Ravens Isaiah Likely 'Going to Build Off' Performance vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Says John Harbaugh
Baltimore Ravens second-year tight end Isaiah Likely stepped in for the injured Mark Andrews and played a significant role in his team racing out to a 10-3 lead in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers in the 20-10 win at SoFi Stadium.
Likely's RAC ability was on show as his explosiveness after the catch resulted in an 18-yard catch on a first-and-20 and then an 11-yard catch in a second-and-12, which helped the Ravens move the chains.
For head coach John Harbaugh, he was happy with what Likely was able to do with an increased snap count.
“He did a great job,” Harbaugh said. “I just, you know he's athletic man, I mean to see him, those are things you guys have all seen in practice and training camp and all that, in preseason, that's kind of who you thought he was going to be when he got his opportunity. So really proud of him, happy for him, and he going to he's going to be able to build off that.”
Likely would finish the first half with four catches for 40 yards, as he showed to be a viable option for Lamar Jackson and would lead Baltimore in receiving yards for the game.
Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely performed well against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports
While it is only one game, it was productive and will no doubt make the Ravens coaching staff breath a little easier after the loss of Mark Andrews. Likely had a chance to show what he could do as the offense's TE1, and he came through with flying colors in the first half.
But what did offensive coordinator Todd Monken think about Isaiah's efforts?
"We're lucky to have Isaiah, and he did a good job the other night he's going to continue to grow as a player," Monken said.
The Ravens move to 9-3 on the season and hold the No. 1 seed in the AFC as their bye week comes at the right time.
Following their bye, the Ravens still face the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, and the Pittsburgh Steelers in a tough run-in to the playoffs.
But for now, the Ravens are sitting pretty atop the AFC and may have just unearthed another tight end capable of becoming a serious problem for defenses.
