Ravens: Marquise Brown still plagued by his inconsistencies

It was not that long ago that I wrote about the optimism the Baltimore Ravens can have about their receiving corps.

Through the first two weeks, Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins, and co. produced good results and laid the groundwork for an effective receiver group unlike the Ravens have had for years.

Brown was the biggest focus of that. He showed early signs of developing into the type of contributor the Ravens have been seeking — a reliable, consistent receiver with big-play capabilities on every down.

The early signs in Detroit on Sunday suggested he was on pace to continue that, and as the game progressed he had the opportunities to do much more.

The main talking point of the Ravens’ win over the Detroit Lions, however, second to Justin Tucker’s monster kick, was Hollywood’s dropped passes.

Marquise Brown cost the Ravens with brutal drops

The first came early in the second quarter. On second down from Detroit’s 25-yard line, Brown ran a deep crosser, getting over the deep safety and splitting between him and the outside corner.

He did everything right as Lamar Jackson delivered a very good throw seemingly right into his hands in the back of the end zone, only for the ball to miraculously fly right over his arms and fall incomplete.

The ball was ever so slightly tipped, however, by the recovering safety which slowed the ball just enough to knock its trajectory behind what would have been Hollywood’s hands.

Perhaps, then, Jackson needed the Aaron Rodgers’ touch to put it just a millimeter or two higher, but it’s still a ball Hollywood should have been able to make more of a play on.

The second and third drops, however, were inexcusable.

In the Ravens’ two-minute drill at the end of the first half, Brown had two opportunities for huge plays, the latter was a sure touchdown.

On 1st-and-10 from the Ravens 24, Brown had a yard of separation at the Lions’ 40-yard line when the ball inexplicably went right through his hands.

Had he caught it, it very well could have been a touchdown, or at least immediately put the Ravens in field goal position.

Then, just about a minute later, on 3rd-and-7 at the Detroit 44, Jackson delivered a dime rolling to his left and Brown let it bounce right off his hands.

The Ravens were subsequently forced to punt.

Brown arguably cost the Ravens 10+ points, and any one of these catches could have dramatically changed the course of the game.