10 observations from Baltimore Ravens regular season finale

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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – NOVEMBER 25: Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs #55 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates his touchdown after a fumble recovery against the Oakland Raiders with teammates during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 25, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

6. Pass rush is key to stopping good quarterbacks:

This isn’t exactly a secret. but pass rush helps the Ravens play good defense. The Ravens defense is night and day different this year and pass rush is the reason why. Don Martindale has been everything that he was supposed to be. He uses pass rush and he trusts his secondary. The Ravens defense is amazing when the pass rush is impacting the game.

One of the major reasons the Ravens built a lead in the first place, was because the Ravens pass rush limited Mayfield. The Ravens forced Mayfield into some bad throws and forced him to get the ball out quickly. If the Ravens were not aggressive at the end of the game, the Ravens may not be preparing for a playoff game. Mayfield, if he hadn’t already proven it, is a good quarterback. Pass rush is the number one ingredient for stopping good quarterbacks.

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5. Big plays were a problem for the Ravens defense:

The Ravens gave up way too many deep passes in this game. The Ravens defense gave up big play after big play in both the first and second half. Mayfield completed just over half of his passes and he ended up with 376 yards. The Ravens got outscored 17-6 in the second half. The fact that the Browns had four different receivers with over 40 yards has a lot to do with the Browns comeback.

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