Tag: Ravens

Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell on his first game back from injury: ‘It felt good’

Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell shared his thoughts on his first game back since his major injury

The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Cincinnati Bengals by the final score of 35-34 in Week 10, improving their record to 7-3. Baltimore had to come back on Cincinnati again after they had to do the same in their Week 5 victory over the Bengals but prevailed on a failed two-point conversion.

The Ravens got back one of their electric playmakers on offense in the contest with running back Keaton Mitchell, who suffered a brutal knee injury late in the 2023 season. While Mitchell didn’t play much or make much of an impact, but said that it felt good to get back on the field.

“It felt good. That was my first time putting on shoulder pads since December [of] last year, so it felt good. [It was] just like a warmup game. It felt good. I was blessed.”

Mitchell will be ramped up over the course of the rest of the year, and his speed and agility have a definite role. He will factor in with Derrick Henry and Justice Hill in Baltimore’s backfield rotation to form a three-headed monster as formidable as any in the league.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh calls Marlon Humphrey’s forced fumble vs. Bengals a ‘momentum changer’

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh called Marlon Humphrey’s forced fumble against the Cincinnati Bengals a ‘momentum changer’

The Baltimore Ravens were able to come back on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10 and pick up a key divisional win. They won by the final score of 35-34, escaping after a Cincinnati two-point conversion failed to take the lead late.

Baltimore looked like they were finished after going down 21-7 midway through the third quarter. The Bengals were driving and looking to put the game away, but Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey forced an extremely timely fumble, which head coach John Harbaugh called a “momentum changer”.

“It was definitely a momentum changer. We talk a lot about momentum. When you don’t have it, you have to find a way to get it, and when you get it, you have to try to find a way to build on it and extend it. That’s the real thing. Marlon [Humphrey]’s play there was big, but offensively, we just couldn’t get started. We had way too many first-play-of-the-drive problems. Whether we didn’t execute great, or whether we had pre-snap penalties that brought it back – those kinds of things were just not good, and we couldn’t get started. When you can’t get started, then it’s hard to get anything going, because you don’t have enough plays to do it.”

It’s unclear how the game would have turned out without Humphrey’s big play, but it represented a massive turning point in the contest. The offense found their spark after the play, and never looked back en route to picking up their seventh victory of the season.

Mark Schlereth switches up on Lamar Jackson after Ravens’ Week 10 win vs. Bengals

Schlereth switched up on Lamar Jackson after the Baltimore Ravens’ Week 10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals

The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Cincinnati Bengals on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 10. Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson put together an incredible second half comeback, helping his team improve to 7-3.

After the game, former NFL player Mark Schlereth spoke on Jackson and showered praise on him. It’s a far cry from his previous comments on the star a few months prior, saying he’s sick of hearing excuses for the two-time MVP.

Schlereth became the hottest topic in Baltimore with his comments on Jackson over the summer, and continued doubling down on them. However, maybe Jackson’s recent has changed his opinion.

John Harbaugh ‘proud’ of defense’s heart in Week 10 performance vs. Bengals

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he’s proud of the team’s defense for their performance vs. the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10

The Baltimore Ravens escaped the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 10, defeating them by the final score of 35-34. It was a much-needed win for Baltimore, especially considering they moved to 2-1 in the division with the victory.

Despite the win, Baltimore’s defense struggled mightily throughout the game, failing to stop Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and others. While acknowledging the unit’s struggles, head coach John Harbaugh also said he was proud of the heart his defense showed, especially in some critical moments.

“Yes, it means a lot. I really do, I’m proud of those guys for that, because it’s the kind of heart they have. They didn’t get down. They didn’t point the finger. Nobody pointed any fingers out there, but we have to get better. That’s just not the standard. I think I heard many guys say … That’s what the defensive guys were saying in the locker room, that that’s not the standard. We have to be much better. We have to take pressure off our offense, too. We’re required to do that on the defensive side, but for them to keep fighting the way they did and find a way to win the game, that’s really … At the end of the day, that really is the important thing. I’m really proud of those guys for that.”

The Ravens need to figure out their pass defense quickly to have a realistic shot at winning a Super Bowl this season. It has been far below the standards necessary to win, and they will need to figure out where the problems are coming from sooner rather than later.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh jokes about team’s defense after Week 10 win vs. Bengals

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh joked about the team’s defense after their Week 10 win against the Bengals

The Baltimore Ravens couldn’t stop much of anything in the passing game on Thursday Night in Week 10, letting Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase run wild on them. Baltimore was able to escape with a win, but have plenty of work to do moving forward.

After the contest, head coach John Harbaugh was asked about the team’s performance, and Chase in particular. Harbaugh joked that he couldn’t find Chase after the game, which he deemed appropriate since the team’s defense couldn’t find him on the field.

“Both. Both. I mean I do give [Ja’Marr Chase] credit. I do give him credit. He’s a great player. I was looking for him after the game and couldn’t find him. Maybe that was appropriate.” (laughter) “There you go. I couldn’t find him either, but we doubled him a bunch of times. Those plays we didn’t, we were in zone coverage there. He should have been covered. Those plays shouldn’t have happened. There’s no doubt about it. Those are not tough plays. Those are basic routes that should be covered in the coverages that we’re in, so that’s not the standard.”

