It’s funny seeing how many football pundits were quick to praise Lamar Jackson and the Ravens for their dominant performance vs. the Lions without saying how wrong they were about them.
I’ll admit it. I didn’t give the Ravens’ new-look offense enough time to put it together and was critical of Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Monken, especially after the offensive dud in the 17–10 loss to the Steelers in Week 5.
They had been inconsistent the first six weeks of the season, but it finally came together in Week 7 against Detroit. Jackson and Monken deserve plenty of credit for the impressive performance, but so does coach John Harbaugh for hiring Monken and admitting that it was time for changes offensively.
The Ravens have had plenty of success since drafting Jackson in the first round of the 2018 draft, including producing one of the most prolific rushing attacks in NFL history, and an MVP season for Jackson in ’19. But that wasn’t leading to postseason wins. Baltimore needed to lean more on Jackson’s arm, especially to keep him healthy for the entire season.
AP Photo/Nick Wass
Jackson’s patience with the new scheme was probably tested early in the season, but Jackson didn’t run from it—no pun intended. There were also signs of the new offense working because Jackson was completing passes at a high rate (71% for the season). That patience paid off in a big way for Jackson, as he torched the Lions’ secondary for 357 passing yards (13.2 yards per attempt) and three touchdowns.
With Jackson playing like an MVP candidate again, the Ravens have now entered the conversation for being a legit Super Bowl contender, something I and many others didn’t see coming a few weeks ago.
We also can’t forget the sensational job Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has done this season. After shutting down the Lions’ offense, the Ravens are now allowing a league-best 13.9 points per game, and are ranked second in total yards allowed (271.7), trailing only the Browns.
Calls we liked
Vikings regain momentum before halftime vs. 49ers
Most teams would have been content taking a three-point halftime lead against the 49ers, but upsets don’t occur in the NFL without bold decisions.
After the 49ers trimmed the deficit to 10–7, the Vikings used the final minute of the first half to regain the momentum. Kirk Cousins aggressively threw a deep pass to the right side of the field on an all-out blitz play from San Francisco’s ferocious defense. Cousins admitted after the game that he thought his pass would get intercepted, but rookie Jordan Addison snatched the ball from Charvarius Ward’s hands and took off for a 60-yard touchdown.
The bold move paid off because the Vikings defeated the 49ers, 22–17, and never allowed them to gain momentum for long stretches. Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell made a few questionable decisions late in the game, but his decision to not sit on the ball before halftime made a difference.
Eagles don’t apologize for unstoppable Brotherly Shove
I know the Eagles’ controversial Brotherly Shove has gotten plenty of attention, but they used the unstoppable play multiple times to defeat the Dolphins and keep Miami’s speedy playmakers on the sideline.
The Eagles know how to execute the QB sneak to perfection, while the rest of the league continues to struggle using it. That alone should tell you that the league shouldn’t ban this play. Don’t penalize the Eagles for doing something right and within the rules.
But I would have put Eagles coach Nick Sirianni on the “Calls we question” this week had he decided to punt on fourth-and-1 from their own 26-yard line in the fourth quarter with a seven-point lead against the Dolphins. Sirianni changed his mind after a timeout and went to the Brotherly Shove to continue the drive before they capped it with a touchdown from Kenneth Gainwell to put the game away.
Calls we questioned
Chargers’ strange coverage choice vs. Mahomes
It’s been a rough third season for Brandon Staley as the Chargers’ coach.
Staley made the questionable decision to play heavy-zone coverage against Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the first half, according to what his players told reporters after the loss. Staley, however, said they played plenty of man coverage in the first half.
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
Based on how easily Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce, the Chargers appear to have played a lot more zone than man against the best quarterback in the NFL. Mahomes had 321 passing yards in the first half, with Kelce contributing nine catches for 143 yards.
The Chargers’ defense made adjustments in the second half, but it didn’t help them much, as they fell to 2–4 on the season.
Commanders, Falcons might need QB changes
Commanders coach Ron Rivera and Falcons coach Arthur Smith made the questionable decisions to make Sam Howell and Desmond Ridder the starting quarterbacks for their respective teams.
It might be time for Rivera and Smith to accept they made mistakes with the most critical position on the roster.
I understand the Falcons sit atop the NFC South standings with a 4–3 record, but Ridder again had issues protecting the ball, losing three fumbles in the 16–13 win against the Buccaneers. It was the fourth time this season the Falcons were held to 16 points or fewer.
As for the Commanders, they have lost four of their past five games, including a 14–7 loss to the Giants in Week 7. Howell struggled again last week, and missed a throw to Jahan Dotson on fourth-and-5 from the Giants’ 7-yard line to end their comeback attempt.
Rams run out of timeouts, but offense the real issue
Sean McVay could have easily criticized the officials for the many questionable calls made in the Rams’ 24–17 loss to the Steelers. The officials were generous in giving the Steelers a first down after Kenny Pickett’s QB sneak on fourth-and-1 late in the game.
The Rams couldn’t challenge the spot of the ball because they didn’t have a timeout, and the play occurred at the 2:24 mark. The play would have been automatically reviewed with under two minutes left in regulation.
But McVay was more upset about another poor effort from his offense. Matthew Stafford & Co. had many stalled drives in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter. The Rams need to figure out why they’re having long scoring droughts during games.
“It doesn’t matter what I think,” McVay said after the game. “That was the spot they made. I’m not going to sit here and make any excuses about stuff that didn’t go down. Those plays shouldn’t have come down to that if we executed like we were capable of.”
