Team Grades: Ravens Blowout Atlanta Falcons; Gain Sole Possession Of First Place In AFC North
By Samuel Njoku
Baltimore defeated the Atlanta Falcons 29-7 at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday. The Ravens have been nothing short of impressive the past two weeks registering two blowouts against NFC opponents. Baltimore now has sole possession of first place in the AFC North with a pivotal matchup against Cincinnati approaching. Here are the grades from Week 7:
Offense Grade: B
The Ravens offensive line was dominant against the Tampa Bay Bucs in Week 6. That wasn’t quite the case against the Atlanta Falcons. James Hurst struggled to keep tabs on blitzers and was routinely called for holding when he was beat in 1-on-1 matchups. Besides the inconsistency of the O-line, the offense had a pretty good day. Both Steve and Torrey Smith routinely found separation from their defensive backs and Owen Daniels continues to help make fans forget about the loss of Dennis Pitta.
But the biggest surprise on offense continues to be the play of Justin Forsett. He may be a small back but his burst out of the line of scrimmage has been a jolt of energy this offense has lacked for a few seasons. The level of competition has been low against two struggling defenses, but an upcoming game against the Bengals should be a great test for an offense that appears to be on a roll.
Defense Grade: A-
It was an impressive showing for the Ravens defense once again in Week 7. Going against premier receivers in Roddy White and Julio Jones, many thought that they would struggle to contain the Falcons offense. The Ravens secondary would answer the call and kept many of Matt Ryan’s weapons in check. The big heroes of the day were the Ravens front 7 as they got to Ryan on nearly a play-by-play basis. It was Halloween come early for the Falcons quarterback as he ran for his life for most of the game. Baltimore would finish the game with 5 sacks including a safety that would basically seal the game. With Will Hill inching closer to the starting FS spot, this defense has a good chance to be among the elite in the NFL.
Quarterback Grade: B
Joe Flacco didn’t enjoy the luxury presented to him last week against the Bucs, but he wouldn’t need it as he was still comfortable enough to make all the throws asked of him. He would hit Owen Daniels early for a touchdown as well as a deep strike to Torrey Smith in the middle of the game. Both plays were exceptional by the 6th year quarterback. Flacco did make some mistakes by throwing a pair of interceptions. But that may have been a case of Flacco being too comfortable with his ability to make the throw. Atlanta did a good job of playing the ball on both occasions and had a real chance to grab a couple more balls from the Ravens. Flacco will need to do a better job of making decisions in the future, but he was able to get the job done in this one.
Special Teams Grade: C+
Justin Tucker was great as he connected on 2 field goals. This unit took a huge hit as Morgan Cox was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Jacoby Jones has struggled again in punt coverage with a muffed punt that nearly brought the Falcons back in the game. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if Jones lost his punt return duties to Michael Campanaro who has played well when given the opportunity.
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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.