The Ravens fell short in their late rally against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, losing 27-20 in the NFL regular-season opener on Thursday night.
Here’s their Report Card
Offense
Quarterback: Lamar Jackson put on his superhero cape, using his legs andarm to keep the Ravens in the game. He completed 26 of 41 passes for 273 yards with a touchdown and ran for 122 yards on 16 carries. Jackson threw a 10-yard pass to tight end Isaiah Likely in the back of the end zone as time expired that would have pulled the Ravens to within one point. After a review, the officials ruled that Likely’s toe was on the line. Jackson did miss a throw to a wide-open Zay Flowers in the end zone on the final drive. Grade: A-
Running backs: The Chiefs stacked the box to contain Derrick Henry, who finished with 46 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown. Henry did show some power and he should be an asset moving forward. Backup Justice Hill had a solid game with six catches for 52 yards. Grade: C+
Wide receivers/tight ends: Isaiah Likely had a breakout performance, setting career-highs with nine receptions for 111 yards with a touchdown. He could have been the hero if he had stayed in bounds on the game’s final play. “He has to wear white cleats next time, that’s my advice for him,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said about Likely after the game. Zay Flowers played well with six catches for 37 yards. After a quiet start, Rashod Bateman caught two passes for 53 yards. However, tight end Mark Andrews was only targeted twice and caught both passes for 11 yards. Grade: B
Offensive line: The Ravens’ offensive line consisted of two returning starters from last season — left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum. The three new starters were Andrew Vorhees at left guard, Daniel Faalele at right guard, and Patrick Mekari at right tackle. That unit had an uneven performance. Rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten was beaten badly by Chris Jones on the strip sack on Jackson. Stanley was flagged four times for illegal formation in the first half. Grade: C-
Defense
Linebackers: Inside linebacker Trenton Simpson had five tackles, a quarterback hit, and a half-sack. He also tipped a Mahomes pass in the final minutes with a perfectly timed jump that gave the Ravens a chance to win. Fellow inside linebacker Roquan Smith made up for a 15-yard horse-collar penalty with an interception and led the team with seven tackles. Outside linebacker Odafe Oweh had an encouraging performance with four tackles and a quarterback hit. Fellow outside linebacker David Ojabo also had a sack. The unit did struggle in pass coverage and needs to do a better job finishing sacks. Grade: C+
Defensive line: The Ravens held Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco to 45 yards on 15 carries. Nnamdi Madubuike had a half-sack and was a force inside. Nose tackle Michael Pierce had four tackles and managed a couple of pressures on Mahomes. Defensive end Travis Jones had two tackles. Grade: B
Secondary: After a slow start, Mahomes threw for 291 yards with a touchdown and an interception for a 101.9 rating. Safety Marcus Williams had a solid game with six tackles but also committed a costly penalty. Cornerback Brandon Stephens was effective in coverage and had four tackles. Safety Kyle Hamilton did a solid job against tight end Travis Kelce, who caught three passes for 34 yards. However, Marlon Humphrey had a blown coverage on Xavier Worthy’s 35-yard touchdown when he thought that there was help behind him. Grade: C+
Special Teams: Kicker Justin Tucker converted on field goal attempts of 25 and 32 yards, but missed a 53-yard yarder. Jordan Stout averaged 37.5 yards on two punts. Neither team could get much going in the return game. Grade: C-
Coaching
The Ravens had some clock-management issues and had trouble relaying the plays on time, which cost them valuable timeouts. Coach John Harbaugh gambled on a fourth-and-3 and the Ravens could not convert, leading to a Kansas City field goal on a short field. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken did call 32 run plays, which is the team’s strength. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr called a solid game but the team needs to do better overall in pass coverage. Grade: C
