After an embarrassing Week 2 loss against Miami, the Ravens looked to bounce back in Week 3. They did just that with help from their star tight end Mark Andrews, who has proven to be a staple part of the offense – as well as one of Lamar Jackson’s favorite targets.
The six-foot-five tight end hauled in eight catches for 89 yards, two of which were touchdowns. His first came late in the first quarter when both teams struggled to put points on the board. The second came right before halftime to give the Ravens the lead. However, the defense allowed New England to get into field goal range, so their lead dwindled to 14-13.
If you did not watch the game and pulled up the stats afterward, you would think it was a relatively easy game for the Ravens. The opposite was true in the second half where every time Baltimore was looking to pull away, the Patriots would come back and score.
For most of the fourth quarter, the score read 30-26 until late in the fourth quarter when the Patriots’ young quarterback Mac Jones made a few bad reads. On New England’s last offensive possession, he appeared to tweak his ankle after throwing an interception.
You could say the Ravens held their own on defense, but there are also still loads of room for improvement. In the first three games, they gave up 77 combined points to their opponents, with the obvious outlier being the Jets who only scored nine points. Mark Andrews and company can score as many touchdowns as they want, but if they do not get stops defensively, then they never will be able to win at a high level. They have faltered especially down the stretch, and come playoff time, they need to be playing at an elite level every single play.
If the Ravens could have gotten a few more stops in these games, then the game would be over. There would be no room for a comeback or worry that the other team is going to outscore you in the second half. The team may be aware of this because on Sept. 26, the Ravens announced that they signed Jason Pierre-Paul, a veteran outside linebacker that gives the team a much-needed boost on defense. He did not play against the Patriots but is expected to play very soon.
The Ravens’ next two games are against the Buffalo Bills and the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals, two teams that will test their limits defensively. If fans are waiting for an improvement in the defense, then these next two games will be the games to watch. We know what Jackson brings to the table, as well as Andrews, both who have proved that they are already in mid-season form early this season. It will just be up to the defense to help propel the Ravens to the top of their division.
Featured Image courtesy of Patrick Smith via Getty Images
