Could the Ravens actually be the team to top the AFC? The Baltimore Ravens cruised into the Bayou and beat the brakes off the sorry Saints, winning the game 27-13 to go 6-3 and challenge for 1st place in the AFC.
So, it looks like I might have been wrong about where the road to the Super Bowl will come through.
With the Bills losing to the Jets and the Chiefs barely beating a team with a quarterback who only completed 5 passes, the Baltimore Ravens are looking more and more likely to top the AFC and earn that converted 1st round bye as they have completely turned a corner on their early season struggles and have played lights out defense and efficient offense in three straight games now.
Sure, they only faced off against the Browns, the Buccaneers, and the Saints, all teams with losing records, but you can only beat who you are faced off against. And, more importantly, the Ravens looked good while beating these teams. And especially last night against the Saints.
Let’s face it: this Ravens defense is scary good.
Having fixed all of the wrongs and woes of the beginning of the season, the Ravens defense has finally morphed into the unit that we all thought they would be. Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, and the rest of the Ravens secondary have finally calmed the concerns of all Ravens fans as they have begun shutting down receiver again, despite the loss of starting safety Marcus Williams.
The New Orleans Saints had no answers for that Ravens defensive backfield as they only had 195 total passing yards, while Andy Dalton went 19/29, 210 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT in a pretty pedestrian outing. Plus, Chris Olave was the only Saints receiver to have more than 70 receiving yards and 5 catches, and it wasn’t even by much as he finished the night with 6 REC for 71 yards.
Though, what was even more impressive was how dominate the Ravens run defense was. The addition of Roquan Smith and pairing him up with Patrick Queen and Justin Houston was probably the smartest move any GM has made this entire season (thus far) as the Ravens look like an entirely new team with Smith sitting in the central linebacker spot.
Prior to Smith’s arrival, the Ravens were poor against the run as they gave up an average of 87 yards/game, even though they played against the Bengals and the Buccaneers (two of the worst rushing teams) in that span. Now, with Smith leading the defensive unit, the Ravens only gave up 48 rushing yards and held All-Pro RB Alvin Kamara to only 9 CAR for 30 yards.
Moreover, with Justin Houston turning back the clock in getting 2.5 sacks and an INT against Dalton, this Ravens defense has the potential to be the best one in the AFC. They are just that good.
Unfortunately, what wasn’t so good last night was the Ravens passing game.
Even though they ran all over the Saints for 188 yards, with Lamar Jackson having 11 CAR for 88 yards and Kenyan Drake rushing 24 CAR for 93 yards and 2 TDs, the passing game again was lacking. Jackson missed some huge throws that could have sealed this game in the 2nd Quarter, with many of them sailing over the heads of his receivers.
Yes, I know he is missing Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews, but I still expect Jackson to still make a few of those throws. Or at least do better than throwing for 12/22, 133 yards, and just 1 TD pass as I know Jackson is so much better than that.
If he can just cut out sailing the balls over the heads of his receivers from his game, then Lamar would become unstoppable. Well, more unstoppable than he already is.
That’s the only way the Ravens (6-3) will be able to beat out the Chiefs and the Bills for the 1st seed and secure homefield advantage at M&T Bank Stadium for the postseason.
As for the Saints, they are just a horrific team. Andy Dalton, Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, and whoever else they have put under center this season are not starting QBs in this league, let alone franchise players to build a team around. Moreover, the Saints star players, such as Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Cameron Jordan, Tyrann Mathieu, Marshon Lattimore, and Mark Ingram, are all either old, injury-prone, or both.
Aside from Alvin Kamara, the Saints should just sell off all of those guys and rebuild this whole thing from the ground up. The days of Drew Brees, Sean Payton, Michael Thomas, the two head running game of Ingram and Kamara, and Super Bowl chargers are over, and the Saints management needs to realize that quickly before they fall behind and mire in mediocrity.
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