With the Ravens dropping to 4-4 in their 36-21 loss at Carolina, Iโve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. The pass rush has produced a total of one sack since dropping Tennesseeโs Marcus Mariota a team-record 11 times and didnโt take down Cam Newton once. Twenty-two of Baltimoreโs league-leading 27 sacks came against Tennessee, Buffalo, and Cleveland. Is a bit more consistency too much to ask?
2. With the way the first half was going, the head-scratching Joe Flacco interception with no Ravens receiver even in the area felt inevitable. Pass protection wasnโt great and there were again too many drops, but Flacco went 0-for-9 with two picks on throws traveling 15 or more yards downfield. Yuck.
3. The running game was buoyed by three gains of 13 or more yards early on, but Baltimore averaged a season-best 5.6 yards per carry, one of the few positives from Sunday. I donโt see a successful playoff push without improvement on the ground. The October numbers support that.
4. According to Pro Football Focus, Jimmy Smith gave up five of six targets thrown into his coverage for 58 yards. He ranks 106th out of 110 qualified corners in PFFโs grading system. Iโll stand by what I wrote last week, but the Ravens really need to start seeing improvement.
5. It was a forgettable day for the leagueโs top-ranked defense, but slot cornerback Tavon Young played well, allowing only one catch for minus-two yards and making two tackles. Heโs quietly played well since his rough outing at Cincinnati in Week 2.
6. Baltimoreโs fake punt from its own 10 early in the first half was unmarked territory in the NFL for at least the last 25 years, but an illegal shift on Morgan Cox wiped out the conversion. Watching the all-22 replay, Iโm with John Harbaugh in not seeing what Cox did.
7. Allowing the fourth-and-7 conversion to set up Graham Ganoโs 54-yard field goal to end the first half was embarrassing for Wink Martindale and the defense. How no one thought to call a timeout there is a bad look for both the coaching staff and veteran players.
8. After knocking off early rust, Marshal Yanda has again settled in as one of the NFLโs best guards, ranking fifth among all qualified guards in PFFโs grading system. In addition to giving others plenty of help, Yanda has occasionally even pulled on play-action to protect Flaccoโs blindside this season.
9. Considering the resources that have been devoted to the safety and inside linebacker positions, the Ravensโ inability to consistently cover tight ends and the middle of the field remains very frustrating. Sunday was a rough day for C.J. Mosley and Tony Jefferson in particular.
10. Some criticism for the Lamar Jackson short-arm incompletion to Willie Snead and praise for the rookieโs play in garbage time from fans and media seemed over the top. If Baltimore falls out of playoff contention, Iโm all for evaluating for the future by starting Jackson. Until then, just stop.
11. The left-side combination of Jermaine Eluemunor and Hroniss Grasu for 19 plays gave off quite a preseason feel. Being down to your third-string options on the blindside is a sobering thought with Pittsburgh coming to town. Get well, Ronnie Stanley and Alex Lewis. And James Hurst and Bradley Bozeman.
12. In order to finish with the 10-6 record that usually makes a team a strong bet to at least secure a wild card, the Ravens will need six wins in their remaining eight games. Baltimore hasnโt pulled off a 6-2 stretch since going 9-2 to begin the 2012 season.

Luke Jones
Luke Jones is the Ravens and Orioles beat reporter for WNST BaltimorePositive.com and is a PFWA member. His mind is consumed with useless sports knowledge, pro wrestling promos, and movie quotes, but he often forgets where he put his phone. Luke's favorite sports memories include being one of the thousands of kids who waited for Cal Ripken's autograph after Orioles games in the summer of 1995, attending the Super Bowl XXXV victory parade with his dad in the pouring rain, and watching the Terps advance to the Final Four at the Carrier Dome in 2002. Follow him on social media @BaltimoreLuke or email him at Luke@wnst.net.
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