Far too often, discourse around games is about just one play. That's certainly the case after the Baltimore Ravens' 24-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, as fans debated whether Lamar Jackson made an awful throw or Rashod Bateman failed to run the right route on the game-ending interception. After the game, Jackson took the blame and insisted this play wasn't Bateman's fault.
Before I get into my larger point, I want to say that, in my eyes, it didn't look like Bateman was giving full effort, which played a role in the unfortunate interception. Still, Lamar had a better look with Devontez Walker.
These debates ignore that both things can be true, though. More importantly, they ignore the other (more significant) factors that contributed the Ravens' awful loss.
The Baltimore Ravens' offensive line was shaky on Sunday
Even in the context of this final play, other factors must be considered. In fact, this play highlights a major issue in this game: poor pass protection. Approximately two seconds after the ball was snapped, rookie guard Vega Ioane gave up a costly pressure; in turn, this forced Lamar to make a rushed decision. This context matters.
Plus, with how little momentum the offense had in the fourth quarter, I would have been shocked if this drive resulted in a touchdown. Remember, there were just 13 seconds left when Julian Blackmon hauled in that game-sealing interception.
Again, games aren't won or lost on one play. Countless poor plays and coaching led to New Orleans outscoring Baltimore 15-0 in the fourth quarter.
The Ravens' offense couldn't get anything going in the second half. A made field goal was the only points they scored, and they couldn't drum up any explosive plays. There are a lot of factors here, including Zay Flowers' injury. However, the offensive line didn't offer ample support in pass protection. There's no way around it.
They generally performed alright in the first half, but collapsed in the second half; especially after Ronnie Stanley left the game with an injury. Ioane gave up four pressures, and Jovaughn Gwyn gave up three pressures. Frankly, though, everyone outside of Roger Rosengarten shares some blame for these struggles. We'll talk about bad coaching in a bit, but it's worth noting that poor schemes, including Mark Andrews picking up Chase Young, led to some pressure.
Now, Lamar was pressured on 36.8 percent of his dropbacks, which was less than last week. Still, the pressures were timely in the second half. Plus, being without his top weapon made things harder. All things considered, and the last play aside, I thought Jackson played well. He completed 21 of 31 passes (with several good passes being dropped) and threw for 235 yards.
Other issues at play for the Ravens
Coaching was undeniably an issue for the Ravens on Sunday. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle giving Derrick Henry just five second-half carries is illogical. Henry was stellar in the first half; the Ravens were playing with a lead and without their top WR option. He even called a deep pass to Chris Moore on a 3rd-and-1. Make it make sense, Dec.
Jesse Minter's defensive schemes weren't as aggressive as they needed to be. This led to a ton of third-down breakdowns and ultimately allowed the Saints to mount a comeback.
The Ravens also had some egregious missed tackles and botched coverage, which led to some big gains by the Saints' receivers. Safeties Malaki Starks and Jaylinn Hawkins particularly struggled in this regard.
Simply put, it was a collapse all around, and sadly it's a story Ravens fans know too well.
Amid the debates about who was at fault for the final play, every other factor that went into this massive collapse can't be forgotten. That should be the story, not one single play.
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