Even after moving to 3-2 on the year with a win over Pittsburgh, is there any real reason to believe the Baltimore Ravens are a good NFL team?
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens started out the 2019 season with an electrifying 2-0 start. The offense looked near unstoppable both on the ground and through the air in wins over the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals. And after those two wins, Jackson for MVP buzz started rumbling and the Ravens appeared to be an AFC contender.
As it turns out, that may have had more to do with what the Dolphins and Cardinals are this year. Because in the three weeks since, Baltimore has looked anything but impressive.
Jackson and the offense sputtered against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3 while their defense had no chance of stopping Patrick Mahomes. Then last week, Baltimore looked shell-shocked as the Cleveland Browns hit them in the mouth on both sides of the ball and moved the Ravens to 2-2 on the year.
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For what it’s worth, the Ravens were able to get back in the win column in Week 5 as they went on the road to Heinz Field to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. They pulled out an overtime with thanks to a big-time forced fumble and Justin Tucker field goal. At the same time, however, not much about the win was impressive.
Despite beginning the game against second-string quarterback Mason Rudolph and finishing the matchup against third-stringer Devlin Hodges, the Ravens defense again struggled in a noticeable way. The Steelers were able to make a few splash plays and, more distressingly, move the ball for longer drives at times.
To worsen the matter, Jackson looked nowhere close to his MVP-level form of the opening two weeks. While his speed and rushing ability were there, his ability to effectively move the ball through the air was not. He was inaccurate and sloppy, which resulted in throwing three interceptions against a defense that can be taken advantage of.
Without question, good NFL teams are going to have outings where they play down to the level of inferior opponents. It happens almost every week and it’s human nature for it to occur. However, it deserves to be asked if the Baltimore Ravens are actually a good team.
It’s fair to say that the Ravens are not a bad football team. When you have a dynamic player like Jackson at quarterback, a strong offensive line and a reliable rushing attack led by Mark Ingram, this team is never going to be a disaster. At the same time, though, there is good reason to believe that Baltimore might be decidedly average.
For one, the defense is not the caliber of unit that we’ve seen in Baltimore over the years. Playmakers like Earl Thomas, Matthew Judon and Marlon Humphrey can step up at times but the consistent slowing down of opposing offenses just isn’t there in the manner it used to be.
Perhaps more surprising given how the offense looked in the first two weeks, Jackson might not be ready to reach the next level as a quarterback. He was phenomenal against two bad defenses but the second-year signal-caller has looked closer to the rookie version of himself than anything else. His accuracy is problematic and he has a tendency to lock in on targets.
The Ravens play the Bengals at home next week, which should result in an impressive performance for Baltimore, largely because Cincinnati is definitively one of the worst teams in the league. Having said that, as the Ravens play the Seahawks on the road and the Patriots at home in Weeks 7 and 9 for the two following games, don’t be surprised if they drop back to .500 on the season. Despite the early-season hype, that might be who this team is.