With the Ravens winning their fifth straight road game in a 41-24 final at Green Bay to keep their playoff hopes alive on Saturday night, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Baltimore signed Derrick Henry for that kind of game. Per Next Gen Stats, he finished with 97 rushing yards over expected and turned in his fourth career performance with 100 rushing yards both between and outside the tackles. Nobody else has even one since Henry’s rookie season. He’s a unicorn.
2. Henry and the offense were more physical and imposed their will against a Packers defense that showed little interest in tackling the 252-pound running back. If you don’t at least enter a game wanting to tackle Henry, you have no shot at containing him.
3. Tyler Huntley labored through a shoulder injury in 2022 and had the infamous goal-line fumble in the Cincinnati playoff loss, but I never quite understood the Ravens being as down on him as they were over the last few years. Practically speaking, he’s the perfect understudy to Lamar Jackson.
4. Though Huntley’s obviously limited as a passer, the touchdown strike to Zay Flowers on third-and-8 came with a free rusher bearing down on him. Settling for a field goal and a six-point lead there would have felt like real danger with the way the Packers had been moving the ball.
5. Aside from the Week 15 shutout in Cincinnati, the Baltimore defense hasn’t trended in a great direction over the last month or so. Even acknowledging the below-average pass rush, this pass defense is giving up way too many big plays and second- and third-and-long conversions.
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6. It was a poor night for Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey as the Packers threw the ball all over the field. John Harbaugh also acknowledged playing Cover 2 on Green Bay’s first touchdown “wasn’t a great call against that [seam] route” from defensive coordinator Zach Orr.
7. Credit Malik Willis for turning in a heck of a performance that will definitely earn him money as a pending free agent this March. Even if the Ravens get through Pittsburgh on Sunday night, it’s tough to feel very confident when sizing up the field of AFC playoff quarterbacks.
8. Aside from Willis getting loose too often, the longest run surrendered was a six-yard gain from Emanuel Wilson. The rush defense remains stingy to the point that opponents probably shouldn’t bother trying to run all that much when they can move the ball through the air with relative ease.
9. Travis Jones turned in another superb effort as he registered 1 1/2 sacks and was credited with seven pressures by Pro Football Focus. The rest of the defensive front needs upgrades this offseason, but having Jones under contract these next few years makes you feel better.
10. An August calf injury sidelined Patrick Ricard for more than two months, but he played a season-high 43 snaps and was a big part of the blocking puzzle leading to Henry’s massive night. A fresher version of Ricard could pay some dividends if the Ravens make the playoffs.
11. The NFL is sometimes referred to as the No Fun League or Not For Long, but I see No Freaking Logic trying to figure out what’s going to happen on a weekly basis, which is why it’s so entertaining. Don’t forget to send those belated Christmas cards to Berea, Ohio.
12. This was the latest example of Harbaugh’s teams thriving as underdogs over the years. If players had checked out, going through the motions would have been easy, especially considering what the expected outcome in Cleveland was. That shouldn’t dismiss questions about his future, but it’s not irrelevant either.
