His Ravens had already been by way of a lot this season — all these season-ending accidents, their handful of fourth-quarter collapses, the glare of the NFL’s most watched contract scenario — so on late Monday night time, in the midst of a cheerful locker room, John Harbaugh shared some excellent news.
The Ravens had simply manhandled the New Orleans Saints, 27-13. They’d prolonged their profitable streak to 3 video games and saved pole place within the AFC North. They’d watched their floor recreation run over a stout protection and their very own protection stifle a succesful offense earlier than a “Monday Evening Soccer” viewers. And now, with a bye week upcoming, Harbaugh advised them they’d get the remainder of the week off.
In New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome, the Ravens have been glad to let the great instances roll. In perhaps their most spectacular efficiency of the season, a depleted offense and a restocked protection, led by one other turn-back-the-clock masterclass from exterior linebacker Justin Houston, saved the workforce marching alongside its most promising path of the season.
“I really feel like [the win] places us in an excellent, snug place proper now,” quarterback Lamar Jackson mentioned. “We simply must maintain doing what we’re doing, keep locked in, maintain cleansing up the little particulars right here and there. I really feel just like the sky’s the restrict for us.”
Three weeks in the past, the Ravens have been coming off their third late-game flop in 5 weeks, a 24-20 loss to the New York Giants consigning them to the AFC’s muddled center and one other week of locker room inquisitions. A 3-game profitable streak has burned that stench of dysfunction off. The Ravens (6-3) enter Week 10 as considered one of 5 AFC groups with a conference-high six victories; solely the Miami Dolphins have gained as many video games in a row.
After ready every week and a half for Monday’s recreation, the Ravens gained’t play once more till a Nov. 20 matchup towards the reeling Carolina Panthers, their first recreation in Baltimore since Oct. 23. With a comfortable second-half slate, the Ravens can be closely favored to succeed in the postseason. The one workforce left on their schedule above .500 is defending AFC North champion Cincinnati (5-4), which the Ravens gained’t face till Week 18, the ultimate weekend of the common season.
“If you happen to lose, you concentrate on all of it week,” mentioned fullback Patrick Ricard, a key cog in a speeding assault that pounded the Saints for 188 yards (4.7 per carry) and two touchdowns. “It’s an ideal feeling figuring out we gained. I do know we’re going to have enjoyable on the aircraft, too.”
Nobody had a greater night time than Houston, although. The 33-year-old, recognized across the locker room as “Yoda” and “Sensei,” confirmed a prime-time viewers all of his teachings. His mastery prolonged not solely to the move rush — he had 2 1/2 sacks, turning into the primary participant in franchise historical past with three straight multi-sack video games — however to protection as properly.
Houston’s fourth-quarter interception, his first decide since 2018, handed the Ravens’ offense a brief subject and arrange a knockout punch. Three performs later, operating again Kenyan Drake scored from 3 yards out, his second speeding landing of the night time pushing the Ravens’ result in 27-6. Earlier than lengthy, a crowd flecked with purple made itself heard as Saints followers trickled out of the stadium.
“He works actually arduous to maintain himself in nice form and all that,” Harbaugh mentioned of Houston after the Ravens held New Orleans to 243 yards total, its fewest of the season. “He mentioned it to the workforce: [It’s] not simply him; all these different guys are setting [it] up. The protection is absolutely good; our secondary performed exceptionally properly.”
Forward of kickoff, the Ravens appeared to be outlined as a lot by who was lacking as by who was returning. Jackson was with out 4 high weapons for the primary time all season. Gus Edwards (hamstring) was dominated out, and fellow operating again J.Ok. Dobbins (knee) remained sidelined. Tight finish Mark Andrews (knee/shoulder) missed his first recreation due to harm in his profession. Extensive receiver Rashod Bateman headed to injured reserve Monday with a season-ending Lisfranc (foot) harm.
The offense was removed from superb but additionally removed from hopeless. The Ravens transformed 76- and 81-yard drives for touchdowns on their second and fourth possessions, they usually notched subject objectives on two of their three third-quarter drives.
