The Ravens are back on track after winning three straight games, including their Monday night matchup against the New Orleans Saints. There were two major questions coming into this game; could the Ravens contain the Saints’ star running back, Alvin Kamara, and would the Ravens’ offense continue to be dominant without tight end Mark Andrews? Both were answered at halftime as the score read 14-3 in favor of the Ravens.
The true silver lining was the defense, as they did not allow a touchdown until the fourth quarter. 14 players recorded at least one sack with Marlon Humphrey, Kyle Hamilton, and Patrick Queen leading the way with five combined sacks. Outside linebacker Justin Houston filled up the stat sheet the most with two tackles, one assist, an interception, and 2.5 sacks.
The Saints’ rushing game was also locked down as they only produced 48 rushing yards as opposed to the Ravens’ 188. This is a great sign for fans who had concerns about the defense, as in the past three games the Ravens’ defense looked to be playing at an elite level, especially down the stretch.
Switching gears, the offense was slightly stagnant in the first half, but Lamar Jackson and company found their groove in the second half. There were a few times that he seemed to be frustrated with his offensive line not snapping the ball quickly enough, but overall, the team looked formidable. Running back Kenyan Drake had one of his best games of the season. He tallied 24 carries, 93 yards, and punched in two touchdowns, a season-high for Drake.
The rookie tight end Isaiah Likely also got involved in the absence of Andrews, as he had one catch, but it was for a 24-yard touchdown. Now, the team will get some rest as Week 10 is their bye week, and hopefully, Week 11 will be the return of Andrews along with a few other noticeable names like Gus Edwards. Their next four games are against the Panthers, Jaguars, Broncos, and Steelers, all of which currently have losing records. If the Ravens can beat all of them, that would put them at 10-3 with four games left on the schedule with a clear shot at making the playoffs and winning the division. This week, all they can do is sit back and hope the Bengals and Browns both lose their matchups respectively.
Featured Image Courtesy of Jonathan Bachman via Getty Images.
