Baltimore Ravens downed by Chiefs: The good, bad and ugly
The ugly:
Could the officiating of this game had been any worse than it was? Not only was Baltimore taking on perhaps the best team in the NFL, but it felt like they had to play the referees, too. The Ravens were repeatedly low-balled by penalties, both against the team and no-calls on Kansas City. Some of these penalties came on the most crucial plays of the game and undoubtedly altered the end result to a certain extent.
At the end of the day, blaming the refs for a loss is immature and inaccurate. There were plenty of shortcomings for Baltimore, but they certainly didn’t need the ref’s help screwing them over.
Speaking of shortcomings, it doesn’t get much worse than the play-calling of Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. More than anything, his inconsistency is what drives us craziest. One drive, the Ravens are running it down opposing team’s throats, and the next they’re trying to throw it every play. This was incredibly apparent in the second-half of the game, as Baltimore seemingly abandoned the run in favor of passing.
That wouldn’t be a problem if Mornhinweg was playing to the strength of his quarterback. But instead, he insisted on pigeonholing Lamar Jackson inside the pocket. The most casual of NFL fans could tell you that Jackson is at his best outside the pocket, on the move. Jackson even showed off his abilities to manipulate defenses with his legs and create yardage that otherwise wasn’t there.
Mornhinweg opted to try and make Jackson a pocket-passer and it couldn’t have hampered the team any worse than it did. Jackson was uncomfortable and his offensive line was overwhelmed by a very good Chiefs’ pass rush. This decision on offense would wind-up being the most fatal.
However, above all else was the Ravens defense choking once again during the game’s must crucial moments. If you want more detail, check out this article here.
Next. Baltimore Ravens: Marty Mornhinweg has outstayed his welcome. dark
From top to bottom, there was plenty to love and plenty to hate. The Baltimore Ravens are far from a flawless team, but this is also a reborn squad since their bye-week. The remaining schedule for Baltimore remains favorable and the team could easily run the table and win the AFC North. Either way, the playoffs seem like a lock with each passing week for the Ravens.