Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints Grades Week Twelve
By Brett Foote
Nov 24, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh walks off the field after their 34-27 win over the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Coaching: B+
Kudos to the coaching staff for getting everybody ready for a tough game in a tough environment. The Ravens played with energy and looked rejuvenated coming off a bye week that was sorely needed. They played physical football on both sides of the ball.
Gary Kubiak called a great game and dialed up the run against a team that can’t stop anybody on the ground. He simplified the game for Joe Flacco and kept him from making too many mistakes, as he often does when forced to throw too much. The effectiveness of the ground game made things easy when he did need to throw.
On defense, Dean Pees did a great job of dialing up pressure on Brees and forced him to make quick decisions instead of working through his progressions. The D did a great job of taking away Jimmy Graham, Brees’ favorite target, and forcing him to spread the ball around.
On the down side, the fighting got a bit out of hand once again, and the team absorbed six penalties that cost them 42 yards.