Ravens clearly must keep improving after narrow win over Eagles

The Ravens gave up 22 points in the fourth quarter but escaped Philly with a win.

Yes, the Baltimore Ravens won their Week 6 game on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles and it’s cause for celebration. But at the same time, it should never have come down to getting a stop on a late two-point conversion attempt.

A 30-28 win over the Eagles masquerades the fact that the Ravens nearly blew a 17-point halftime lead. The Ravens are 5-1 on the 2020 NFL season as they head into their bye week, still sitting at second in the AFC North after the Steelers knocked off the Browns to remain unbeaten and the Bengals blew a 21-point lead to the Colts.

Sunday’s contest for the Ravens should not have been as close as it ended up being, though. Baltimore was dominating from the start, only to slightly take their foot off the gas in the fourth frame, which led to an Eagles resurgence that John Harbaugh’s team nearly couldn’t stop.

It’s reasonable to say that officiating had a part in the Eagles near-comeback. However, if the Ravens are as good as they have said they are, they shouldn’t find themselves in such tight late-game situations against inferior opponents.

In order to win the AFC North, the Ravens must step up their game and improve.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers leading the division at 5-0 and next on the schedule after the Week 7 bye, the Ravens will have to find a way to regroup and reset as this type of performance will only result in a loss against their bitter rivals.

Lamar Jackson was productive, without a doubt. In the second half, he did have an impressive touchdown run. His passing, however, needs a few fixes that are easily achievable provided they come in a couple of weeks. The running game was on point for most of the game, yet the passing still needs a bit of balance.

As for the Ravens defense, no more can Don Martindale’s group get into a situation where they give up that many points in the fourth quarter. It’s a recipe for losing games, which has never been the standard in Baltimore, even in their expansion years. It’s especially surprising given the heights this defense has touched at times already this season.

For what it’s worth, the club seems well aware that they aren’t where they need to be. After the game, safety DeShon Elliott said that team “expected greatness” and wasn’t satisfied with just being 5-1 at the bye. That’s a clear message that this team knows they need to be better if they’re going to be what they expect to be: Super Bowl contenders.

They’ll have the bye week to sort some things out on both sides of the ball. They’ll certainly need to as the Steelers lie next on the schedule, a division rival that won’t be as forgiving as the Eagles were on Sunday.