The Ravens afforded Jackson Ample Time and Space (ATS) on 14 of 28 drop backs (50%, up from 15% in week 1). Jackson did much
less to exploit these extended pockets than he might have and finished with a passer rating of 113.9.
It was easy to develop a negative view of the OL play watching the 4 sacks in real time. Of those, I charged all but 1/3 to the OL. On
the flip side:
- The offensive line was not penalized (they have yet to be flagged in 2020)
- The only QH came on an overload and was not charged to the OL
- The OL surrendered just 3.5 pressures (after 10.5 in week 1)
- The Ravens did not have a run for a loss
I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop as we scored the game, but it never did.
The Ravens ran 62 scored snaps (excludes accepted penalties which result in no play, kneels, spikes, and special teams plays that
result in a run or pass).
Stanley: Ronnie posted a fine game, marred only by a share of a sack late in the first half. He was bulled to the feet of Jackson by
Mercilus (Q2, 2:00) to force Lamar to leave the pocket. At the same time, the frontside escape was cut off by a loitering Phillips and
Watt who beat Brown’s 12-to-6 block at 3 seconds. In such situations, I charge the largest share of the sack to the first pressure, so
Stanley got a 2/3 charge. Otherwise he had just 1 other full pressure allowed to Mercilus (Q2, 7:11). He missed 3 blocks, none of
which were losses at the line of scrimmage (LoS). He made 3 blocks in level 2, delivered 2 pancakes, and connected on 1 of 2 pulling
assignments. His highlight was a combination block on Dunn then McKinney (Q3, 12:17) which led Edwards’ 14-yard conversion of 3 rd
and 1.
Scoring: 62 plays, 57 blocks, 3 missed, 1 pressure, 2/3 sack, 51 points (.82 per play). That’s a B with or without adjustment.
Bozeman: Bradley again played well. He shared a pressure with Skura (Q1, 6:57) when he was bulled then shed by the blitzing S Eric
Murray. His only other charge came opposite JJ Watt when the future HoFer got his hands up to deflect Jackson’s pass (Q4, 13:26).
Of his 4 misses, none were losses at the LoS (2 pulls where he could not find a block, 2 others where he was unable to find a level 2
block). He had 4 blocks in level 2, delivered 2 pancakes, and pulled successfully on 6 of 8 assignments. He had a pair of highlight
blocks, the first of which was a stunning, open-field blow to S Murray on the 18-yard screen to Ingram (Q2, 15:00). He pulled to clear
the hole of OLB Jacob Martin then pushed the pile 2 yards by putting his shoulder into ILB McKinney (Q3, 10:38).
Scoring: 62 plays, 56 blocks, 4 missed, 1 (2 x ½) pressure, 54 points (.87 per play). That’s an A- after adjustment.
Skura: Matt rebounded after a tough outing against the Browns. His only negative play was a shared pressure (with Bozeman) when
he gave ground to Cunningham prior to contact and was nearly at Lamar’s feet as he threw (Q1, 6:57). He missed 2 blocks, 1 of which
was a loss at the LoS (whiff on Watt). He had 4 blocks in level 2, delivered 2 pancakes, and connected on his only pull. My only
concern is that despite solid mobility numbers, Matt does not appear to be moving as he was in 2019. His highlight was a block on
Dunn followed by an obstruction of Cunningham on Dobbins’ 44-yard run (Q4, 2:23).
Scoring: 62 plays, 59 blocks, 2 missed, 1/2 pressure, 58 points (.92 per play). That’s an A after adjustment.
Phillips: Tyre struggled in his second pro game. He was party to 3 of the 4 sacks:
– (Q2, 2:00): He drifted back in the pocket and turned to his right to help Brown with Watt, but as JJ turned the corner at the 3-
second mark, Phillips obstructed Jackson from climbing the pocket. That was a 1/6 charge on a complex sack triggered by
pressure on the left side.
– (Q2, 1:16): He failed to block ILB Cunningham after passing off DT Omenihu to Skura for 2/3 of the sack charge. Dobbins got the
other share for failing to block Cunningham once he was past Phillips.
– (Q3, 7:14): He was bulled then shed by Omenihu for the full sack charge.
Tyre added a full pressure allowed when bulled into Jackson by DT Hall (Q3, 13:39). Of 7 missed blocks, 4 were losses at the LoS. He
did not make any blocks in level 2 and did not have a pancake. He did not find a block on his only pull. His week 1 performance
included 10 mobility blocks (3 in L2 and 7 pulls). The absence of such plays is in part a matter of scheme and defensive alignment, but
he missed 3 opportunities to make a block in level 2, which is a step backwards. He did not have a highlight this week.
Scoring: 62 plays, 51 blocks, 7 missed, 1 pressure, 1.83 (1 + 2/3 + 1/6) sacks, 38 points (.61 per play). That’s an F after adjustment.
Brown: Zeus primarily faced JJ Watt the week after he drew Myles Garrett, but played well. Watt beat him for a full sack (Q1, 8:11),
but Brown handled him effectively thereafter. His only other negative event was a 1/6 charge on Watt’s second sack (Q2, 1:16). On
the play, he directed Watt past the pocket (12-to-6 block), then let him go at the 3 second point and JJ recovered to take down Jackson
as Stanley’s pressure allowed for a late cleanup and Phillips’ position blocked escape. He did not surrender a pressure and his only
missed block was in level 2. He made 7 blocks in level 2, delivered 2 pancakes, and had 2 highlight combination blocks (Q3, 8:01; Q4,
14:47).
Scoring: 62 plays, 59 blocks, 1 missed, 1.17 (1 + 1/6) sacks, 52 points (.84 per play). That’s an A after adjustment.
Mekari: Patrick made both his blocks as an eligible receiver in jumbo sets. Those included an excellent seal on the left edge to help
lead Ingram’s 30-yard TD run form the wildcat (Q4, 12:04).
If you’re interested in seeing scoring trends for the players this season, those charts will be posted in the Gallery section and updated
weekly.
Mr. Ken you think this average results on the passing game are on Lamar? Because I think he holds the ball to much some times, but I feel they run a lot of pass on the first half, and not running read zones and RPOs where I think Lamar is on his best. Do you think they are trying to run a more traditional offense? Thanks a lot for the great job.
Ken,
Love your podcast, a nice blend of analysis, Raven’s history and a true appreciation for the art of the game. I think we are seeing the maturation of the Ravens offense in 2020. There are fewer plays where Lamar is bailing out the offense with his dynamic running skills and more plays where Lamar stands calmly in the pocket for 3 seconds and delivers an accurate pass all over the field. In week 1 the defense played to stop the Ravens running game and in week 2 the defense played to stop the passing game. Ultimately both the rushing and passing attacks performed admirably in both games but watching it come together in real time it definitely looks like a work in progress. Its great to see the team focused on this because it is key to being successful in the post-season
Thanks again for the article Ken! I did have time this week to watch all the podcasts and I thought all of them were excellent. All the guests that came on were so knowledgeable, especially Seth Keysor and his information about the Chiefs. I’m looking forward to both the game Monday and your analysis afterwards!
Love to see this every day !
Love to see this every day !