Baltimore Ravens win 26-16: The good, bad and ugly
The Baltimore Ravens got a big win against the Atlanta Falcons. Here is the good, the bad and the ugly:
Lamar Jackson and Gus Edwards got the offense off to a fast start. After the defense held Atlanta to a field goal, Jackson led a touchdown drive. The Ravens took advantage of a Falcons penalty in the red zone that extended the drive. Jackson finished the opening march with a 13 yard touchdown run where he shook off a Falcons defender and found his way into the corner of the end zone. Jackson got off to a fast start throwing the football, connecting on his first three receptions.
The Ravens did a great job getting a field goal at the end of the half. John Harbaugh should be credited with his management of the drive. He didn’t allow Jackson’s inexperience to cost them time. He was proactive with his timeouts. When the clock had 10 seconds he didn’t risk one more play, he put in Tucker for a field goal. The drive was a positive ending to a rough half. 10-10 was a fantastic result because it could have been a lot worse. The Ravens made mistake after mistake and went into the second half with an even game.
The Ravens offense controlled the second half, even when Jackson was being tested under the concussion protocol. Robert Griffin ran the offense smoothly for a lengthy drive that ended in a field goal. The Ravens ran 24 plays in the third quarter and had a 13 play drive in the fourth quarter. The Ravens ball control offense took the air out of the Falcons chances. Time of possession favored the Ravens strongly,
The Ravens defense deserves a ton of credit for dislodging passes. There were a lot of times where Matt Ryan had the defense beat. He delivered perfect passes that players such as Eric Weddle, Marlon Humphrey and Chuck Clark knocked the ball out. Marlon Humphrey played on a superstar level in this this game. He was absolutely tenacious.
The defense dominated this game. The Ravens out gained the Falcons 366 yards to 131 for the Falcons. The Ravens defense even scored a touchdown. This looked like a great win for the Ravens defense which showed why they are number one in the NFL.