The Baltimore Ravens flat-out sucked on Thursday night. They had a rough Thanksgiving, getting bullied by the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense for four quarters, losing 32-14.
This game against a 3-8 opponent was supposed to put the Ravens in a favorable position in the AFC North moving forward. Instead, they fell a half game back of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and no longer hold the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh.
Overall, the team was out of sync. The defense did their best in a game where the offense put them at a disadvantage all night. However, they had troubling moments where the coverage was giving up big plays, and the unit failed to make stops in short-yardage situations.
Here are one winner and four losers from Baltimore’s Week 13 loss.
1 winner and 4 losers from Ravens’ loss to Bengals
Winner: Keaton Mitchell
Very few players had strong nights, but running back Keaton Mitchell may have made the most of the opportunities anyone got on Thursday night. Sure, he only got four touches on offense, but he showed why he needs to be involved more moving forward.
Mitchell ran the ball twice for 19 yards, which included an 18-yard touchdown to put the Ravens within one score. He also had two receptions on three targets for 12 yards.
His main competition for touches, fellow running back Rasheen Ali, had a lackluster night. He had four rushes for 17 yards, but if it were not for three carries at the end of the game in garbage time, his statistical output would have looked far worse.
With running back Justice Hill going on injured reserve with a neck injury, someone will have to pick up the pace and become the lead backup to running back Derrick Henry. Against the Bengals, Mitchell showed why that should be him.
Loser: Lamar Jackson
Quarterback Lamar Jackson had one of the worst games of his career on Thanksgiving. He completed 17 of 32 passes for 246 yards and threw for a single touchdown. He only led two scoring drives against the worst defense in the NFL, and accounted for three turnovers (one interception and two fumbles).
The turnovers were not all his fault. One of the fumbles was a controversial call, and his late interception came as a direct result of poor blocking up front. Still, he must do a better job at protecting the football and be more efficient.
Since returning, Jackson has been far from the player Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken needs leading his unit. Sure, the pass protection has been a problem, but Jackson is missing easy throws, and it is impacting the offense’s performance.
Loser: Todd Monken
Speaking of Monken, he may have been the biggest loser against Cincinnati. His group once again underperformed.
The Ravens had a golden opportunity to get their offense back into a rhythm against the worst defense in the NFL. That did not happen. In fact, it was the worst the offense has looked all year.
The issues in the red zone continued, the lack of creativity was apparent all night, and the consistency on a down-to-down basis was nowhere to be found. Monken had a beautiful chance to get his unit back on track, but five turnovers and an ugly loss later, and he may be leaving Week 13 with his future as offensive coordinator in question.
Loser: Zay Flowers
Wide receiver Zay Flowers has been having a career-best year in his third NFL season. His performance this past week was a forgettable one, and like Jackson, it may have been his worst game to date.
Flowers finished with a horrendous stat line of two receptions for six yards on seven targets. Jackson missed him on several throws, but Flowers also made a couple of significant drive-ending errors.
Flowers hauled in a touchdown late in the second quarter, but it was called back due to an offensive pass interference penalty. The 10-yard penalty put the Ravens out of scoring range, and they eventually punted.
Later in the game, defensive tackle Travis Jones gave the team new life with a forced fumble and recovery with five minutes to go. Baltimore seemed to be on track to score on the ensuing drive, but after an eight-yard reception, Flowers lost a fumble that put the nail in the coffin.
Loser: Andrew Vorhees
Left guard Andrew Vorhees was one of the many players who had a rough go of it. He and the rest of the offensive line let the Bengals get constant pressure on Jackson. However, the reason for Vorhees being listed as a loser is more due to the offensive line shift Head Coach John Harbaugh made throughout the game.
Vorhees did not outright lose his job in Week 13, but he may be on his way to losing it. Rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr. took the field with the starting offensive line for Baltimore’s second and third drives, and while Vorhees got back in on the action later, Jones appeared sporadically throughout the matchup.
With this loss, the Ravens’ five-game winning streak comes to an end, and they now sit in second place in the AFC North. They will have to take a long, hard look in the mirror if they want to make a run at the playoffs.