tandem with his ability to be a run-blocker for running back Derrick Henry, and it’s safe to say that the Bills may be in for a very long night in the AFC Divisional Round. 

Ravens WR Zay Flowers ‘has a chance’ to play against Bills in Divisional Round

Ravens WR Zay Flowers ‘has a chance’ to play against Bills in Divisional Round

The Baltimore Ravens toppled the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs without one of their top players on the field. Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers’ absence was not felt against the Steelers, as the Ravens ran the ball at will, racking up 299 yards on the ground.

However, Baltimore will likely need to rely more on the passing game this week in a potential shootout with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. Flowers returning to action this week would make the Ravens’ offense harder to defend while giving quarterback Lamar Jackson his leading target back in the passing attack.

While appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicated that Flowers has a chance to return for the Divisional Round showdown with the Bills.

Flowers led Baltimore in receiving yards with 1,059, becoming the first wide receiver to cross the 1,000-yard mark for the Ravens since Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in 2021.

Flowers offers the most after-the-catches in an offense filled with dangerous playmakers due to his speed and shiftiness. Rashod Bateman has also come on as a reliable playmaker this season, scoring a touchdown against Pittsburgh.

Still, Flowers adds an extra element to the passing attack that is not easily replicated. Adding Flowers to the lineup would be a massive boon for a seemingly unstoppable offense.

 

In absence of Zay Flowers, Isaiah Likely and Rashod Bateman step up

When your top receiver (Zay Flowers) is sidelined, you need role players (like Isaiah Likely, Rashod Bateman etc.) to step up

Once in a while, a new popular expression seems to come out of nowhere, and then, almost overnight, it’s excessively overused. Right now, we’re in that stage with “deserves his flowers” or “should get his flowers.”

And given how well the Baltimore Ravens offense performed tonight in a dominant Wild Card round victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, they deserve their flowers without their top wide receiver (you know his name).

They may get WR1 Zay Flowers back from injury next week in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs. We’ll have to wait and see what develops regarding his knee sprain recovery during the week.

However, the Ravens offense performed just fine without Flowers on Saturday, racking up over 300 yards of total offense and a 21-0 lead by halftime.

They ended up winning 28-14, although the final score does not tell the game’s true story as much as the 464-280 yardage disparity did.

With Flowers out, seven players caught a pass, with quarterback Lamar Jackson spreading the love around.

At least for the night, Rashod Bateman was the new WR1, and he opened the game’s scoring with a 19-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Counting this game, the Ravens are now 9-0 this season in games where Bateman scores.

Isaiah Likely, who started his season on the right foot with a big game in the season opener at Kansas City, also positively began the postseason.

Tonight, he led the Ravens in receiving yards with 53.

Justice Hill, who had been regarded by some as an injury doubt for this game, caught Jackson’s other touchdown pass. With six carries and four receptions, he had 10 total touches.

And the seldomly used Nelson Agholor and Tylan Wallace each played 20+ yards tonight.

Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry get the headlines, and very much deservedly so, but it takes a whole team to win decisively like this. And when your top receiver is sidelined, you need role players to fill the void.

 

Top photos from Ravens 28-14 win over the Steelers in AFC Wild Card game

Top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in AFC Wild Card game

The Ravens are peaking at the right time and look like the most complete team in the AFC after a 28-14 win over the rival Steelers on Saturday night at M&T Bank Stadium.

Baltimore will now wait for Sunday afternoon’s conclusion of the Buffalo Bills’ matchup against the Denver Broncos. If the Bills win, the Ravens will travel to Buffalo, while a Broncos win will see John Harbaugh’s team host the Houston Texans next week.

Here are the top photos from the win.

***

Ravens advance to AFC Divisional Round with 28-14 win over Steelers

Baltimore Ravens advance to AFC Divisional Round with 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Wild Card game

The journey isn’t complete, but the Ravens avoided embarrassment and moved onto the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs with a convincing 28-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday night.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson was 16-21 passing for 175 yards, two touchdowns, and a 132.0 rating. Jackson rushed 15 times for 81 yards, while Derrick Henry carried the night, logging 186 yards on 26 rushing attempts and two touchdowns.

Baltimore’s defense held Pittsburgh to 280 yards of offense, with just 29 yards rushing on the ground. Najee Harris finished with six carries for 17 yards, and Jaylen Warren had two for six yards on the night. The Steelers had the football for just 20:27.

Baltimore will now wait for the conclusion of the Buffalo Bills matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon.

If the Bills win on Sunday, the Ravens will travel to Buffalo, while a Broncos win will see John Harbaugh’s team host the Houston Texans next week.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Sights and sounds from first half as Ravens hold a 21-0 lead over Steelers in AFC Wild Card game

Sights and sounds from first half as Ravens hold a 21-0 lead over Steelers in AFC Wild Card game

Like a Samantha Pollino Broadway Performance, the Ravens were flawless in the first half and looked like a Super Bowl favorite, jumping out to an early 14-0 lead.

After holding Pittsburgh to a three and out, Baltimore navigated a 13-play, 95-yard drive that ate almost 8 minutes of clock to put the Ravens on the board, 7-0. The Ravens dominated offensively and ended the first half with a 21-0 lead.

Here are sights and sounds from the first half.

***

Ravens Pro Bowl WR unlikely to play vs Steelers in Wild-Card matchup

Ravens’ Zay Flowers may miss the Wild-Card game against the Steelers, potentially shifting the matchup in Pittsburgh’s favor.

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have finally caught a break in what was shaping up to be a complete mismatch against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 Wild-Card round of playoffs.

Ravens star WR Zay Flowers—who was just recently named to his first Pro Bowl on 2024—is being considered a “long shot” to play against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday’s Wild-Card matchup, as reported by insider Ian Rapoport on Good Morning Football.  He recently suffered a knee injury in his team’s victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 18, and it is unlikely he will able to recover in time for the Wild-Card matchup.

Losing Flowers is a massive blow to the Baltimore Ravens offense, as he was in the midst of a breakout year: producing 1,059 yards and four TDs on 74 receptions.

In Flowers’ potential absence, stopping the Ravens’ offense will still be no easy feat. The Steelers must still contend with TE Mark Andrews, RB Derrick Henry, WR Rashod Bateman, and the ever-dynamic QB Lamar Jackson.

Fans can catch the AFC North showdown between the Steelers and Ravens on Wild-Card Saturday, January 11, at 8:00 PM EST.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]