MORSE: Week 16 Patriots vs Ravens – Baltimore Preview
A detailed breakdown of Baltimore's strengths and weaknesses ahead of the Patriots' crucial Sunday night showdown.
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We are on to Baltimore in a Prime-Time battle. This game was flexed from 1:00 to the Sunday Night Football slot on NBC. The Patriots have an opportunity to erase the bad taste in their mouth after the collapse against the Bills. The Ravens are a quality opponent, and if the Patriots want to shed the moniker of frauds, they must beat the Ravens in Baltimore.
The Ravens’ Offense is ranked #20 with 324.6 yards per game. Their Passing Offense is #27 at 178.4 yards per game. Baltimore’s run game is where they excel and are ranked #3 at 146.2 yards per game. The Offense Scores at 23.9 points per gam,e which is #14. In the Red Zone (TD Scoring), they convert at 44% which is #31 in the league. On Third Dow,n they convert at 37.3%, which is #24 in the league.
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| QB | Lamar Jackson | Tyler Huntley | Cooper Rush | – |
| RB | Derrick Henry | Keaton Mitchell | Rasheen Ali | Justice Hill IR |
| WR | Zay Flowers | Devontez Walker | Dayton Wade IR | |
| WR | Rashod Bateman Q | Tylan Wallace | – | – |
| WR | DeAndre Hopkins | LaJohntay Wester | – | – |
| TE | Mark Andrews | Isaiah Likely | Charlie Kolar | |
| FB | Patrick Ricard | – | – | – |
| LT | Ronnie Stanley | Joseph Noteboom | – | – |
| LG | Andrew Vorhees | Emery Jones | Ben Cleveland SUSP | – |
| C | Tyler Linderbaum | Corey Bullock | – | |
| RG | Daniel Faalele | Emery Jones | ||
| RT | Roger Rosengarten | Carson Vinson | – | – |
Lamar Jackson is the engine that makes the Ravens’ Offense run. His running and ability to extend plays are key for Baltimore. As a passer, Jackson is not good, as many of his passes are erratic. His ability to execute Run/Pass Options (RPO) or Run/Run Options, where he sticks the ball in the running back’s gut, he reads the Defensive Edge, and if he crashes down on the running back, he pulls the ball out and rushes around that vacated area. For the season Jackson has played in only 11 games with 174 completions on 274 attempts for a 63.5% Completion Percentage. Jackson is averaging 200.9 Passing Yards per game. He has 18 TDs to 6 INTs and has been sacked 33 times. When he runs he has 61carries for 335 yards, 5.5 YPC 2 TDs and 2 Fumbles. The backups are Tyler Huntley and Cooper Rush and neither sends shockwaves through opposing defenses.
King Henry is still a force at age 31. For the season, he has 233 carries for 1,125 yards, 4.8 YPC, 10 TDs, and 3 Fumbles. He can dominate a game, and if the Patriots can’t stop him, they will be in big trouble. Henry has 15 receptions on 20 targets for 200 yards, 10.0 YPC and no TD. Keaton Mitchell has emerged as a capable big-play backup. For the season, he has 39 carries for 295 yards, 7.6 YPC, 1 TD, and 1 Fumble. Mitchell has 7 catches on 8 targets for 56 yards, 8 YPC and 0 TD.
The Wide Receiver room is led by Zay Flowers. The 5’9”, 182-pound speedster from Boston College was taken by Baltimore in the 2023 draft 1st round (23). His PFF grade is 75.7 25th of 82 WRs. The 33-year-old DeAndre Hopkins is having a revival in Baltimore. The 6’1” 212-pound receiver played at Clemson and was drafted in the 2013 Draft by the Texans. He doesn’t have enough snaps to qualify for a PFF grade. On the season, he has 18 catches on 31 targets for 289 yards for a 16.1 YPC and 2 TDs. Rashod Bateman has been a bit of a disappointment. He has only played 11 games this year. He also doesn’t qualify for a PFF grade because he hasn’t played enough snaps. On the season he has 18 catches on 35 targets, for 217 yards, 12.1 YPC, and 2 TDs.
The Tight Ends are the key to the Ravens offense. Where the receivers aren’t very good, the Tight Ends are excellent. Mark Andrews is the veteran and #2 receiver on the team. The 6’5” 247-pound TE played at Oklahoma and was selected in the 2018 draft by Baltimore in the 3rd round (86). His PFF grade is 64.9, 25th of 39 TEs. On the season he has 40 receptions on 60 targets for 359 yards, 9.0 YPC, and 5 TDs.
