What We Saw: Week 11

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Ravens @ Bears

Final Score: Ravens 16, Bears 13

Writer: Mike Miklius (@SIRL0INofBEEF on Twitter)

This game was destined to be a low-scoring one: the Ravens were without Lamar Jackson and Marquise Brown while the Bears are–well–the Bears. Things started slowly with Chicago looking like the better offense early on: they had two long drives that both looked promising before fizzling out; the first ended with a missed field goal while the second ended with a Justin Fields lost fumble. The Ravens, meanwhile, were happy to control the clock, run the ball for minimal gains, and play the field position game. They scored their first field goal with just over two minutes left in the half and followed it up with another after a failed two-minute drill attempt by Chicago.

Defense continued to reign in the second half until Darnell Mooney took a screen pass from Andy Dalton–we’ll get there–60 yards and found the endzone. Baltimore retook the lead late in the fourth quarter with a third field goal, and then things finally got interesting. Andy Dalton led a 75-yard drive culminating in a 49-yard touchdown pass on a 4th and 11. With 1:41 left, Tyler Huntley led the Ravens the length of the field and Devonta Freeman plunged in for the game-winning score. Baltimore improves to 7-3 and will host the Browns while the Bears fall to 3-7 and visit the Lions on Thanksgiving.

Baltimore Ravens

Quarterback

Tyler Huntley: 26/36, 219 yards, INT, 6 sacks | 7 carries, 40 yards, fumble

Early on, this game was looking rough for Huntley. His first drive ended with a sack and the next one ended with a fumble out of bounds. The sacks were piling up and the Ravens’ offense was having trouble just getting field goals on the board. Things improved once Huntley started to run. He is no Lamar Jackson, but he didn’t have to be. He leaned on the run game, completed short passes, and mostly avoided mistakes on the way to the win. Huntley’s best drive was definitely his last one: the game-deciding touchdown.

Running Backs

Devonta Freeman: 16 carries, 49 yards, TD | 6 targets, 6 receptions, 31 yards

Latavius Murray: 10 carries, 32 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 1 yard

Patrick Ricard: 1 carry, 2 yards | 1 target

There wasn’t much special going on in Baltimore’s run game today, but there was at least opportunity. Devonta Freeman saw the lead crack, and he was serviceable in his role. Here’s what he has going for him: Freeman has the team’s trust, and no one looked any better today. Freeman is also a solid pass-catcher so he will continue to be a fantasy asset. Latavius Murray saw the second crack, but he didn’t do anything to wrestle the top spot from Freeman. Freeman remains a useful piece while Murray would be useful if Freeman goes down.

DEVONTA FREEMAN TAKES THE LEADpic.twitter.com/cCj8p5VSep

— PFF BAL Ravens (@PFF_Ravens) November 21, 2021

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Mark Andrews: 10 targets, 8 receptions, 73 yards

Sammy Watkins: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 43 yards

Devin Duvernay: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 37 yards

Rashod Bateman: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 29 yards

Mark Andrews was the headliner for Baltimore today, leading the way by a wide margin in targets, receptions, and yards. He made some great catches and was crucial to Baltimore securing the win. Andrews’ best catch was early in the game when Tyler Huntley overthrew him, but he still got a hand on it and pulled the ball down. It felt like that moment helped give Huntley the confidence to play as well as he did. Andrews remains an excellent option at the position. Sammy Watkins, Devin Duvernay, and Rashod Bateman all played well enough, but none of them really stood out talent-wise. They all had solid moments, but they were just guys on the roster–nothing special standing out in particular.

Chicago Bears

Quarterback

Justin Fields: 4/11, 79 yards, 2 sacks | 4 carries, 23 yards, fumble

Andy Dalton: 11/23, 201 yards, 2 TD, sack

Justin Fields obviously started this one but didn’t finish; he took a shot to his ribs that sent him to the tent, and then the locker room for x-rays. Before we say anything else, it’s worth noting that it didn’t seem like a major injury–Fields may miss the next game though as it’s a quick turnaround to Thanksgiving. Fields continue to show good and bad, but he looks like he is developing in the right direction. His best toss today came on the first drive. Fields rolled out of the pocket and threw a silky-smooth pass to Darnell Mooney. He makes some big-time throws that make the future seem bright. Andy Dalton came in and created an immediate spark: he threw a screen pass to Darnell Mooney that went the distance. Dalton also retook the lead with a late toss to marquise Goodwin for another long touchdown. Dalton is serviceable and might allow for more passing volume in the short term if he starts on Thursday.

Running Backs

David Montgomery: 14 carries, 58 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards

Khalil Herbert: 1 carry, 0 yards

Jakeem Grant: 1 carry, 11 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards

David Montgomery is back to his workhorse ways, and fantasy managers should be excited. He dominated the workload and even saw a pass come his way. Montgomery is under contract next year as well, and I expect more of the same barring a trade. Montgomery looks fully healthy, and his trademark skill–running well through contact–is alive and well. Khalil Herbert is an afterthought. I figured this would become a 1-2 punch, and maybe it will in better game scripts. In this one, though, the Bears just didn’t hold the ball enough. They had 10 minutes of ball control in the first half. Herbert is an excellent handcuff, but he is only that unless Montgomery leaves town.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Darnell Mooney: 16 targets, 5 receptions, 121 yards, TD

Marquise Goodwin: 8 targets, 4 receptions, 104 yards, TD

Jimmy Graham: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 25 yards

Cole Kmet: 2 targets, 1 reception, 12 yards

With Allen Robinson out today, the stage belonged solely to Darnell Mooney. Mooney did his best to deliver. The big play was a screen pass from Andy Dalton. Mooney caught the ball right away and saw good blocking from the two other receivers on his side. He then broke a couple more tackles is he took it 60 yards to the house. Mooney was a target magnet today, and there were a number of plays that almost hit. It felt like Mooney could have easily ended the day with 200+ yards. With a more adept coaching staff running this offense, the ceiling can be even higher.

Darnell Mooney catches the Baltimore defense sleeping! #DaBears

pic.twitter.com/2dD9eGHYEq

— Matty B (@mattthew_jordan) November 21, 2021

Marquise Goodwin made his day on a late TD grab. He broke past his coverage, and then sat and waited for the ball to arrive. Goodwin will benefit if the offensive line continues to improve, and Fields takes more deep shots. He will never be the top dog, but he can be a useful piece for Chicago.