Jackson was 12-for-22 for 133 yards, highlighted by a 24-yard landing to rookie tight finish Isaiah Prone to open the scoring, and added his typical contributions on the bottom. He completed with 11 carries for 82 yards and handed Steve Younger for fifth place in profession speeding yards by a quarterback with a 16-yard run halfway by way of the second quarter.
“Lamar performs on a special degree,” Harbaugh mentioned. “You'll be able to’t simply take a look at passing stats; the passing stats are good, however he made some performs, he made some third-down conversions (the Ravens went 9-for-15). Third down was key on this recreation; we did an ideal job on offense, and Lamar was actually the driving force of that.”
The Ravens’ newcomers didn’t want lengthy to make their introductions. Outdoors linebacker Tyus Bowser, making his first look since tearing his Achilles tendon 10 months in the past within the Ravens’ 2021 season finale, hurried quarterback Andy Dalton (19-for-29 for 210 yards and a landing) right into a drive-ending incompletion on the Saints’ opening possession.
On New Orleans’ subsequent drive, inside linebacker Roquan Smith snuffed out a third-and-1 run by operating again Alvin Kamara (9 carries for 30 yards) Teammates slapped the All-Professional gleefully on his helmet, strutting off the sphere with the stalwart the Ravens acquired from the Chicago Bears for a second- and fifth-round draft decide solely every week in the past.
“He’s going to assist this protection rather a lot to be the place we need to be,” Houston mentioned of Smith, who completed with 5 tackles. “We would have liked a man like that, and I'm so glad we have been in a position to get him. I believe that was loopy for them to let him go. I believe he is among the finest linebackers within the recreation and so as to add him to this protection, that’s scary.”
The Ravens’ just-hired assist arrived on offense, too. DeSean Jackson, known as up from the follow squad for his 2022 debut, chipped in with a 16-yard catch on the Ravens’ first scoring drive, turning into the oldest energetic vast receiver within the NFL to be focused this season. He later left with a hamstring harm that Harbaugh indicated was not severe.
The Ravens completed with simply 319 yards of complete offense, however after the primary quarter, they saved New Orleans at arm’s size, by no means actually threatened. With a 1-yard landing run by Drake (24 carries for 93 yards) simply earlier than halftime, the Ravens took a 14-0 lead and have become the third workforce up to now 20 seasons to carry a double-digit lead in 9 straight video games to start a season, becoming a member of the 2009 Saints and 2011 Inexperienced Bay Packers.
From there, the Ravens appeared to shift into autopilot. The Saints’ lone landing, a 41-yard catch-and-run rating by vast receiver Juwan Johnson that cornerback Marcus Peters ought to’ve stopped, got here with simply over 4 minutes left. By then, the Ravens had already drained the Saints’ spirits. On offense, they have been pressed into passing downs solely sometimes, charging forward for chunks of yards behind one fleet of pulling blockers after one other. On protection, they bothered Dalton with four-man pressures, compressing his throwing home windows and batting passes on the line of scrimmage.
“The human will can solely take a lot,” Drake mentioned. “It’s simply pounding, down in and down out. … That’s simply what this workforce is all about, is continuous to put on groups down, grind them out for 4 quarters of soccer, and we’ll see who’s victorious on the finish of the day.”
The Ravens have been, for the third straight recreation. As their gamers packed their baggage within the locker room afterward, they might be ok with what lay forward — or no less than higher in regards to the blips that had marred their first six weeks. They knew there was a great workforce in there all alongside, someplace, ready to return out.
The Ravens made that clear Monday. There was rather a lot to have fun as they headed house, and never simply their mini-vacation.
“It’s enjoyable, man,” defensive lineman Calais Campbell mentioned. “We’re out right here having a great time. This workforce is able to nice issues, and on the finish of the day, profitable makes every little thing higher. Taking part in soccer is a lot extra enjoyable whenever you’re profitable. And so hopefully, we are able to maintain it going.”
Week 11
Panthers at Ravens
Sunday, Nov. 20, 1 p.m.
TV: Ch. 45
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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