Ravens Punter Mistake Proves Costly

A special teams miscue doomed the Baltimore Ravens against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Aug 26, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Baltimore Ravens punter Jordan Stout (11) punts the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Lost in the mess of the Baltimore Ravens' 26-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday was the poor performance of the special teams unit.

Yes, Justin Tucker missed a 56-yard field goal, dropping him to one for seven on 50+ yard attemtps since the start of last season and proving that Father Time comes for us all. However, punter Jordan Stout also had a performance to forget, and one that arguably hurt the Ravens even more.

Stout, punted four times for 173 yards on Sunday, but it's his last attempt that he'd really like to have back. With 2:27 left in the fourth quarter, the third-year pro shanked a punt out of bounds for just 24 yards. Add on a five-yard penalty, and the Raiders started their game-winning drive from the Ravens' 43-yard line, right on the cusp of field goal range.

The Ravens still have confidence in Stout, but they need him to be much better and more consistent going forward.

"Jordan is one of the best punters in the world, and that punt has got to be made – he knows it – and not just that one; it wasn't a good game," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters. "It wasn't the kind of game he's capable of, [and] it's not the way he punted in practice, so you've got to take your practice performance, and you've got to take it to the game; you've got to help us.

"So, he's very conscientious, [and] he wants to be the best. Sometimes you've got to take a deep breath and just go through your technique and do it the right way, and he's capable of that, and we're going to keep supporting him and keep coaching him, and I'm confident [that] he's going to get the job done. But the job wasn't done in the last game, and it hurt our team."

Stout, a 2022 third-round pick from Penn State, has plenty of talent, and averaged 47.8 yards per punt last season. However, developing consistency will be key for his long-term future, and Sunday's game showed he still has a long way to go.

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