Week 11 started off as an important divisional matchup that, when it is all said and done, could end up being the deciding game for who ultimately wins the division. The Ravens got out to an early 7-0 lead, but the Bengals responded by scoring the next 10 points. It was looking like momentum might be shifting. However, on the very play in which the Bengals took the lead, their chances also took a nosedive, with Joe Burrow going down with what was later determined to be a season ending wrist injury. From that point on, some offensive struggles are not surprising. But struggles on the defensive side were very concerning, leading to a gloomy week all around in Who Dey Nation.
The Good:
S, Jordan Battle
Battle finally got the bulk of the snaps over Nick Scott at the S position opposite Daxton Hill. It resulted in him being one of the lone bright spots on the defensive side. On several occasions, Battle was put in a tough spot where he needed to make an open field tackle. He was about as reliable as you could ask for, making some nice tackles that were short of the first down marker.
TE, Tanner Hudson
Hudson continued to be a part of the offence, and displayed a field stretching ability that has been missing for some time. On the day, he totaled 4 catches for 49 yards, showing strong hands and good route running in the process.
RB, Joe Mixon
The offence had its issues for much of the game, but Mixon was solid throughout. He broke some tackles that led to solid yardage on runs up the middle. On his 16 carries, he totaled 69 yards, while also adding 31 yards and a TD through the air.
The Bad:
The Defence
The entire defence, outside of Battle and one or two other individual performances, was bad yet again on Thursday night. The big plays for Baltimore were plentiful. A lot of separation was given up, and the unit’s inability to make tackles led to a lot of yards given up after the catch. Further, the defensive line, outside of Hendrickson, was unable to generate pressure, and had trouble setting the edge on run plays, leading to some big plays.
DC, Lou Anarumo
The execution hasn’t been there, but Anarumo needs to make some adjustments with how this defence has been playing. A few weeks have now been strung together where many of the same issues have lingered.
The Offence Without Burrow
Browning deserves some credit for the TD on the final drive, but it was in garbage time against a defence playing much softer, knowing the game was already out of hand. Overall, Browning could not push the ball downfield consistently, and many of his deeper throws were just “chuck-ups.” One of those led to a long pass interference call, but it is hard to see this being a sustainable method of success.
The Offensive Line
The offensive line again had some struggles. Browning does deserve some credit for the way he was able to navigate the pocket when under pressure. Williams and Karras have been solid, but the other three have all had issues as of late. Volson has been up and down all year, while Brown and Cappa have especially been poor in recent weeks. Things need to be cleaned up, especially in pass protection.
Modified Homescreen Image Via: The University of Alabama (CC)