Tag: Rashod Bateman

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 WR Rashod Bateman on Diontae Johnson settling in: ‘It’s been amazing’

Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman talked about wide receiver Diontae Johnson settling in with the team

The Baltimore Ravens’ wide receiver corps has stepped up to the plate in a big way during the 2024 season. Players such as Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman have performed well, while others have also had their moments.

Bateman was asked about the acquisition of a new wide receiver, Diontae Johnson, who hasn’t had much of an impact since coming over from the Carolina Panthers. However, Bateman sang Johnson’s praises, saying it’s been “amazing” having the veteran settle in and calling him a phenomenal football player.

“It’s been amazing. Diontae [Johnson] is a phenomenal football player; we’re glad to have him. He definitely gives us more weapons, [and we can] be more creative with our offense. [I’m] definitely excited to see what we do with him and do with this offense.”

Johnson will suit up for his third game in purple and black on Sunday against his other former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. A revenge game could be incoming, as he certainly has all the tools to put his talents on full display in Baltimore if given the opportunity.

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.

Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman expected to remain the top two wide receivers for the Ravens after trade for Diontae Johnson

Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman expected to remain the top two wide receivers for the Ravens after trade for Diontae Johnson

With the recent trade for Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson, speculation has arisen regarding potential changes to the usage of the Baltimore Ravens’ current top two wide receivers, Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.

According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, the pair of homegrown first-rounders are expected to remain as the team’s top two options at the wide receiver position with the arrival of Johnson.

“I’m told Diontae Johnson’s trade acquisition does not reflect a change in view of Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman as the team’s current WR1 and WR2, per source,” Anderson wrote. “While, I’m told Johnson was brought to Baltimore for his speed, separation and punt returning abilities—especially with Deonte Harty’s (knee) listing on IR, it’s been reinforced to Flowers and Bateman, even going back to last year when the team added additional weapons at wideout, that the organization not only believes in the aforementioned duo but also has very high confidence in them.”

Flowers has taken another step in his second season, becoming quarterback Lamar Jackson’s favorite target in the passing game with 17 more catches than the next player. Flowers’ 527 receiving yards also lead the team and is currently the 12th most in the NFL.

While Bateman is coming off a game he would rather forget against the Cleveland Browns, in which he dropped two crucial passes, his play has been a marked improvement this season. Bateman’s 422 receiving yards are second on the team and 20th in the NFL.

As Anderson later points out, Johnson will most likely eat into veteran wide receiver Nelson Agholor’s playing time.

 

Todd Monken has Ravens’ fans mad on Monday: Browns win 29-24

Baltimore Ravens OC Todd Monken scorched the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 7 but his gameplan got snuffed by the Cleveland Browns in week 8.

Just when the Baltimore Ravens seemed to have established a balanced offensive attack, offensive coordinator Todd Monken descended back into a pass-heavy strategy in Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns.



Quarterback Lamar Jackson converted just 23 of his 38 pass attempts, and higher pass volumes have proven to be a proven recipe for offensive disharmony. Consider that Jackson’s pass attempts were hovering around 25 per game in the last two previous games.

Monken has been here before, and it’s inexcusable. With running back Derrick Henry averaging 6.6 yards per carry, there’s no reason Henry was limited to just 11 carries.

After the offensive performance the Ravens displayed versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, perhaps Monken assumed he could enter Cleveland with reckless abandon. Well, thanks to Monken’s pass-heavy monkey business, the Ravens have potentially given the keys to the AFC North to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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.

Ravens take a step back in shocking 29-24 loss to the Browns in Week 8

Ravens take a step back in shocking 29-24 loss to the Browns in Week 8

Baltimore has a penchant for blowing late fourth-quarter leads, but on Sunday, the Ravens took a step back toward the inconsistent unit that lost two straight to start the season.

In what can only be described as a shocking loss, the Cleveland Browns had their most impactful performance without Deshaun Watson in a 29-24 victory over first-place Baltimore in Week 8.

Lamar Jackson started the game 6-6 passing but finished 23-38 passing, for 289 yards (7.6 avg), two touchdowns, and zero interceptions with a 101.8 rating. Just like Baltimore had their five-game winning streak snapped, star running back Derrick Henry came back to earth, rushing for only 73 yards (6.6 avg) and one touchdown on 11 carries.

After missing two practices during the week with an ankle injury, second-year wideout Zay Flowers posted another 100-yard game, logging seven catches for 115 yards on the afternoon.

Zach Orr’s defense played without two starters at cornerback, and Jameis Winston carved up the Ravens. The former Heisman Trophy winner went 23-38 passing for 334 yards and three touchdowns.

The Browns took the lead when Winston threw a 38-yard touchdown pass — his third of the game — to Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds left as Cleveland erased weeks of frustration.

Baltimore will now look to regroup with Bo Nix and the upstart Broncos heading to M&T Bank Stadium in Week 9.

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Ravens’ Rashod Bateman tragically dropped a perfect Lamar Jackson pass after losing it in the sun

The Ravens will never let Rashod Bateman live this brutal drop down.

In many respects, the Baltimore Ravens’ receivers have actually been exemplary this year for reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. But in one particularly important moment against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Rashod Bateman let Jackson down in a sequence he’ll want to forget with haste.

As the Ravens tried to mount a late comeback on a third-and-14 play in the fourth quarter, Jackson scrambled right to uncork an absolute deep laser toward an open Bateman downfield. In most cases, this should’ve been a sure completion.

There was just one problem: Bateman seemingly lost the pass in the sun as the ball bounced off his facemask for a brutal drop in a big spot:

Oh … my goodness. That’s one of those drops that goes straight to old-school football follies. Bateman should be happy he’s having a great year for the Ravens otherwise because he’s not going to live down this drop any time soon.