Ravens Report Card Week 1 Vs. Jets

Baltimore gets solid grades.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens earned high marks for their 24-9 victory over the New York Jets in Week 1. 

Here's their Report Card:

Offense

Quarterback: Lamar Jackson overcame a slow start and completed 17 of 30 passes for 213 yards with three touchdowns and an interception for a 98.3 rating. He only had 17 yards rushing on 16 carries and the Ravens still routed New York. Jackson had a couple of quick sidearm throws that went incomplete but his timing will improve.  Grade: A-

Running backs: Kenyan Drake was signed last week and got the most carries. Drake also started slow because he's only had the playbook for a week but got better as the game evolved. He finished with 31 yards on 11 carries. Drake also had a 15-yard reception out of the backfield. Mike Davis had a fumble that the Ravens recovered. Overall, the Ravens managed 64 yards on the ground. The hope is J.K. Dobbins can get back on the field over the next two weeks. Grade: C

Wide Receivers: Devin Duvernay had his best game as a pro and caught a career-high two touchdown passes from 17 and 25 yards. Rashod Bateman had a 55-yard touchdown reception late in the third quarter. Tight end Mark Andrews was not targeted until the second quarter but finished with five catches for 52 yards. Demarcus Robinson flashed. Grade: A

Offensive Line: Left tackle Ja'Wuan James suffered a torn Achilles and is out for the year. Pat Mekari took his spot and will be the starter until Ronnie Stanley is ready. Rookie center Tyler Linderbaum had some growing pains but played mostly solid. Morgan Moses had an effective debut and Kevin Zeitler had another good game. The Ravens do need to improve with the run blocking. Grade: C+

The @Ravens overcame a slow start and impressively pulled away from the Jets in the regular season opener.#RavensFlock #RavensNation
https://t.co/e5x29XDpB5 via @toddkarpovich

— Todd Karpovich (@toddkarpovich) September 12, 2022

Defense

Linebackers: Patrick Queen did a good job running down the ball and had a solid game with a half-sack and eight tackles. Justin Houston was able to get pressure and finished with a sack. Outside linebacker Steven Means was activated for the game and played well. Grade: B+

Defensive line: New York quarterback Joe Flacco was under pressure for much of the game, and this unit played a big role.  Third-year players Justin Madubuike was a force throughout the game, was credited with a half-sack, and could be poised for a breakout season. Nose tackle Michael Pierce forced a fumble. Calais Campbell had a sack. Grade: A

Secondary: New safety Marcus Williams managed his first Ravens interception late in the first quarter that gave Jackson the ball on the 13. Williams had a team-high 12 tackles. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey had an early penalty but was dominant the rest of the way playing inside. Marcus Peters was a late scratch. Rookie safety Kyle Hamilton missed a couple of tackles and needs to improve his technique. Flacco was 37 of 59 for 307 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Grade: B

Special Teams

Punter Jordan Stout might have been the Ravens' best-performing rookie, averaging 48.5 yards on six punts. Justin Tucker made a 24-yard field-goal attempt. Coverage was mostly solid and Devin Duvernay had some solid punt returns. Grade: A-

Coaching

Coach John Harbaugh decided to rest most of his starters for the preseason games to keep them healthy. The strategy worked and the Ravens overcame a slow start to run past the Jets. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman needs to figure out why the receivers and tight ends were so close to one another running their routes several times. This created confusion. Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald had a fantastic debut. Grade: A

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