The Baltimore Ravens were touted to cruise to an easy victory over the Carolina Panthers, but Week 11’s matchup was anything but.
Baltimore’s offense looked as bad as it’s been for the majority of the game. Demarcus Robinson exploded for a nifty 100-plus receiving yard performance and Jackson displayed his magical ability to tear off extra yards on plays, yet the Ravens’ offense failed to create consistent rhythm through four quarters.
Jackson was held to 120 yards and an interception at halftime, and he couldn’t break down a Carolina side that doubled up against the run. The Ravens posted 115 yards on the ground in a Gus Edwards-less rushing attack with mediocre performances from Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill.
In the passing offense, Mark Andrews didn’t receive his usual workload, though he did catch six passes for 63 yards.
In a game where the Ravens suffered multiple losses, seeing both Ronnie Stanley and Kyle Hamilton leave the game due to injury, securing the win is a small consolation prize.
So when did the Ravens turn the game around? One man was responsible: Marlon Humphrey.
Humphrey, along with the help of Marcus Peters, recorded a strip and fumble recovery roughly midway through the fourth quarter, and he would have taken it for a touchdown had the officials not blown the play dead.
Imagine testing these corners 😈 pic.twitter.com/7E2LZPfdRn
— PFF BAL Ravens (@PFF_Ravens) November 20, 2022
After some uncertainty, which feels like a constant with Jerome Boger's crew, referees rule Marcus Peters stripped Smith and Ravens get ball. Ravens would have a TD but official blew play dead.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) November 20, 2022
Despite the poor call, the Ravens bulldozed ahead in Carolina territory on the next possession with Lamar Jackson diving into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game.
Ravens take care of business against the Carolina Panthers in Week 11
Simply put, this game was won by the Ravens’ defense, which held the Panthers to just 205 yards of total offense. Jackson had one of his poorer outings of the year with just 209 passing yards, 31 rushing yards, and one interception, but key players on the defensive side of the ball sealed this victory.
Patrick Queen led the team with 12 tackles and 0.5 sacks, and the Ravens’ pass-rush looked as threatening as ever with Roquan Smith, Jason Pierre-Paul, and a resurgent Justin Houston.
Justin Tucker bailed out the team with two completed field goals, and the Ravens closed this one out 13-3 even with some questionable play-calling by Greg Roman at the end of the game.
Though the Ravens indeed took care of business against the Panthers, this result hardly feels uplifting. Head coach John Harbaugh will give updates on Stanley’s and Hamilton’s health status in the coming days, and the Ravens can give themselves a pat on the back for not blowing another double-digit lead, yet at no point in the game did the offense look dominant.
Stay tuned for our takeaways from the Ravens’ uninspiring win.