Football can be a funny old game. Given the 20 point margin of victory for the San Diego Chargers you’d assume they dominated the Baltimore Ravens in every phase. After all they picked up 145 yards on the ground, another 270 in the air, all while limiting the Ravens to just the one score before a garbage time Torrey Smith touchdown.
But as can be the case, the stats are misleading. The Ravens ran the ball far more effectively while producing numerous minimal gains for the Chargers rushing attacks, with San Diego’s rushing numbers greatly inflated by three runs that accounted for 73% of their rushing yardage. Indeed this game served to prove that good rushing can be pretty worthless when you can’t complete passes to move the chains or stop an opposing quarterback victimizing your overmatched cornerbacks.
That is what this game came down to in the end; one quarterback and one coverage unit being better than the other, and it’s got to be a big concern for the Ravens as they face the possibility of going on the road in the playoffs. Who knows, they may just have a rematch with San Diego to come this season.
Baltimore – Three Performances of Note
Redding Sizzles
While Terrell Suggs (-0.9) had his worst game of the year, the often overlooked Cory Redding (+3.7) continued his impressive 2011. The stats will show he didn’t pick up any pressure and ‘only’ picked up three tackles, but they discount a sack called back for a Suggs head slap, and the problems the Chargers had with him. Redding had an interesting dual with Gaither in the run game that involved beating him three times to contribute on tackles for short gains, while his most impressive play may have been how he disengaged from Jeromey Clary, throwing him to the floor in the process, to pick up a defensive stop at 3:11 in the third. After a so-so debut year, Redding is really thriving in Baltimore right now.
Joe’s Cool with Checking Down
It wasn’t so much that Joe Flacco (-1.5) played terribly, but rather he failed to ever challenge the San Diego secondary. After an opening drive where he twice tried to attack them down the left sideline, Flacco reverted to the type of player we saw earlier in the season; holding onto the ball and then checking down. Good coverage yes, but eventually you have to take on that coverage unit and beat it, Flacco couldn’t. His interception to Takeo Spikes was as bad a decision as you’re likely to see, and his incompletion with 38 seconds to go in the first was as big an overthrow as there was this weekend. The shame for Baltimore is they had a running game that was on top, but ‘Bad Joe’ turned up and offered no complement to the ground game. Worrying indeed as we head into the post season.
Taking lumps
With Lardarius Webb limited to a nickel packages role, Week 15 brought the most significant action to date for Jimmy Smith (-1.7). Suffice to say from his grade, it did not go well. The Ravens felt comfortable leaving Smith one on one with the Chargers big play receivers with the result being 76 yards and a touchdown surrendered. Those numbers don’t fully do justice, with Smith cleanly beat by Vincent Jackson (second quarter with 8:42 left) only for the Chargers franchise player to be ever so slightly overthrown on what would have been a surefire touchdown. It wasn’t all bad (he did a good job breaking up a pass intended for Malcolm Floyd with 2:27 to go in the first half), but this game showed the work Smith will have to do to justify the faith his coaches have put in him.
San Diego – Three Performances of Note
Rivers Flowing
Don’t look now, but the Chargers are on a playoff push and they have a quarterback playing as well as anyone not named Drew Brees over the past three weeks in Philip Rivers (+5.5). Afforded simply fantastic protection that saw him face pressure on only four drop-backs, Rivers had a firm grasp on what the Ravens were trying to do, and was able to quickly get the ball out to his receivers down the field. While Joe Flacco wanted to check down, Rivers wanted to attack, throwing 52.4% of his aimed passes 10 yards or further (Flacco was at 36.4%). That he went 9-for-11 on these throws highlights that Rivers is far removed from that player we saw earlier in the season, and with all his receiver options healthy, this is one team people will be hoping do not make the playoffs.
When four sacks aren’t really four sacks
Before we’re inundated with people saying Antwan Barnes (-0.3) had 3.5 sacks, I’ll just remind people that we credit the half sack (which by the way is still counted as a full hit) as a full sack to give the player his full due. That said you’re not likely to see a worse four sack performance as long as you live. Barnes wasn’t terrible, it’s just the way his sacks came about. The first one (four seconds to go in the first half) was the result of Joe Flacco holding onto the ball for over seven seconds, while the second was just a shade under six seconds. As for the last two they both came as quarterback started scrambling about and did a great job of locating Barnes and helping him boost his sack stats. Barnes has been an underutilized and incredibly productive pass rusher, but please, don’t use this game to highlight how good a pass rusher he is; the nature of these sacks don’t do justice to the type of player he is.
Wonderful Weddle
Every time I watch Eric Weddle (+2.7) I get reminded of how foolish I was to not think of him as one of the top free agents available last year. You don’t notice the deep safety for large stretches of play, but in part that comes because he just doesn’t give the quarterback a sniff of exposing him, and if he does he’s more than good enough to shut down any threat. Take his early touchdown saving pass deflection with 12:45 to go in the first, or how quickly he closed on the receiver in the third quarter with 7:03 to go to register a tackle for no gain. After a great 2010, he’s taken a step up to the point where he’s proved himself belonging in that upper echelon of safeties.
Game Notes
– The Chiefs sure showed Jared Gaither. Since cutting him Gaither has given up one penalty and no sacks, hits or hurries on plays that count towards stats. He was perfect in pass protection this week again.
– Poor Chris Carr. After an impressive 2010 he saw only one snap against San Diego. He’s now only played nine snaps since week 10.
– None of the Chargers who started missed a tackle.
PFF Game Ball
When Philip Rivers plays this well the Chargers are a match for anybody.
Follow Khaled on Twitter @PFF_Khaled and be sure to follow our main Twitter feed @ProFootbalFocus
© 2025 PFF - all rights reserved.