Here's how columnist graded the Ravens' performance in a 16-14 win over the Steelers. The Ravens will have to make a difficult budget decision when he asks for a top-of-the-market contract after the season, but he has earned that level of reward. This team is not taking off like that one did, but Smith’s impact is just as profound, perhaps more so given the lack of corresponding offensive firepower. We saw the arrival of cornerback Marcus Peters lift the Ravens’ defense when they went on their epic 12-game winning streak in 2019. He and Queen (who matched Smith with six tackles and an interception) continue to thrive as partners. In his first taste of Ravens-Steelers combat, he knocked Pittsburgh starting quarterback Kenny Pickett from the game with a cleanup sack (facilitated by Patrick Queen’s initial pressure), stepped in front of tight end Pat Freiermuth for a red zone interception and helped limit a trio of Steelers running backs to 48 yards on 17 carries. He was the best defensive player on the field in the Ravens’ win over Denver. Smith has kept them on the right side of that margin the last two weeks. As we saw in Jacksonville, they have almost no margin for error when their defense falters. The Ravens have scored a total of 39 points over their last three wins. The ultimate payoff for his choice remains to be seen, but man, it’s looking good right now, with Smith giving a talented defense that extra something almost every week.
1 wide receiver Rashod Bateman was done for the season? Instead, DeCosta decided no offensive player he could acquire would lift the Ravens’ Super Bowl chances as much as a proven middle linebacker from the Chicago Bears. Why couldn’t general manager Eric DeCosta use his draft capital to pick up another target for Jackson when he knew there was a good chance No. (Fred Vuich / AP) The Ravens could not have done better than Roquan Smith at the trade deadline.Īgain, we tend to view so much Ravens activity through the lens of what they have not done to pump up their offense. Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, left, is sacked by Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith during the first half Sunday in Pittsburgh. They completed 11 passes for 104 yards on the day and converted on just four of 13 third downs. Two of their best defenders from recent weeks, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Kyle Hamilton, lapsed in coverage as the Steelers drove for a fourth-quarter touchdown in a mere 49 seconds. They missed too many tackles in the second half. They did not answer these doubts with a flawless performance. Would it begin with another close loss to their black-and-gold antagonists? How many of us would have picked the Ravens if we knew third-string quarterback Anthony Brown would have to take them home on a gray afternoon in Pittsburgh?
#SOLITAIRE EPIC DECEMER 16 FREE#
Was any fan base of an 8-4 team in a worse mood last week? With the Ravens’ offense on life support and franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson temporarily out of the picture, we wondered if they were poised for a free fall akin to the one we witnessed at this time last year.
Advertisement This win, the Ravens’ most important to date, revealed a team that won’t fade away gently.
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