Highest and Lowest Rated Baltimore Ravens, Week Four
By Brett Foote
Sep 28, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (13) scores a touchdown in front of Baltimore Ravens safety Darian Stewart (24) at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
Lowest Rated Defensive Players: Matt Elam (-5.3), Daryl Smith (-3.6), Chykie Brown (-3.6), Asa Jackson (-2.6), Christo Bilukidi (-2.0)
Poor safety play continues to plague the Ravens and is their biggest weakness by a long shot. Both Elam and Stewart have been almost equally bad in coverage and are stretched in nickel packages, which the Ravens have been forced to deploy them in while Lardarius Webb continues his slow recovery.
Brown has been bad all season and has finally begun to concede defensive snaps to Jackson, who showed great improvement against the Panthers after a rough start. Hopefully that trend continues, because the Ravens likely don’t know what they will get out of Webb this season at this point.
Bilukidi saw action for the first time against the Panthers after being scooped up as tackle depth. The former Bengal proceeded to put in a poor performance on 26 snaps both against the run and pass. Daryl Smith had a banner year in 2013, but this year he has regressed sharply. Age may be catching up with him quickly.