The Baltimore Ravens fell to 4-3 on the 2018 season as they dropped their week seven matchup to the New Orleans Saints 24-23. A game that was touted as one of the most exciting of the year lived up to the hype as both teams showcased why one possessed the league’s best offense (New Orleans) and the other (Baltimore), the league’s best defense. Both teams seemed evenly matched throughout the contest but Justin Tucker‘s first-ever missed extra point led to the Ravens coming up just short in a game that well deserved overtime. The kick appeared to be headed straight down the middle of the uprights but quickly veered to the right as the Saints celebrated a sixth consecutive victory.
These are four takeaways for Baltimore after the tough loss.
Four Takeaways From the Baltimore Ravens Loss to the New Orleans Saints
Justin Tucker Is Not to Blame
Though the NFL’s all-time most accurate kicker was quick to shoulder the blame for the loss, there is no need to think misses will become a problem for the two-time All-Pro. So far in 2018, Tucker’s only miss on the year was the extra point he missed against the Saints. The record shows he is 12 for 14 this season but both misses have been blocked kicks — one in Week Four against the Denver Broncos and the other in Week Five against the Cleveland Browns. He had also made 222 straight extra points on his career, even after the NFL pushed back the extra point try from the two-yard line to the 15.
His first missed extra point came in an incredibly magnified spot but Tucker should be back next week nailing routine kicks like the superstar he is. The wind was clearly swirling throughout the game, as demonstrated on most of his kicks, and John Harbaugh showed his clear devotion to Tucker saying “He’s the best in the business at what he does. He’ll handle it great.” Coming into the day, Tucker had not kicked wide on an attempt under 58-yards in 180 kicks. Believe me, Tucker was clearly the person most shocked by the miss.
"The guys in the locker room that have my back, that means the world to me." pic.twitter.com/oSPn1WebvP
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 21, 2018
Baltimore Can Trust Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco has given the Ravens a lot of reasons to believe in him again since the beginning of this season. He has brought the offense out of the dark from last year thanks to his new receivers and had another good game against the Saints defense that forced Flacco to throw the ball. Though the Ravens final drive did not end up sending the game to overtime, it was perhaps the most clutch four-minute offense Flacco has conducted in the last three years. Flacco had not led a fourth-quarter game-winning drive since September of 2016 against a Jacksonville Jaguars squad that finished the year 3-13.
Starting from his own 21-yard line and 2:03 left on the game clock, Flacco executed a six-play, 81-yard drive topped off by a 14-yard toss to find John Brown wide open in the end zone. He only had one timeout at his disposal and marched methodically as the Saints continually gave him space in the middle of the field. The effort was for-not but would have been a huge momentum boost going into overtime.
Overall, Flacco had a good day. Baltimore was limited to just under 3.4 yards per rush attempt on the day and Flacco made up for the ground game shortcomings with his arm. He finished the day 23/39 for 279 yards, two scores, and a passer rating of 98.1. Flacco once again showed that he plays his best football in high-pressure situations and should have a lot of confidence going into Carolina next Sunday. Though Lamar Jackson is getting playing time, Flacco’s job is in no jeopardy.
The Pass Rush Still Needs Some Priming
Coming off a win in which the defense totaled a franchise-best 11 sacks against the Tennessee Titans, the pass rush should’ve been the least of the Ravens concerns. However, the pass rush once against looked tame against a Saints front that was missing its starting left guard. Terrell Suggs is still proving to be an ageless wonder, picking up the Ravens only sack of the day and two tackles for loss, but the rest of the unit was rarely heard from. Eight different Ravens picked up sacks in the win against Tennessee but yet, they were only able to pressure Drew Brees on six of his 31 dropbacks.
Give credit to the Saints who own maybe the best pass-blocking line in the NFL but the pass rush still needs to improve. The Ravens had compiled the most sacks in the league going into their matchup with New Orleans and were completely halted by the Saints. If you remove Baltimore’s matchups with the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans, the Ravens only have 10 sacks in the other five games. The interior of the defensive line once again did a good job against the run but had little pressure when it came to getting to the quarterback. Members of the d-line only have a combined total of three sacks for the Ravens in 2018.
The Ravens need someone to step up for the pass rush in the times where it looks bleakest. It could be Za’Darius Smith (who leads the Ravens in sacks), Matt Judon (10 sacks in 2017), or Willie Henry (11 QB hits in 2017 as a rookie). If the Ravens cannot get consistent pressure in their most meaningful games, it won’t matter if they make it into the playoffs, they’ll be quickly ushered out.
Jimmy Smith Still Needs Time to Return to Form
When Smith returned from the suspension that kept him out of the Ravens first four games, there was even more promise for a secondary that already was among the NFL’s most elite. Since Smith’s return, the Ravens are 1-2 with two heartbreaking losses and Smith drawing a lot of focus for a bad outing against New Orleans.
Smith was never outright burned but he did end up allowing five catches on the six times he was targeted. Most notably, a long reception by Michael Thomas and a small completion to the Saints power-back, Mark Ingram. He also surrendered a touchdown and a pass interference call that led to another. Thomas was the first real ‘elite’ receiver the Ravens had seen since bottling Antonio Brown up without Smith, and Smith failed his first test. Marlon Humphrey was inactive against the Saints with a thigh injury and was desperately needed during more than one crucial situation.
The Ravens are used to seeing elite players struggle after returning from long absences. Just last year, Flacco missed the entirety of training camp and Baltimore’s offense suffered all year greatly because of it. With Humphrey likely returning next week, Smith and Humphrey will play just their second game of the season together where they both receive regular playing time. Hopefully, both will be beneficial to the other and can stay in the lineup together. The secondary was Baltimore’s biggest strength in 2017 and must settle down in 2018.
Last Word
Despite the Ravens loss, they should go into Carolina next week with their heads held high. New Orleans’ offense is playing at an incredibly high level and no team but the Ravens and the Browns have been able to keep them under 33 points.
The Panthers should provide another good test for the Ravens as they come in with an offense that loves to run the ball. Cam Newton hasn’t faced the Ravens since 2014 when Steve Smith took out his rage after being cut out on his former team. The matchup in Carolina should be another low-scoring affair and could be decided by Tucker in his first rebound game ever.