Chase has given the Ravens fits for a long time, but this game felt different considering he was the only healthy viable Bengals pass catching weapon and Baltimore was boasting a complete secondary. There have been issues both with play-calling as well as execution on the back-end for the Ravens this season, things they will need to get ironed out in the future.

Former Ravens pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue claimed off waivers by AFC team

Former Ravens pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue was claimed off of waivers by an AFC team

The Baltimore Ravens have been looking for answers from their pass rush for over a month. After a solid start to the year, the unit has fallen off, thus resulting in increased poor play from the defense as a whole.

Baltimore tried to boost their pass rush by signing veteran Yannick Ngakoue but released him with hopes of signing him back to the practice squad. However, those hopes were dashed, as the New England Patriots claimed him off waivers instead.

The Ravens’ pass rush looked better on Thursday Night against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, they need to put together consistent performances week in and week out to improve their defense’s floor and ceiling.

Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey defends DC Zach Orr

Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey defended defensive coordinator Zach Orr

The Baltimore Ravens hired defensive coordinator Zach Orr following the team’s AFC Championship loss to the Kansas City Chiefs during last year’s postseason. Orr has had his set of ups and downs this season, as has his unit, which ranks in the bottom of the league in terms of pass defense.

When asked about Orr, Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey went to bat for his defensive coordinator. He said that he hates coaches get under scrutiny when it’s the players that are messing up, mentioning that it’s never a good thing and he “hates” how that goes.

“I don’t exactly know what’s going on besides what I get told. My only social media is Instagram Live after victories, so I haven’t seen a lot, but I do know or feel like there’s been some chatter. For me as a player, knowing what’s going on, I hate seeing coaches get under scrutiny when it’s the players’ fault. If I felt that there was, ‘This [isn’t] being coached this way right. This [isn’t] being this, [or] this isn’t being this,’ it’s a little different, but it really sucks when the product we’re putting out there isn’t what we’re being coached [and] isn’t what we’re practicing. That’s kind of what hurts me. Some of the plays I’ve given up, is that the coaches’ fault, or did we practice it this week, and then I got in the game, and I didn’t play it exactly how it was supposed to be, and it resulted in a big play. I hate how coaches get … I hate how that goes, but that is the NFL. The person over [seeing] it kind of gets whatever, but it is kind of what it is. I hate that just because when it’s your fault sometimes [on] why somebody is getting scrutinized. It’s never a good thing.”

Orr is still coming into his own as a play-caller after having no signal-calling experience prior to being promoted to defensive coordinator. There is still plenty of room for Orr to grow, and that’s what Baltimore will be banking on moving forward.

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.

Number for new Ravens CB Tre’Davious White revealed

The number for new Ravens CB Tre’Davious White was revealed

The Baltimore Ravens acquired cornerback Tre’Davious White from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a 7th-round pick swap prior to the 2024 trade deadline. He will come into Baltimore to provide cornerback depth and veteran leadership, something the unit could use more of moving forward.

It was revealed on the team’s website that White will be donning No. 25 for the team. The number was last worn by fellow cornerback Ka’dar Holman, and has previously been worn by other Ravens cornerbacks such as Tavon Young, Chris Carr and others.

https://x.com/nfl_jersey_num/status/1854328282834985196

https://x.com/koestreicher34/status/1854632398408843292

White is a low-risk, high reward player for Baltimore at this point in his career. While he is a multiple time Pro Bowler with many accolades to his name, injuries have taken a toll on his body, and he was a healthy scratch for Los Angeles over the last month after not performing well during the early parts of the 2024 season.

Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey discusses what Dean Pees brings to team

Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey discussed what coach Dean Pees brings to the team

The Baltimore Ravens have seen struggles with their defense over the course of the 2024 season. While the unit has been a top rushing defense, their passing defense ranks at or near the bottom in multiple different categories.

In response to the struggles, Baltimore brought in long-time veteran coach Dean Pees to help with his experience, particularly as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator during their Super Bowl season in 2012-2013. When Baltimore cornerback Marlon Humphrey was asked about Pees, he said that he brings an extra set of eyes and ears, also saying that it’s helped them out in multiple ways.

“[Dean Pees] has just brought an extra set of eyes, an extra set of ears. He’s pulled guys to the side. It’s a real, surreal moment for me. I remember when I was a rookie, Pees pulled me up to the office. He was like, ‘Look at everybody else on the defense and then look at you.’ It wasn’t too good, so it’s been a surreal moment for me, just [seeing] how far I’ve come [and] how I’ve kind of been doing this job for a long time, but I think Pees coming in has been a really good help for us. The knowledge he has there, and then being that Zach [Orr] was already communicating with him throughout the season, it’s been really good [to] just give it a fresh set of eyes on some of the things he’s said. He’s doing this for the love of the game. That’s what I really like, so I think it’s only helped us. I really felt like the past week or so, he’s really kind of started to help out a little bit more.”

While not everything has been solved in regards to the Ravens’ defensive unit, there was promise following their 10-point showing agains the Denver Broncos. Baltimore needs their defense to hit on all cylinders, and hopefully Pees can contribute to that.