Ravens highest and lowest rated players: Week 1
By Brett Foote
Sep 13, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett (29) carries the ball in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 19-13. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Coming in to week 1, the Ravens appeared to be a bit more unsettled than they would have hoped. Teams spend the offseason working to piece together the best roster they can, and try to get everyone in tune with new schemes, new coaches, and new players.
And while the preseason often means nothing, there were legitimate concerns about this Ravens squad. Chief among them: the offensive line’s ability to run block, the running game’s ability to repeat its success from 2014, a young defensive line, and a rebuilt secondary.
Turns out, two out of the four might just be legitimate concerns.
The Ravens defense shined on all levels Sunday afternoon against the Broncos, despite the painful loss of linebacker Terrell Suggs for the season. Jimmy Smith immediately stepped in and looked no worse for wear after missing most of last season as the Ravens simply shut down the Broncos elite passing game.
The D also took away the Broncos running game, addressing concerns that the loss of Haloti Ngata would hurt them in this area. And they did it without Timmy Jernigan, who sat out with an injury.
Unfortunately, the offense looks to be a huge concern. Absolutely nothing went right as the Ravens’ receivers failed to separate from the Broncos’ elite secondary, Joe Flacco made several poor decisions, and the offensive line couldn’t pass protect or open up holes for the running game.
But we aren’t going to overreact, because it’s only one week out of 16. Instead, as we do each week, we’re going to dive into the stats and see who excelled and who didn’t. Here are the Ravens highest and lowest rated players according to the stats gurus at Pro Football Focus.
Next: Highest rated offensive players
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