Ravens studs and duds from Week 16 loss to the Bengals
By Kristen Wong
3. DUD: The Ravens secondary
What happens when you pit one of the best passing quarterbacks and three elite wide receivers against a beaten-up, out-of-luck practice squad-composed secondary unit?
Disaster. Disaster happens.
Baltimore spent its entire life force trying to defend Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams in Week 15.
In Week 16, against Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and Ja’Marr Chase, the Ravens just couldn’t take it. Their precarious playing card tower of ragtag defenders has fallen, and the Ravens have zero tricks up their sleeve.
They’re exhausted, and understandably so.
Still, the Ravens blew coverage way too many times this game. It happened on Tyler Boyd’s 68-yard touchdown run down the seam. It happened when Joe Mixon got a wide-open look in the fourth quarter for a 52-yard reception. It happened time and time again, and the slaughter never ceased one bit.
Baltimore’s top corner, Anthony Averett, had to exit the game due to injury, leaving the Ravens with even fewer options in the defensive backfield.
Ravens CB Anthony Averett is going to be carted off the field.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) December 26, 2021
Averett has started 13 games for a Ravens secondary that has already lost two starters (Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters) to season-ending injuries.
Safety Tony Jefferson led the defense with 10 tackles, one sack, one quarterback hit, one pass defended, and one tackle for loss, and a few other members of the secondary stepped up too.
As a whole, though, Baltimore’s defense was inexperienced and played like it all game. The score accurately reflects that.