Isaiah Likely is a Boston boy who played his High School ball at Malden and Everett HS. The 6’4” 241-pound TE played at Coastal Carolina. He was drafted by Baltimore in the 2022 Draft 4th round (139). He does not get a PFF grade because he hasn’t played the requisite snaps. For the season, he has 22 catches on 32 targets for 248 yards, 11.3 YPC, and 1 TD. Likely is the #4 receiver on the team. Don’t sleep on Charlie Kolar the 3rd TE. The 6’6”, 257-pound TE played for Iowa State and was selected by the Ravens in the 2022 draft 4th Round (128). He doesn’t have a PFF grade because he doesn’t have the requisite snaps. On the season he has 9 catches on 13 targets for 124 yards, 13.8 YPC, and 2 TDs.
The offensive line is led by Center Tyler Linderbaum, one of the best Centers in the league. He has a 78.6 PFF Grade which is 6th / 39 Centers. The 6’2, 305-pound lineman from Iowa was drafted in 2022 by Baltimore in the 1st round (25). He has given up 2 sacks, 1 QB Hit, 14 Hurries, and 23 Pressures. Left Tackle Ronnie Staley was a player the Patriots tried to sign in the offseason, but he chose to stay with Baltimore. The 6’6”, 315-pound Tackle played at Notre Dame and was selected by Baltimore in the 2016 draft, 1st round (6). His PFF Grade is 72.8 27th/82 Tackles. He has given up 4 Sacks, 3 QB Hits, 16 Hurries, and 21 Pressures.
Andrew Voorhees is the Left Guard. He stands 6’6”, 310 pounds, and played at USC. He was drafted by Baltimore in the 2023 draft in the 7th round (231). His PFF grade is 60.1 40th of 78 Guards. He has given up 3 Sacks, 4 QB Hits, 14 Hurries, and 21 Pressures. Daniel Faalele is the Right Guard. The 6’8”, 380-pound Guard played at Minnesota. He was selected in the 2022 draft by Baltimore in the 4th round (110). His PFF grade is 57.9, 46th of 78 Guards. He has given up 4 Sacks, 3 QB Hits, 21 Hurries, and 28 Pressures.
The Right Tackle is Roger Rosengarten, another player I thought the Patriots would be interested in during last years draft. The 6’6”, 300-pound Tackle played at Washington and was selected in the 2nd round (62) of the 2024 draft. His PFF grade is 72.5, 30th of 82 Tackles. He was one of the rookie Tackles that had a better PFF grade last year than Vederian Lowe. He has given up 3 sacks, 3 QB Hits, 16 Hurries, and 22 Pressures. He hasn’t given up a sack in the last 10 games.
The Ravens Defense ranks 23rd Overall, giving up 344.4 yards per game. Their Passing Defense gives up 233.3 yards per game, and their Run Defense is 15th, 111.1 yards per game. Scoring, they are giving up 22.9 points a game. In the Red Zone, they are 7th at 51.9% and on 3rd Down, they are 8th at 36.2%.
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| LDE | Travis Jones | Aeneas Peebles | – | |
| NT | John Jenkins | |||
| RDE | Brent Urban | CJ Okoye | Taven Bryan IR | |
| WLB | Kyle Van Noy | Mike Green | Tavius Robinson | – |
| LILB | Roquan Smith | Carl Jones | Jay Higgins IR | |
| RILB | Trenton Simpson | Jake Hummel | Teddye Buchanan Q | |
| SLB | Dre’Mont Jones | David Ojabo | Adisa Isaac IR | – |
| LCB | Nate Wiggins | Bilhal Kone IR | ||
| SS | Kyle Hamilton | Ar’Darius Washington | Keondre Jackson Q | |
| FS | Alohi Gilman | Malaki Starks | – | – |
| RCB | Chidobe Awuzie Q | T.J. Tampa | – | |
| NB | Marlon Humphrey | Keyon Martin | Robert Longerbeam IR |
The Ravens’ Defense is getting healthy with Van Noy, Jenkins, and Smith all returning to Full Participation in practice this week. They will be missing two starters when they both missed Wednesday and Thursday’s practice. Chidobe Awuzie is their top CB and Teddye Buchanan is the second leading tackler with 95. Both are expected to be out on Sunday.
The D Line is led by LDE Travis Jones. The UConn product stands 6’4”, 338-pounds and was drafted in the 3rd Round (76) by Baltimore. His PFF rating is 77.3, 5th amongst 129 Dlinemen. On the season, he has 38 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 2 QB Hits, and 26 Hurries. John Jenkins is the Nose Tackle. The Georgia product stands 6’3” 327-pounds and was drafted in 2013 in the 3rd round (82) by New Orleans. His PFF grade is 68.9, 26th of 129 DL. On the season he has 34 Tackles 1 Sack, 0 QB Hits, and 5 Hurries. RDE is a weakness, especially when Urban and Van Noy are aligned together. Watch for the Patriots to run behind Onwenu and Moses in this alignment. Brent Urban has been around a while, entering his 12th NFL season. The Virginia product stands 6’7”, 309 pounds, and was drafted in 2014 in the 4th round (136) by Baltimore. His PFF grade is 55.4, 73 of 129 DL. On the year he has 14 Tackles, 1 Sack, 2 QB Hits, and 2 Hurries.
