Tag: Baltimore Ravens

Oct 21, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (14) is carted off the field against the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Report: NFL rescinds fine of Ravens’ Roquan Smith for hip-drop tackle

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NFL rescinded the fine imposed on Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith for the hit he delivered that left Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin with an apparent season-ending ankle injury, ESPN reported Tuesday.

Godwin suffered a dislocated left ankle in the Ravens’ 41-31 victory over the Bucs on Oct. 21. Per reports, the NFL ruled Smith brought down the receiver with an illegal hip-drop tackle.

Smith, 27, was not penalized for the hit during the game but was later fined $16,833 for unnecessary roughness, which the two-time All-Pro appealed.

Godwin, who is set to become a free agent in 2025, had seven receptions for 65 yards in the Week 7 game prior to the injury that occurred with less than a minute to play.

At the time, Godwin had an NFL-leading 50 catches for 576 yards — third most in the league at the time — and five touchdowns in seven games.

The Bucs placed Godwin on injured reserve on Oct. 23, and he underwent surgery on the dislocated ankle the next day. Recovery is expected to take 10-12 weeks, meaning he will miss the entire regular season, though it is possible he could return for the playoffs.

–Field Level Media

Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs during the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Ravens, Cowboys chase critical bounce-back win

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Deflated by Week 2 losses, the Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens meet Sunday at Dallas where only one can come away with a bounce-back victory.

Baltimore fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2015 with a 26-23 setback to the visiting Las Vegas Raiders and nears desperate times as fall arrives. Even with a win in Dallas, the Ravens are on a tightrope. They have a primetime visit to Buffalo (2-0) on deck next Sunday followed by a grudge match with AFC North rival Cincinnati (0-2).

Dallas was blown out 44-19 by the New Orleans Saints, snapping a 16-game home winning streak in the regular season. The Cowboys allowed 190 yards rushing and a bigger challenge arrives in the Ravens, who are seventh in the NFL with 168 yards rushing per game with dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson and four-time Pro-Bowl rusher Derrick Henry teaming as a formidable 1-2 punch.

“We made some technique adjustments that we need to be better at,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said about the run defense this week. “We can’t get gapped, and we were gapped time and time again. That puts more pressure on your second-level defenders, obviously your linebackers and our primary support element. But yeah, we have to. It’s that first step, the discipline, playing the technique, and making sure the fit behind them is in order. We definitely were not clean and we weren’t consistent.”

There are sharks in the water ahead on Dallas’ schedule, too, with the Steelers (2-0), 49ers (1-1) and Lions (1-1) comprising the Cowboys’ slate in October.

The Ravens have three new starters on the offensive line and left tackle Ronnie Stanley isn’t at full strength. He was on the injury report Wednesday with an ankle injury.

Pass and run blocking were both a struggle over the past two games. The mobile Jackson has been sacked three times. Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons was held without a sack against the Saints, but he should create matchup problems against the Ravens.

Baltimore, which leads the regular-season series 5-1 against the Cowboys, needs to get the running game revved up to set up the pass. After a slow start, Henry finished with 84 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown.

Jackson has thrown for 520 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in two games. He will likely test the Dallas pass defense, which is ranked 16th in the NFL allowing 189.5 yards passing per game.

Jackson is agitated by his team’s early struggles and is determined to get the season on track.

“(We’ve) just got to find a way to win,” Jackson said. “I’m not used to being 0-2. (We’ve) just got to catch our momentum and get it started right away.”

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott agreed to a four-year, $240 million contract with a record $231 million guaranteed earlier this month. Prescott had an uneven performance over the past two games, throwing for 472 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. As a veteran, Prescott understands the pressure to win as the Cowboys quarterback.

“That’s one thing that I’ve grown to realize, especially in this organization when you’re playing on national TV every week. You are the Cowboys and the attention that we get is, if you lose, you’re down here,” Prescott said. “If we win, you’re way up there. None of that really matters. It’s about for us to trust the process, trusting one another, responding each and every day to get better. I know that we have the guys in there that can do that.”

The Ravens’ pass rush has seven sacks in two games. However, the secondary appears vulnerable to big plays. Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb could be poised to have a huge game. In the season opener, Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice caught seven passes for 103 yards and often ran free in front of and behind Baltimore’s defense.

And Davante Adams finished with 110 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions last week.

Prescott likely will target Lamb and Jalen Tolbert early and often. However, Lamb landed on the injury report this week with an ankle issue and tight end Jake Ferguson (knee) didn’t play in Week 2. He was limited in Wednesday’s practice.

Ravens rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins missed the previous game and practice this week after he was involved in a car accident resulting in a concussion and neck injury.

One of the biggest challenges facing the Ravens is closing out games. Over the past five seasons, the Ravens have had 10 losses when leading by seven or more points in the fourth quarter — the most by any team.

Conversely, Prescott has led the Cowboys to 22 wins when they are tied or trailing in the fourth quarter or overtime since 2016 — second most in franchise history behind Tony Romo (24).

“Giving up a fourth-quarter lead is never OK — it’s not acceptable; it should never happen,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “You do it because you don’t play consistent football to get the stops that you need to get, and our guys know that — they’ll take accountability for it. Coaches will take accountability for it.

