Baltimore Ravens Grades Week Seven
By Brett Foote
Oct 19, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) throws during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
Offense: B-
Joe Flacco is notorious for following up great games with no so great games. When you look at the statistics, Flacco’s performance against the Falcons may not look too bad. 16 of 25 passing for 258 yards (64% completion) with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions isn’t horrible. But those two interceptions were squarely on Flacco, especially the second one, which killed a red zone drive.
The ground game was mostly effective, and the Ravens gave the impressive Justin Forsett a season high 23 carries, which he turned into 95 yards (4.1 avg) with three missed tackles. For whatever reason the Ravens still insist on using the ineffective Bernard Pierce behind Forsett, however. Pierce managed only 21 yards on 8 carries (2.6 avg).
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Owen Daniels led the team in receiving, securing 6 of 8 targets for 58 yards and a touchdown. Torrey Smith continues to look better each week and caught 3 of 5 targets for 81 yards and a touchdown. Steve Smith was mostly quiet, but did secure a 49 yard reception and finished 3 of 4 for 67 yards.
James Hurst continued to struggle in essentially every phase of the game, giving up three penalties, a QB hit, and a hurry. The Ravens are likely hoping that Eugene Monroe can get in some practice time this week and return against the Bengals in week eight. The offensive line as a whole had a down day, with the exceptions of Marshal Yanda, who continues to dominate.
All in all, the Ravens got the job done on offense but it could have been a much bigger day against a Falcons defense that ranks among the worst in the NFL.
Next: Defense