No denying Baltimore’s offensive issues after the Ravens struggle against a weak Bengals defense
The warning signs were there when Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens struggled to move the ball consistently while beating the Browns and Jets Now after they fell flat against a Cincinnati defense that had been atrocious for the majority of the season there s no denying the Ravens have a difficulty And Jackson is a major part of it We have to be better running back Derrick Henry announced after Thursday night s - loss to the Bengals We were not the organization we needed to be in current times to win The battle against Cincinnati marked the fewest points Baltimore had scored with Jackson playing since the Ravens lost - in the AFC championship battle to Kansas City two seasons ago After a - start this year Baltimore reeled off five straight victories while facing a softer stretch in the schedule Jackson s return from a hamstring injury helped but after a solid performance in Week against Miami he has not looked like his MVP-caliber self Over his last four games Jackson has completed just of his passes averaging yards per attempt with one touchdown three interceptions and sacks good for a passer rating of On Thursday he fumbled twice and was picked off once Jackson has dealt with knee ankle and toe injuries since returning from his hamstring problems and he truly looked more spry than he had in a while Thursday but his passing accuracy was uncharacteristically poor at times and the turnovers were devastating Baltimore s offensive line has not inspired a great deal of confidence this season and the combination of that and Jackson s sudden shakiness in the pocket made passing an adventure Thursday And on a couple occasions when the Ravens did produce a big play it still ended badly Isaiah Likely s long catch-and-run nearly resulted in a touchdown but he fumbled just before the goal line and Baltimore lost possession Then Jackson connected with Zay Flowers on a deep shot for a touchdown only to have it called back because Flowers had pushed off on a defender I just know that I believe and I m confident that we re going to figure it out tackle Ronnie Stanley announced I know we are because I m going to make sure that this offense gets going the way it s supposed to be What s working With Joe Burrow back for Cincinnati this was the toughest offense the Ravens had faced in a while and although the defense wilted a bit in the second half it kept Baltimore in the contest until then The Bengals ran plays offensively but had to settle for six field goals going for in the red zone What requirements help Another week another concerning performance from the offensive line Rookie Emery Jones played a bit for his NFL debut but not much seemed to have changed for what has been a surprisingly troublesome unit for Baltimore Stock up Defensive lineman Travis Jones forced and recovered a fumble late in the encounter and the Ravens held Cincinnati to yards per rush on the night Stock down It s hard to think of a more disappointing offensive player in Baltimore this season than Likely He definitely produced season highs Thursday with five catches for yards but just when it appeared he was going to put the Ravens up - in the second quarter the fumble turned the battle in Cincinnati s favor Injuries Cornerback Nate Wiggins who was having a nice match against Cincinnati s dangerous passing attack left with a foot injury and did not play in the second half Ravens coach John Harbaugh disclosed it wasn t a long-term injury but it doesn t have to be to cause problems for the Baltimore secondary Key number The Ravens became the second crew this season to lose four fumbles in a match The New England Patriots also did in Week against Pittsburgh Next policies After this short week the Ravens have a little more time to prepare for a huge home contest against Pittsburgh on Dec Then they go to Cincinnati to face the Bengals again The division is still up for grabs making these next two AFC North games huge AP NFL https apnews com hub nfl Source
