Mike Preston Grades The Ravens Blowout Loss To The Patriots
Mike Preston writes a column for the Baltimore Sun in the sports section.
Every week Mike grades the Ravens performance, and here are his grades for the Ravens blowout loss to the Patriots 41-7.
Mike Preston's Report Card
Courtesy of the Baltimore Sun:
Quarterbacks: F
There will be no excuses for Joe Flacco because of the knee injury. He forced passes into double coverage and missed open receivers. His knee gave out, but his brain short circuited as well. Backup Tyrod Taylor gained some yards after the game was virtually over, but the blown handling of a snap out of the shotgun formation was ugly. Flacco had a 25.8 rating at halftime. Grade: F
Running backs: C-
The Ravens couldn't get a consistent running game going against one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. The Ravens didn't help Ray Rice or Bernard Pierce with those dive plays out of the shotgun formation. The Ravens have become predictable, and they can't be that way with two mediocre backs. Grade: C-
Receivers: D+
It would be interesting to see what the Patriots could do with the Ravens' group of receivers. There were plenty of times they couldn't get open, and when they did, Flacco overthrew them. Jacoby Jones had one reception for 11 yards, and the Ravens didn't get much from any of their outside guys. Grade: D+
Offensive line: D
There is not much to say for a group that repeatedly gets stopped on short yardage situations. It's embarrassing. The Ravens can't get enough movement inside and are allowing too much penetration on the outside. Left tackle Eugene Monroe has been solid throughout the year, and right guard Marshal Yanda has gotten better as the year has progressed. Grade: D
Defensive line: D
New England came into the game with a suspect offensive line, but the Patriots pounded the Ravens. The Patriots rushed for 142 yards on 34 carries and dominated the Ravens with a 48-yard drive late in the game. End Arthur Jones, pictured, had eight tackles, and tackle Haloti Ngata had six. Grade: D
Linebackers: D
The Ravens had trouble against both the run and the pass Sunday. The inside linebackers didn't appear to get deep drops, and the Patriots neutralized Elvis Dumervil in the second half. Terrell Suggs, pictured, had a decent game against the run and had several pressures. He showed up for this game and will have to again next week in Cincinnati. Grade: D
Secondary: D
Physically, the Ravens should have handled Patriots receivers Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman, but this group was lost in the first half. New England attacked the entire field, but hit a lot of receptions over the middle in the first half. We've seen that quite a lot this season. Grade: D
Special teams: C
You knew the Ravens had no chance of winning this game when Mr. Automatic, Justin Tucker, missed the 37-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. Jacoby Jones appeared close to breaking several returns, but New England did a nice job of containing him. The Ravens committed several penalties that had major impact. Grade: C
Coaching: F
The Ravens weren't ready to play. They came out flat and had no answers for New England's offense early in the game. Offensively, the Ravens are stuck in a rut. Because of poor line play, they can only do so much. Head coach John Harbaugh continues to make some questionable decisions on game day. Grade: F
