There was something very business-like about the way the Baltimore Ravens handled Sunday. After suffering disappointing defeats to lesser opponents earlier in the year, the Ravens calmly focussed on the run in this one and the result was clear. Not quite a blowout, but the Ravens never looked threatened in the second half as they eased to victory.
For the Browns it highlighted how far they still need to come, despite the improvements they look to have made this season. The biggest need for improvement will be at the quarterback position where they need someone to show they can win games like their three AFC North divisional foes if they are to have any chance of competing within the division anytime soon.
That being said, one or two Browns, and more than a few Ravens, really stood out again this week so let’s take a look at the key performances from this one.
Cleveland Browns – Three Performances of Note
Shut Down Corner?
During the broadcast it was commented that Joe Haden (+3.1) wasn’t yet a shut down corner because opposing quarterbacks aren’t scared to throw the ball at him. That much is true, he has been thrown at 69 times this season, but on Sunday Haden more than made up for his struggles a week earlier against AJ Green and the Cincinnati Bengals. Targeted four times by Joe Flacco, he didn’t give up a single catch while breaking up two. Both pass breakups came in the endzone to save touchdowns, including on 3rd-and-goal with 0:09 left in the first half. Haden covered Ravens wide receiver Lee Evans perfectly before getting getting his arm in front right as the ball arrived.
Little by Little
Each week I hear how Greg Little (-3.4) is poised for a breakout game and each week I come away disappointed. This week was no different with Little catching just three passes for 18 yards. It’s not that he isn’t getting the opportunity to make plays, seven passes were thrown his way, he just isn’t making the most of them. dropping two passes . On the year he has now dropped 14 passes, compare that to his team mate Jordan Norwood (-0.3) who hasn’t dropped a single one of the 24 passes thrown his way and Mohamed Massaquoi (-1.2), who has just two drops, and you could understand if the Browns began to limit the opportunities Little is getting.
Getting back on track
Despite all the negatives you can take from a 24-10 loss, Jabaal Sheard (+4.4) showed that he could prove steal in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft. He gave Ravens’ Right Tackle Michael Oher (-2.2) fits on Sunday, finishing the game with three pressures and a sack that included a forced fumble on 3rd-and-10 with 8:10 left in the third quarter. On the play, he blew past Oher with ease before chasing down Flacco, who had stepped up in the pocket, and forced the fumble. He still hasn’t hit the heights of his nine pressure performance against Miami in Week 3 but this week was much more like the Sheard we saw earlier in the season as a pass rusher.
Baltimore Ravens – Three Performances of Note
Run Ray Run
There’s not much more that someone can do to put his team in a winning position than what Ray Rice (+3.0) did against the Browns. Of his 204 yards on the ground, 105 of them came after contact. His 67 yard run with 5:48 left in the third quarter really set the tone for the second half for Baltimore. After following the hole left by his offensive line Rice broke the arm tackle by safety Mike Adams before racing down inside the 10 yard line. At this stage Rice is clearly the key to the Ravens offense. His lack of involvement in the three losses the Ravens have suffered has been widely criticised and as the Ravens look to push forward towards potential home field advantage throughout the playoffs, they’ll need to continue to get him as many touches as possible.
Pernell McPhee – More Snaps Please!
There are an awful lot of defensive linemen in the NFL who would love to be able to boast the kind of production that Ravens rookie Pernell McPhee (+3.4) has lately. In the last four games his lowest PFF grade is his +3.3 performance against the Seattle Seahawks. As far as a situational pass rusher can be, McPhee has been utterly dominant when he is on the field. His two sacks, one hit and one pressure coming on just 22 pressures. It’s tough to say how he would perform in a bigger role but at this stage it would be worth finding out because if he can be half as dominant against the run as he been as a pass rusher then we’ve found the next great Ravens defender.
Worth Every Penny
When the Ravens re-signed guard Marshal Yanda (+4.0) in the offseason I thought they’d got a relatively good deal contract wise. After all, Yanda was coming off a year where he showed he could excel at right tackle as well after earning mid season All Pro recognition from Peter King. Looking back on that deal now though? The Ravens got an absolute bargain with the Raven our top ranked RG in the league. He’s reached that level now where perfect games in pass protection, like he had on Sunday are the norm. But he also reminded us of how good he can be in the run game with his highest graded performance (+2.6) of the season in that regard. The best example of this came on 1st-and-10 with 3:16 left in the first quarter. The line of scrimmage was the 40 yard line and by the time Rice had crossed it, Yanda had pushed rookie defensive tackle Phil Taylor (-0.2) back four yards, taking him out of the play completely.
Game Notes
– Michael Oher has commited just one penalty in the last six games, after committing six in the first six.
– Colt McCoy has a QB Rating of just 15.6 when the Ravens sent the blitz.
– Danny Gorrer broke up both passes thrown into his coverage and now has broken up more passes (four) than allowed completions (two) this year.
PFF Game Ball
Apologies to Ray Rice, whose performance certainly warrants a game ball, but once again Pernell McPhee’s dominance shone through with his two sacks coming at key moments in the game. Absolutely dominant in his limited snaps on the field.
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