With the Ravens scoring 34 straight points to turn an early deficit into a 41-31 win over Tampa Bay on Monday night for a fifth straight victory, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. The turning point was Mike Evans’ dropped touchdown and hamstring injury, but Baker Mayfield didn’t throw to a wide-open Bucky Irving before his first interception on that same drive. Tampa Bay couldn’t stop the Ravens offense once it got going, but this game likely stays close with a touchdown there.
2. Marlon Humphrey registered the first two-interception game of his career and owns a career-high four just seven games into the season. You hope his knee injury doesn’t linger because the 28-year-old is having one of his best seasons with Pro Football Focus currently grading him fifth among qualified cornerbacks.
3. Asked about Lamar Jackson, Kyle Hamilton summed it up by saying, “It’s like LeBron [James] out there. He just does everything, and it’s tough.” Jackson carries similar first-name recognition and has now thrown 20 touchdowns and no interceptions in eight career games on Monday Night Football. He even blocks. Special.
4. Rashod Bateman has already eclipsed his receiving yardage total from 2023 and is on the heels of Zay Flowers for the team lead after a career-high 121 receiving yards. Since Week 1, Bateman has caught 19 of 25 targets, which has quieted those questions about on-field chemistry with Jackson.
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5. The secondary receives most of the criticism for a struggling pass defense, but the pass rush lacks consistency looking beyond the 22 sacks on a league-high number of opportunities. Baltimore ranks 25th in Next Gen Stats’ pressure rate, 19th in Pro Football Reference’s, and 19th in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate.
6. Ronnie Stanley didn’t allow a single pressure against the blitz-heavy Buccaneers defense and has yet to allow a sack this season. Per Next Gen Stats, he’s the only left tackle in the league (minimum 50 pass-blocking snaps) who can claim that. Quite the renaissance for someone who’s finally healthy again.
7. Even if Humphrey misses time, Nate Wiggins will be coming off arguably his best game as a pro as PFF didn’t credit him with a single reception allowed on five targets. He’s still prone to penalties, but Monday night was a step in the right direction for the talented rookie.
8. Offensive coordinators talk about making opponents defend the entire length and width of the field, and Derrick Henry’s outside runs have made that a reality. He’s been sensational, but his 4.2 yards before contact average — his career best was 2.5 in 2020 — reflects how outstanding the entire operation has been.
9. Tampa Bay’s 125 rushing yards were a season high allowed by Baltimore, but the Buccaneers trying the 55-yard field goal on fourth-and-4 on their first drive of the second half and still running some after that were miscalculations. You need to be aggressive to have any shot against the Ravens.
10. John Harbaugh pulling Jackson despite Baltimore leading by just 10 looked odd, but the awful injury to Chris Godwin speaks to how consequential these decisions can be in the heat of battle. I wouldn’t have had Godwin in there so late, but it’s easy to say that from the couch.
811. Another failed onside kick recovery overshadowed what had been a good night for the special teams with rookie Chris Collier returning a kickoff 35 yards and Justice Hill taking one 37 yards. Justin Tucker connecting on another field goal from beyond 50 yards was also encouraging.
12. Jackson’s five touchdowns came nearly 10 years to the day that Joe Flacco threw for five at Tampa Bay. The two-time MVP became the third player to record five touchdown passes, 250 passing yards, and 50 rushing yards in a single game. The others? Cam Newton and … Mitchell Trubisky?
