Five things we learned from Ravens’ win over Steelers
Here are five things we learned from the Ravens’ 26-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night: Joe Flacco hasn’t thrown to such a varied set of targets since 2012.
Wide receiver John Brown has rightly emerged as the headliner given how quickly his downfield chemistry with Flacco changed the Ravens’ offense.
But Flacco completed passes to 11 receivers Sunday as he posted the best statistical line in his long history of traveling to Pittsburgh. And that didn’t include rookie tight end Hayden Hurst, who could make his debut next weekend in Cleveland.
For the first time since the Super Bowl season in 2012, Flacco can find an appealing target no matter where he looks on the field.
He trusts slot receiver Willie Snead IV (six catches on seven targets against the Steelers) to catch balls in tight spaces on must-have plays. He knows wideout Michael Crabtree can outfight most
defensive backs for a contested ball in the end zone.
Rookie tight end Mark Andrews has made efficient use of his targets. Running backs Buck Allen and Alex Collins have acted as sure-handed safety valves.
Largely forgotten veterans such as tight end Maxx Williams have discovered new life in this many-headed passing offense. Flacco even zipped a throw to return specialist Tim White for a key first down in the second half against Pittsburgh.
You can sense his enthusiasm now that he’s finally at the helm of another multi-faceted attack. (Flacco was annoyed the Ravens didn’t score points at Heinz Field.) You can also sense offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg’s liberation as he dreams up ways to play with his bountiful toy box. The 2018 Ravens learn as they go on defense.
Many Ravens fans felt queasy in the pits of their stomachs as Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger rallied his team to a 14-14 tie before halftime. After the Ravens jumped on their nemesis early, Roethlisberger was right back to gashing the middle of the Baltimore defense, much as he had in a 506-yard masterpiece in December.
“Big Ben” is the evil clown in the attic of the Ravens’ recurring nightmares. And it was easy to assume he’d finish his job in the second half.
Instead, the Ravens continued a remarkable trend as they held a fourth straight opponent without a post-halftime touchdown.
A fluke of distribution? Perhaps, but the Ravens genuinely believe they’re more adaptable on defense than they have been in recent seasons. Many players credit first-year defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, who accepted a game ball for the collective effort in Pittsburgh. The Ravens are smart to keep using Lamar Jackson, but his role could create tension.
Mornhinweg did not hesitate to put Jackson at quarterback for several pivotal plays in the tense environment at Heinz Field. The rookie gained a modest 17 yards on four carries, but the Ravens moved the ball on the ground when he stepped in for Flacco.
“Well, he was getting yards,” coach John Harbaugh said when asked about the thinking behind Jackson’s role.
We didn’t see Jackson line up wide and go in motion as a decoy or an end-around threat. He either handed the ball to a running back or ran off tackle himself.
It will be fascinating to see whether and when the Ravens ask Jackson to throw out of these sets. They’ll have to if they want to keep defenses guessing when No. 8 runs onto the field.
It will also be fascinating to monitor Flacco’s mood as the Ravens feature Jackson more prominently. So far, he’s been diplomatic when discussing the issue.
As long as the Ravens win and the rookie produces first downs, expect Flacco to handle the matter gracefully. But don’t mistake his good manners for complete comfort. The secondary deserves high marks for its play without Jimmy Smith.
It’s weird to say the impending return of the team’s top cornerback is a luxury. But outside of the first half in Cincinnati, the Ravens have played top-notch pass defense without Smith.
Steelers All-Pro Antonio Brown offered the sternest test to date. He destroyed the Ravens secondary, playing without Smith, for 213 yards in December. After that game, then-defensive coordinator Dean Pees said he regretted not using Marlon Humphrey to shadow Brown all over the field.
Martindale learned from that experience and asked Humphrey to stick with Brown for much of Sunday’s game. Brown made a terrific 26-yard touchdown catch late in the second quarter, despite tight coverage from the secondyear cornerback. That’s what great players do. But other than that one flash, Humphrey limited the best receiver in the world to four underneath catches, only one of them in the second half.
It was another chapter in the 2017 first-round pick’s seemingly inevitable ascent. The Ravens have put themselves into position for an exceptional season.
The Ravens had already held serve on the first quarter of their season by winning decisively at home against the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos.
A commanding win in Pittsburgh — even against a team sputtering on defense and playing without All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell — expanded their horizon for 2018.
We have not seen the Ravens go to Heinz Field and control a game on both sides of the ball since the 2014 playoffs. This team combines a legitimately interesting, gifted offense with a defense that reacts well to adversity.
That sounds like a postseason contender.