Seahawks Embarrass Ravens; Ensured First Losing Season In Harbaugh Era
By Samuel Njoku
The Ravens were underdogs in their game against the Seahawks — and rightfully so. Since losing numerous players to injury, the Ravens simply don't have the talent to match up with the best the NFL has to offer. But given their recent success, it was hard to envision a scenario where the Ravens would be blown out at home. But that's exactly what happened on Sunday.
Offense: F+
You knew with Jimmy Clausen in the starting lineup in place of an injured Matt Schaub, that this was going to be a long day for the offense. But none could have guessed that their struggle had almost nothing to do with their quarterback. That's not to say Clausen was spectacular on Sunday. But for someone with two weeks worth of practice, the results weren't too bad. He was 23 of 40 for 274 yards and one interception. Against a strong Seahawks secondary, the Ravens couldn't have asked for much more.
The problem rests with the running game. It was virtually non existent. The Ravens leading rusher was Terrance West. He finished with 5 rushes for 16 yards. That's no typo. The Ravens were forced to abandon the run completely because Seattle loaded the box with 8 or sometimes even 9 defenders. The Seahawks dared Baltimore to throw the football and they did — but the Ravens were unsuccessful in reaching the endzone.
Defense: F-
The Ravens defense have fooled us for the past few weeks. The secondary in particular has looked strong since the bye week. But it's evident based on the results of this contest that their success was simply a result of the lack of talent the opposing teams possessed in the wideout position. Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett combined for 5 touchdowns against Lardarius Webb and company. They were either caught out of position or were out-hustled for the ball on nearly every play on Sunday.
The lack of any pass rush was also an issue with the amount of time Russell Wilson had in the pocket. The Seahawks potent running game was shut down, but why run when the passing attack is so effective? The Ravens defense needs work — badly.
Special Teams: B+
As has been the case for most of the season, the Special Teams unit played very good football. If Sam Koch doesn't represent the AFC in the Pro Bowl this year, it'll be a travesty. He's been unbelievable. Justin Tucker scored the only points for Baltimore. Both teams did a good job of ensuring that neither punt/kick returners reached the endzone.
Coaching: C-
The coaching staff did as good a job as expected to prepare Jimmy Clausen for the Seahawks. But the coaching staff has to shoulder some of the blame for the play of the defense. They looked lost on the field. The coaches will be the first ones to look at when a defense looks the way they did on Sunday.
The Ravens will now turn their attention towards the Kansas City Chiefs. Baltimore has been eliminated from playoff contention and will now be playing for something other than the Vince Lombardi trophy the last 3 weeks of the season. With Kansas City still in the hunt, it'll be interesting to see which team comes to play on Sunday.
Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. Samuel Njoku is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.