With the Ravens snapping their four-game losing streak to earn their first win since mid-September in a 30-16 final over Chicago on Sunday afternoon, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Aside from Lamar Jackson, the Ravens were as healthy as they could reasonably hope to be at this point. Any team worth its salt needs to be able to step up and occasionally win a game without its quarterback. Credit Baltimore for playing such complementary football in a must-win environment.
2. Roquan Smith remembered being with Chicago in 2021 and learning Tyler Huntley would be starting for Jackson. “You kind of get excited in a sense. As a competitor, you obviously want to play the best of the best, but you think like that.” Huntley has now beaten the Bears twice.
3. Credit Todd Monken for leaning into more quick game for Huntley to get the ball out in a timely fashion and the 27-year-old quarterback for limiting mistakes and taking care of the football. A calmer Huntley than we’d seen in previous years was exactly what the Ravens needed.
4. An all-too-familiar and unnerving feeling was creeping in after D’Andre Swift’s 2-yard touchdown cut Baltimore’s lead to 16-13 with 12:22 to go and the Ravens punted on the ensuing drive. Fortunately, Nate Wiggins delivered the play of the year so far with that interception.
5. That was made possible after an outstanding punt from Jordan Stout that was caught by Tylan Wallace at the 4-yard line. Rarely will I sign off on punting when facing fourth-and-5 from your opponent’s 39, so the execution needed to be perfect. John Harbaugh trusted his players to do it.
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6. Harbaugh called the defense holding Chicago to field goals on two long first-quarter drives “massive,” but I’d point to forcing the three-and-out on the Bears’ next possession after Devin Duvernay’s long kick return into Baltimore territory. Slowing Chicago’s potent ground game was critical to getting Caleb Williams out of rhythm.
7. The Ravens played three safeties on all but a few snaps in Sunday’s game, and Kyle Hamilton was in the box more than 60% of the time, per Next Gen Stats. I wouldn’t have waited until October, but adding a viable third safety has raised the defense’s floor substantially.
8. Speaking of changes, it was refreshing seeing Keaton Mitchell provide a spark with a couple chunk runs and a good kick return. Some of the criticism over his early-season handling was over the top, but this was a more explosive Mitchell than we saw over the summer. Keep him involved.
9. The pass rush remains a concern as reliance on the blitz burned the Ravens a few different times Sunday, but Mike Green collecting his first sack to hold Chicago to a field goal on the opening drive was great to see. More of that is needed from the rookie.
10. From running another play before the two-minute warning in the first half to going out of bounds late in the game, I’d still like to see elements of game management tightened up. At 2-5, this team has too small a margin for error not to do the little things well.
11. We’ll see how the NFL addresses the matter, but the Jackson injury report fiasco was completely avoidable if the Ravens simply followed injury reporting rules that have been public and on the books for years. Whether “an honest mistake” or attempted gamesmanship that got too cute, there’s really no excuse.
12. A 1-6 record coming out of the bye would have felt too dark mathematically and psychologically to maintain meaningful hope for a recovery. But every other team in a mediocre AFC North losing Sunday reminds there’s a very long way to go. This next month of games will be pivotal.
