The Baltimore Ravens couldn’t quite pull it out in overtime against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The Browns defeated the Ravens 12-9 on a 37-yard game-winning field goal by Greg Joseph. Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, Jabrill Peppers, and company stifled the Ravens offense for most of the game. Baltimore entered this matchup ranked 10th in total yards per game and had the fifth-highest scoring average in the league. But Joe Flacco and the rest of the offense could not find their rhythm against the Browns. In the past two games, the offense has struggled to score touchdowns in the red zone. The Ravens started the season scoring 13 touchdowns in 13 red zone trips but have zero touchdowns in their last seven trips.
The loss to the Browns last Sunday marked only the third time John Harbaugh has lost to Cleveland in his 11 years in Baltimore. Baker Mayfield became the first rookie quarterback to record a win against the Ravens under Harbaugh. Since the start of 2008, Baltimore had been 7-0 against rookie quarterbacks. Besides for an early interception to Tavon Young, Mayfield played well against the NFL’s third-ranked defense. He completed 25 of 43 passes for 342 yards and one touchdown. The Ravens sacked Mayfield six times but he continued to stay poised in the pocket and deliver accurate passes under duress. His clutch throw to Derrick Willies in overtime helped seal his first career home victory.
Baltimore will have to study the film and make some corrections before heading to Tennesse on Sunday. Below are some of the major concerns Ravens following their loss in Week Five.
Baltimore Ravens Concerns Following Loss to Cleveland Browns
Lack of Consistency in Running Game
Marty Mornhinweg went with a pass-heavy offensive game plan against the Browns. Joe Flacco finished the game throwing 56 total passes. Out of those 56 passes, Flacco had 29 completions for 298 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception. In such a low scoring game, it’s perplexing as to why Mornhinweg went with a pass-first approach. The Ravens now have a record of 3-12 when Joe Flacco has 50 or more passing attempts.
Alex Collins started the game off early with an explosive 19-yard carry. Collins’ long run led you to believe that the Ravens would continue to establish the run game early on. However, this was not the case. As a team, the Ravens ran the ball 25 times for 116 yards. Collins finished the game with only 12 carries for 59 yards. Javorious Allen finished with 34 yards on eight carries but had a crucial fumble, which led to a Cleveland field goal.
Baltimore currently ranks 30th in yards per carry (3.4) and 25th in rushing yards per game (94.4). They’ve run the ball a total of 139 times and only six teams have run it more. Against the Browns, the Ravens were averaging an impressive 4.6 yards per carry. Mornhinweg should’ve let his running backs lead them to victory against Cleveland because they were finally producing. The offensive line has had a hard time clearing running lanes for the running backs all season. Baltimore needs to build off their strong performance and continue to be consistent in the run game by handing the ball off more.
Michael Crabtree‘s Drops Are Becoming an Issue
Michael Crabtree finished the game against the Browns as the Ravens leading receiver. Crabtree had six catches for 66 yards. Yes, these numbers show an overall solid performance but there were a few plays that he left out on the field.
Heading into the Week Five matchup, Crabtree was tied for the league lead in dropped passes with a total of five. In Cleveland, Crabtree once again struggled to hold onto the ball as he finished the game with two total drops. Crabtree dropped what would have been the go-ahead touchdown with the Ravens trailing by three. Flacco put the ball in a perfect spot between defenders but Crabtree could not come down with it.
After the game, Crabtree shouldered a lot of the blame for the loss. Crabtree said, “I had a game-winner I could have caught. I put that on me.” Instead of pointing fingers, Crabtree took full responsibility and understands that he has to play better. His goal going forward is to ensure that he doesn’t make a habit of letting his teammates down.
The Ravens signed Crabtree to a three-year, $21 million deal this offseason. He was expected to come in and be the leader of their new receiving corps. Crabtree currently leads the Ravens in receptions and targets with 38 and 24, respectively. Flacco has already shown that he has a lot of trust in Crabtree. For their connection to continue to grow, Crabtree must prove that he can be reliable. Crabtree said it best, “I have to go back to the drawing board, man, and get my s— together.”
Miscues on Special Teams Need to Be Fixed
The Ravens have had some uncharacteristically bad special teams play as of late. Baltimore’s special team coordinator, Jerry Rosburg, understands that his unit has to play better. Changes have already started to begin. News broke yesterday that Baltimore signed cornerback/returner Cyrus Jones. They released wide receiver/returner Tim White who fumbled on a punt return against the Browns. Linebacker Kenny Young recovered the fumble but the Ravens still chose to let White go. Harbaugh is a former special teams coach so he has a zero-tolerance policy for returners with ball security problems.
Just a few weeks earlier, Baltimore chose to release wide receiver/returner Janarion Grant due to fumble issues as well. The Ravens are hopeful that Cyrus Jones can come in and solve this problem. Unfortunately, the return game is not the only area on special teams where Baltimore has been struggling. Justin Tucker had his second field goal of the season blocked against the Browns. Cornerback Denzel Ward was able to come around the edge and block the 48-yard attempt right before halftime. Baltimore also had a punt blocked in Week Three against the Broncos when linebacker Tyus Bowser missed his blocking assignment. The Ravens special teams unit has to correct these mistakes moving forward because they’re costing their team points.
