With the Ravens bouncing back from their season-opening loss by earning a 41-17 blowout victory over Cleveland on Sunday, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Even when he wasn’t at his best for much of the day, Lamar Jackson threw four touchdowns and posted a 128.6 passer rating. He’s currently the NFL’s all-time leader in passer rating and quarterback rushing yards. Don’t let the wait for January diminish the joy of watching someone so extraordinary.
2. With Kyle Van Noy’s short-term status in doubt, Baltimore has no choice but to lean harder on Mike Green, Tavius Robinson, and David Ojabo against tough opponents ahead. At least we’ll see how big a priority edge rusher will need to be ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
3. At one point during the first half, I wondered if DeAndre Hopkins had gotten hurt or even played yet. In only 10 snaps, he made two highlight contested catches. A time will come when he’ll play more, but he’s certainly diversifying the Ravens’ offensive portfolio with minimal opportunity.
4. Speaking of making the most of chances, Devontez Walker caught two touchdowns on two targets after not playing a single offensive snap in Buffalo. Tylan Wallace recovered a fumble and caught a touchdown on back-to-back snaps. The ensemble pass-catching cast is only growing, and Isaiah Likely hasn’t even played yet.
5. A 40-year-old Joe Flacco starting a game in Baltimore for the first time in seven years was a great story, but even a hint of pressure derailed his passing acumen. He doesn’t have a ton of help in that offense, but the Ravens just overwhelmed him most of the day.
6. It’s easy to try to draw parallels between Jaire Alexander and last year’s benching of Marcus Williams, but this is much more of an admission that he was rushed back too quickly. With Marlon Humphrey’s status unclear, however, the Ravens may have no choice but to activate Alexander against Detroit.
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7. Teddye Buchanan went from basically a 50-50 split with Trenton Simpson in Week 1 to playing 60 of 73 snaps, but it’s best not to assume the fourth-round rookie has locked up the starting job just yet. Still, Simpson can’t feel great about how the Will linebacker competition is trending.
8. It’s hardly bold to label Derrick Henry and Jackson as two of the scariest individuals in football to try to tackle in the open field, but I’d add Zay Flowers to that group with the video-game-like ways he changes direction. Baltimore’s No. 1 receiver been outstanding through two games.
9. Reserve linebacker and special-teams standout Jake Hummel was signed very early in free agency, and you saw why when he ran through Browns personal protector Ronnie Hickman for the Ravens’ first blocked punt in nine years. Special teams made a major impact in this game.
10. Myles Garrett called Cleveland’s loss “embarrassing” after headlining a formidable defensive showing that didn’t reflect the score. It’s a shame seeing such a talent squandered all these years, but Garrett signed an extension not long after requesting a trade last winter, making it tough to feel too sorry for him.
11. It wasn’t a good Sunday for the rest of the AFC North. Despite improving to 2-0, Cincinnati suffered the greatest loss of all with Joe Burrow likely out for the season. Pittsburgh’s high-priced defense was quite unimpressive for a second straight week. Even at 1-1, the Ravens are heavy favorites.
12. While opinions were mixed on how to recognize Flacco as he plays for a division foe, I would have seen no harm in a brief video tribute during an early-game TV timeout, especially on a day of celebration anyway. That said, Jackson’s postgame hug with Flacco was a cool moment.
