NFL · 10 months ago

5 Things We Learned About the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round

Zack Cook

Host · Writer

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Mark Andrews Blunders Create Ravens Downfall
It's no secret that the narrative leaving the AFC Divisional Round surrounding the Baltimore Ravens revolved around turnovers and dropped passes. Mark Andrews was at the forefront in both categories. Andrews dropped a key two-point conversation to close out the game and contributed a fumble along the way. This isn't the Andrews we've been accustomed to seeing throughout his career as one of the league's most reliable tight ends. It's somewhat of a lazy narrative to give Andrews the sole blame for the loss, but there's no doubt these big moments added up as contributors to another early postseason exit in Baltimore.

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Rollercoaster Performance Sinks Lamar Jackson
People might not want to hear this, but I felt Lamar Jackson was just as much at fault for the Ravens postseason loss to the Buffalo Bills. You have to give your flowers to the Bills defense, but Jackson wasn't his usual dynamic self in the losing effort, which included multiple turnovers at key moments in the game. If Jackson wants to shred the playoff narrative surrounding his legacy, he must show up much more than he did on Sunday evening at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo.
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Was Derrick Henry Used Enough?
For the entire game against the Bills, it consistently looked like Derrick Henry was ready to break off a long touchdown run and really get the Ravens offense going to another gear. Henry was limited to just 16 carries against the Bills because of their offensive performance in the first half and their deficit of 11 points at halftime. Henry finished the game with 16 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown, yet it still felt like he left you wanting more with his performance.

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Ravens Defense Wasn't as Bad as Score Suggests
If you hadn't watched the game and only looked at the final box score, you'd probably have thought it was an underwhelming performance from the Ravens' defense. Sure, little gaffes could have been cleaned up, but the Ravens dealt with some bad field positions on defense because of the turnovers their offense made. The Ravens held Josh Allen in check with his legs and limited him to under 130 passing yards. This loss wasn't on the defense.
Isaiah Likely Breakout Campaign Ends on High Note
The Baltimore Ravens tight end room might be the most complete in the NFL. We know what Mark Andrews does, but the emergence of Isaiah Likely has given them multiple options in the passing and blocking games. The Ravens can run two tight end sets at a high clip, which they want to do in Todd Monken's offense. Likely might not be a household name yet, but his time is undoubtedly on the horizon in Baltimore.

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Check out The Smylie Show on SportsGrid
Mark Andrews Blunders Create Ravens Downfall
It's no secret that the narrative leaving the AFC Divisional Round surrounding the Baltimore Ravens revolved around turnovers and dropped passes. Mark Andrews was at the forefront in both categories. Andrews dropped a key two-point conversation to close out the game and contributed a fumble along the way. This isn't the Andrews we've been accustomed to seeing throughout his career as one of the league's most reliable tight ends. It's somewhat of a lazy narrative to give Andrews the sole blame for the loss, but there's no doubt these big moments added up as contributors to another early postseason exit in Baltimore.

Tackle the Odds with SportsGrid’s Expert NFL Game Picks and NFL Player Prop Picks.

5 Things We Learned About the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round

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