Lamar Jackson’s going out of the game with a knee injury (ruled a strain after MRI and now looks like at least two weeks of minimum recovery time) was and is the least of the Ravens’ excuses for nearly stumbling at home against the disheveled Broncos, even if Russell Wilson was the QB for Denver.
The Ravens had very little push against the Broncos defense, and they were lucky to come up with a last minute drive behind their backup QB.
Injuries are taking their toll— big concern moving forward. It’s not just about Lamar. Or offensive coordinator Greg Roman…
The Ravens secured a gutty 10-9 win over the Denver Broncos after backup quarterback Tyler Huntley, stepping in after Lamar Jackson suffered a knee injury, scored a game-winning touchdown with 28 seconds left.
It was a game Baltimore needed to avoid a second-straight loss and keeps the Ravens (8-4) in first place in the AFC North and solid position to secure a playoff spot.
Huntley had a tough challenge Sunday, stepping in against the league’s No. 3-ranked defense, which had held the Ravens to just 17 net yards in the first quarter before he entered the game. Huntley provided a spark, completing 27 of 32 passes for 187 yards. He also ran 10 times for a team-high 41 yards. And most of all, with the game on the line, he rose to the occasion. He played like a winner.
But that kind of magic won’t last against teams with better offenses going into the playoff qualification stretch. The Ravens are not going to hold better teams to 9 points. They are struggling to get anything going on offense themselves, playing with yet another hand tied behind its back. The Ravens already lost top wide receiver Rashod Bateman for the year. All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley missed his second straight game.
This offense, even with Jackson on the field, looked stuck in neutral the past two games and for the first quarter of Sunday’s game. Now with Huntley, the Ravens offense becomes more limited because, as we all know, there’s nobody like Jackson. Jackson’s talent always leaves the door open for magic on any play or in any game. With him under center, there’s always hope the offense could catch fire.
- It was remarkable to see so many different players and wacky plays contribute on the Ravens’ game-winning drive. Mark Andrews churned his legs after being initially stopped to move the chains on fourth-and-1. He also drew a key defensive pass interference penalty. Isaiah Likely used some juke moves for a 12-yard catch and run. The best play on the drive was Huntley pulling down what would have been an interception but instead leading Kenyan Drake up the field with a perfect throw to put the Ravens at the 2-yard line. The drive also featured an ineligible player downfield penalty and had a fumble harmlessly roll out of bounds. That kind of luck can’t last.
- The Ravens are going to need more from their rushing attack outside of quarterback runs if they’re going to keep churning out yardage. After grinding out wins against the Browns, Bucs and Saints largely on the ground, Baltimore’s running backs have been limited the past three weeks. The running backs had 76 yards against the Panthers, 57 yards against the Jaguars and 43 yards versus the Broncos.
- As if it wasn’t painful enough seeing Jackson go down in the first quarter, Patrick Queen’s thigh injury had the makings of a brutal blow to the defense. Luckily, Harbaugh said X-rays came back negative and it is just a thigh bruise. Still, it remains to be seen how quickly Queen can come back from an injury that required him to be carted off the field. An elongated absence would sting.
- The Ravens felt the absence of Ronnie Stanley, who is still trying to come back from an ankle injury. Both of Baltimore’s quarterbacks were under duress for much of the game. Patrick Mekari started, but he suffered a foot injury early. Mekari went to the bench to get checked out, had trainers re-tape him up, and got back out there. Mekari wasn’t 100%, but he gutted it out for much of the game working in tandem with rookie Daniel Faalele. Hopefully Stanley can return next week in Pittsburgh.
- Trailing by six points and in the midst of an 11-play drive, the Ravens dialed up a trick play to James Proche on a reverse option wide receiver pass. The Broncos weren’t fooled. Proche threw it into double coverage and Denver safety Justin Simmons easily picked it off. The Ravens were in Justin Tucker’s range, so that also likely took three points off the board.
If there is such a thing as a “sobering win”, this was it. Just ask BaltimoreRavens.com commentator “Ellicott Raven”:
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