Old friend Kyle Van Noy plays the WLB. The 12-year veteran is 34. Bill Belichick resurrected his career after a trade with Detroit. The BYU product stands 6’3” 250-pounds and was picked by Detroit in the 2014 draft in the 2nd round (40). His PFF grade is 61.3, good for 75th of 112 LBs. On the season, he has 18 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 8 QB Hits, and 13 Hurries. Roquan Smith is a beast in the middle. The 6’1”, 236-pound ILB played at Georgia and was a 2018 draft pick in the 1st round (8) by Chicago. His PFF grade is an outstanding 78.9, good for 8th amongst 88 LBs. On the season, he leads the team with 114 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 4 QB Hits, and 3 Hurries.
Trenton Simpson has filled in at Inside LB. The 6’2”, 238 LB played at Clemson and was drafted in 2023 by Baltimore in the 3rd round (87). His PFF grade is 75.2, 20th amongst 88 ILB. On the season, he has 46 Tackles, 1 Sack, 4 QB Hits, and 5 Hurries. SLB is Dre’Mont Jones. The 6’3”, 281-pound Edge played at Ohio State and was selected in the 2019 draft by Denver in the 3rd round (71). His PFF grade is 61, 77 amongst 112 Edge players. He has only 9 Tackles but 1.5 of those have been Sacks, 13 QB Hits and 19 Hurries. The Ravens drafted Mike Green to be a pass-rush specialist. He has 35 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He was taken in the 2nd round this year with pick #59.
In the Defensive Backfield, the Ravens are very strong. Nate Wiggins is the LCB. The 6’2” 185 played at Clemson and was selected by Baltimore in the 2024 draft, 1st round (30). His PFF grade is 55 of 112 CBs. On the season, he has 61 Tackles, 0 Sacks, QB Hits or Hurries. He leads the team with 3 INTs. SS Kyle Hamilton is one of the best in the business. The 6’4”, 220-pound Safety played at Notre Dame and was drafted by Baltimore in 2022, 1st round (22). His PFF grade is 87.3, 3rd amongst 98 safeties. On the season, he has 87 Tackles, 1 Sack, 3 QB Hits, and 6 Hurries.
The Ravens made a great trade to acquire Alohi Gilman from the Los Angeles Chargers. The Notre Dame product stands 5’10”, 201 pounds, and was a Senior Captain for the Fighting Irish. Kyle Hamilton was a freshman and wanted to transfer to Georgia. Gilman, his roommate, convinced him to stay. Now they are playing together in Baltimore. Gilman was selected in the 2020 draft by the Chargers in the 6th round (186). His PFF grade is 72.6, good for 18th of 98 Safeties. That is two of the top 20 Safeties playing together. On the season, he has 49 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 1 QB Hit, and 1 Hurry. TJ Tampa will fill in for Awuzie at RCB. The 6’, 202-poiund CB from Iowa State was selected in the 4th round (131) by Baltimore. On the season, he has 25 Tackles, 0 Sacks, QB Hits or Hurries.
Marlon Humphrey is a veteran slot player. He stands 6’, 201-pounds and played at Alabama. In the 2017 draft, he was selected in the 1st round (16) by Baltimore. His PFF grade is 49.8, 103rd of 112 CBs. On the seaso,n he has 52 tackles, 1 sack, 2 QB Hits, 2 Hurries. Look for him to blitz from the slot. Safety Malaki Starks has 74 Tackles on the season with 2 INTs.
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| PK | Tyler Loop | – | – | – |
| P | Jordan Stout | – | – | – |
| H | Jordan Stout | |||
| PR | LaJohntay Wester | Tylan Wallace | Dayton Wade IR | – |
| KR | Keaton Mitchell | Rasheen Ali | Tylan Wallace | |
| LS | Nick Moore |
Tyler Loop replaced Justin Tucker when his bizarre behavior got him in trouble. Loop has kicked very well for Baltimore and has been very reliable and accurate. He is ranked 6th in FGM. He has 26 made kicks on 28 attempts for a 92.9%. He is also 33 of 35 on Extra Points. Jordan Stout leads the league in Net Punting average with 45.0 net YPK. The #1 Punter for Net Average in the league is Jordan Stout with a 45.0 average. The Punt Returner is LaJohntay Wester who is averaging 12.47 YPR. If he had enough punt returns to qualify for a ranking, he would be 9th in the league. Keaton Mitchell is the primary Kickoff return man. He is averaging 26.55 yards per return which is 11th in the league.
If you have made it this far in the article, you will see a common thread that allows the Ravens to be competitive year after year. They draft extremely well and most of their players are homegrown and developed within their system. Occasionally, they get a Free Agent to supplement their team. Credit must go to Ozzie Newsome, who built the scouting staff and established the method they scout players, and current GM Eric DeCosta, who has continued this excellence.
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