“When I say, ‘Us,’ I mean all of us — players and coaches together.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) runs the ball against Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill (23) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Ravens hope Derrick Henry rebounds vs. Raiders

Posted on | by Field Level Media

BALTIMORE — Derrick Henry won’t be a player who gets the ball 30 times per game, according to Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, but the veteran back should get plenty of opportunities to run against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders in their Week 2 matchup on Sunday.

Henry had an underwhelming performance in a 27-20 loss to the host Kansas City Chiefs in the opener, carrying the ball 13 times for 46 yards with a 5-yard touchdown. The Raiders allowed 176 yards rushing in their 22-10 loss to the host Los Angeles Chargers in their Week 1 matchup, so the Ravens will be tempted to test Las Vegas’ front seven.

However, the key for the Raiders and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will be shutting down Lamar Jackson, the NFL’s top dual-threat quarterback who accounted for 395 (122 rushing, 273 passing) of the Ravens’ 452 total yards against Kansas City.

Jackson missed practice on Monday but was back on Wednesday as the Ravens continued preparations for Las Vegas. Jackson did not appear on the injury report.

“He’s definitely as good as it gets, as dynamic as it gets,” Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins said about Jackson. “The definition of a dual threat. He presents a great challenge to any defense in this league. Pat will work hard to get a good game plan together, so that way we can try and limit some of those things that he does. But even then, it’s different when you still got to go against him. But I believe in our guys, and I believe in our coaches and our scheme.”

The Ravens are trying to build an offense that can attack teams multiple ways and doesn’t rely too heavily on the running game, which ranked No. 1 in rushing yards in the NFL last season. The duo of Jackson and Henry should create some formidable matchups against the Raiders.

However, Harbaugh wants to beat teams downfield with a dynamic passing game that revolves around wide receivers Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor. Baltimore also has two of the best tight ends in the NFL with three-time Pro Bowl selection Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.

As a result, Harbaugh plans to have a different type of offense week-to-week, which could cause wrinkles in the Raiders’ defensive game plan if the Ravens can effectively execute their plays.

The bottom line is the Ravens don’t want to rely too heavily on Henry to carry the offense.

“We didn’t bring Derrick in here to be the guy that gets the ball 30 times a game,” Harbaugh said this week. “He’s done that before. That’s really not the plan. The plan is Derrick, Lamar, Mark, Isaiah, Zay, ‘Bate,’ and ‘Nelly.’ That’s kind of the plan in this offense going forward, so I think that evaluation will be best made throughout the season.”

The key for the Ravens is to contain the Raiders’ three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby. In the teams’ last meeting in 2021, Crosby had two sacks, six tackles, five quarterback hits and two tackles for a loss in Las Vegas’ 33-27 overtime win.

“That guy, he’s a great edge rusher, man,” Jackson said. “My hat’s off to him. He was high motor. He was just going at it all game. I was like, ‘This man here …’ I was laughing with Maxx. He was trying to get after me, and I was talking trash back. He was like, ‘But I love your game, Lamar,’ and stuff like that. But he’s a great edge rusher. He’s definitely a great edge rusher.”

Las Vegas cornerback Decamerion Richardson (hamstring) and defensive end Tyree Wilson (knee) did not practice Wednesday.

The Raiders struggled to score against the Chargers and they might have even more trouble against the Ravens, who blitz the quarterback from multiple positions.

Las Vegas quarterback Gardner Minshew was 25 of 33 for 257 yards with a touchdown and interception (95.1 rating) against the Chargers. The Ravens sacked the mobile Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes twice and had seven quarterback hits so Minshew likely will be under pressure for much of the game.

“I thought the pass rush was good,” Harbaugh said. “You’re rushing Patrick Mahomes. “I’m a little disappointed (with) the couple of times he got out, but I really haven’t seen a game where he hasn’t gotten out, to some degree, to extend plays. I felt we pressured him a number of times.”

The Raiders could not get much going on the ground in Week 1 with Zamir White running for 44 yards on 13 carries. Baltimore held the Chiefs to just 72 yards on 20 carries.

–Todd Karpovich, Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy (50) warms up before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Report: Ravens LB Kyle Van Noy breaks orbital bone

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy sustained a fractured orbital bone in Thursday’s season-opening loss at Kansas City, NFL Network reported Friday.

Citing a source with direct knowledge of the injury, the report said the 11-year veteran will undergo more testing to determine how much time he will miss.

Van Noy, 33, also was checked for a concussion during the 27-20 loss to the Chiefs and was cleared, but he did not return to the game.

The injury occurred shortly after halftime when Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes appeared to land on Van Noy’s head after avoiding a sack. Van Noy was able to walk off the field and finished the game with one tackle and one quarterback hit.

Van Noy re-signed with the Ravens on a two-year deal in April after registering a career-high nine sacks in 14 games (three starts) with Baltimore in 2023.

A two-time Super Bowl champion with New England, Van Noy has tallied 42.5 sacks, 501 tackles, 12 forced fumbles and three interceptions in 143 games (90 starts) with the Detroit Lions (2014-16), Patriots (2016-19, 2021), Miami Dolphins (2020), Los Angeles Chargers (2022) and Ravens.

Outside linebackers David Ojabo and Tavius Robinson could be in line for more playing time in Van Noy’s absence. The Ravens host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2.

–Field Level Media