From 3-0 to 3-4 in the blink of an eye. That is what the Baltimore Ravens are looking at heading into their Week 8 bye after an embarrassing loss to the New York Jets. Playing their second game in a row at Metlife Stadium, Baltimore ran into yet another desperate team they should have handled easily, and instead came away with the loss. Here are five immediate Week 7 takeaways from the Baltimore Ravens loss to the New York Jets.
Baltimore Ravens Week Seven Takeaways
Joe Flacco Really Struggling
There are certainly a few things that led to the Ravens demise against the Jets. The biggest culprit, however, was the former Delaware University quarterback. Over and over again, Flacco missed on throws that he should have made, including a crucial third down late in the fourth quarter to Mike Wallace. Flacco lost this game by throwing two interceptions in the span of two consecutive passes deep in his own territory.
Baltimore continued with the questionable play calling, throwing the football 44 times against just ten designed runs. Sure, the running game was extremely ineffective early on, but it should not have been completely abandoned. Perhaps the most alarming aspect of Flacco’s struggles on this day was his opponent. The Jets came into the day 28th against the pass and 16th in sacks. The Ravens offensive line only gave up one sack yet Flacco still struggled to expose an extremely exposable secondary. So far through seven games, Flacco has five touchdowns and six interceptions. That is just unacceptable.
The Ravens Desperately Need Steve Smith Back
Maybe the biggest takeaway from this game was the lack of separation the receivers were able to get against a struggling Jets secondary. The only player who seemed capable of getting open was Wallace, who was magnificent. Breshad Perriman has not quite developed yet, Kamar Aiken has regressed, and the tight ends have not played as well as they did early on this season. Smith is the only receiver on the roster right now who is consistently skilled enough to beat one-on-one man coverage. Flacco has stumbled out of the gate without a doubt, but his receivers have not helped him in the slightest.
The Special Teams Kept The Ravens Alive
What more can be said about the special teams? Kicker Justin Tucker continues to show why he is the best kicker in the league right now with another 3-3 performance. Sam Koch had yet another strong performance, punting six times for a 50.8-yard average and downing three inside the 20 (with no touchbacks). Neither coverage unit was exposed, and the only touchdown scored came by way of a muffed Jets punt attempt. Big man Brandon Williams even blocked a field goal in the fourth quarter, giving the Ravens one more shot. The defense was solid (though not spectacular), the offense was offensive, but the special teams were truly special.
The Pass Rush Was Electrifying
In the three games preceding this one, the Ravens had three sacks combined. Today, even with Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil sidelined with injuries, the Ravens accumulated five sacks and seven quarterback hits, constantly wreaking havoc on the Jets offensive line. Youngsters Michael Pierce, Timmy Jernigan, and Brandon Williams each had one sack. But the real eye-popper was the fifth-round rookie out of Grand Valley State Matt Judon. Judon started in Suggs’ usual outside linebacker spot and contributed two sacks, both on pivotal third downs. Judon is certainly making his case for more playing time even when the veterans get healthy. Hopefully the pass rush can continue this momentum after the bye.
The Ravens Continue To Shoot Themselves in the Foot
Game in and game out, the Ravens put themselves in situations where a win is well within reach, only to commit a few extremely egregious errors. Inept tackling on both interception returns led to short fields for the Jets offense and ten points. There were at least two or three occasions where Flacco even tripped before handing the ball off to running back Terrance West.
However, maybe the most crucial miscue came late in the game, deep in Ravens territory. With 2:03 left in the third quarter, after Flacco’s second interception, the Jets had second and goal from the six. Matt Forte got the carry, fumbled, and Jernigan recovered it, only to fumble the ball himself on the return. The Jets recovered, punching the ball in to go up 24-16, the final score. Had Jernigan held on to the ball on that play, it would have stayed a one-point game. Who knows what would have transpired then?
While a four-game losing streak and a 3-4 record does not sound appealing, there is a silver lining. That silver lining is the struggling AFC North. The Ravens are only one game out of first place even after this losing streak. They will also play host to the bitter rival Pittsburgh Steelers after the bye for a shot at first place. Even through all the meltdowns and tough to swallow losses, Baltimore is in a good position to right the ship. The season is not over, but head coach John Harbaugh certainly has work to do during the bye week.
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