MIKE PRESTON’S REPORT CARD
QUARTERBACK
Lamar Jackson still has to prove he can beat Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in a big game. Kansas City did a good job of shutting down Jackson and the Ravens’ short passing offense, especially over the middle. Jackson was erratic in the first half but made some plays with his legs in the second as the Ravens tried to rally. Grade: C
RUNNING BACK
The Ravens got very little from starter Mark Ingram II or backup J.K. Dobbins. Gus Edwards seemed to provide a spark in the second half with some straight runs up the middle, just as he did against Houston. The Ravens might want to play him more because he has been the most successful of the trio.
Grade: B
RECEIVERS
The Ravens dropped too many passes, especially tight ends Nick Boyle and Mark Andrews. If the Ravens are going to open up the offense, they need to get more passes downfield to speedsters such as Marquise Brown and Devin Duvernay. The Chiefs sat on a lot of the Ravens’ short to intermediate crossing routes. Grade: D
OFFENSIVE LINE
The pass protection in the first half was poor, and the Ravens tackles, Orlando Brown Jr. and Ronnie Stanley, had trouble handling the Chiefs’ speed off the edge. They improved in the second half but wore down. This group is not very good in pass protection. The Ravens need to get a lead for this group to dominate. Grade: C
SECONDARY
The Ravens got exposed every way imaginable.They couldn’t tackle after the catch and shied away from Chiefs running backs after long runs. Ravens CB Marcus Peters got beat several times, and he was as bad Monday night as he had been in training camp. The Ravens were beat physically but mentally as well. Grade: F
DEFENSIVE LINE
Ends Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe and nose tackle Brandon Williams couldn’t mount much of a pass rush. Only Williams played well against the run. If the Ravens want to make a serious playoff run, this group has to get better because the young group of linebackers can’t handle the pounding up front.
Grade: D
LINEBACKERS
Matthew Judon is one of the highest-paid outside linebackers in the NFL, but he hasn’t played like one. Neither Judon nor Pernell McPhee has been getting much pressure on opposing QBs, and the best one of the group might be reserve Tyus Bowser. ick Queen looked lost in coverage sometimes. Grade: D
SPECIAL TEAMS
Rookie receiver Duvernay returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown in the first half, the only sign of life by the team in the half. The Ravens didn’t return a kickoff or punt for a touchdown at all last season. Justin Tucker converted on two field-goal attempts, and the special teams actually kept the Ravens in the game. Grade: A
COACHING
It’s amazing that the Ravens can be so flat in big games, and they were dismal in the first half. The Chiefs did a number on the Ravens defense with an assortment of formations and countered most of the Ravens’ blitzes. Offensively, the Ravens were out of sync for nearly three quarters.
Grade: D