Ravens @ Buccaneers
Final Score: Ravens 41 – Buccaneers 31
Writer: Brendan Boe (@BeeBoeFF on Twitter)
Lamar Freakin’ Jackson… He’s done it again, another spectacular QB1 performance. Not to mention, Derrick Henry doing his thing on the ground again with another big one for the books. I gotta hand it to the Bucs though, they did everything they could to stay in the game, despite losing star receiver Mike Evans who earned a huge milestone with his 100th receiving touchdown of his career. There was a clear winner in the 4th quarter, but it was an exciting game with massive plays; definitely worth a watch if you missed it.
Six Up
- Lamar Jackson – 5 touchdowns, holy smokes! His short and deep passes looked incredible, and in typical Lamar fashion, he added 52 yards with his legs. The #1 QB of the year put up another QB1 performance.
- Derrick Henry – Hopefully, you didn’t tune out after the first half – another dominating performance from the King himself. He racked up massive yardage on the backs of big plays and reached a top speed of 21.7 MPH!
- Rashod Bateman – Easily the top receiver of the night and showed out as a deep threat. Only 4 targets, but he caught them all and passed the century mark, including a deep bomb touchdown catch.
- Mark Andrews – The wait is finally over: for the second week in a row, Mandrews has put up solid numbers with only 4 targets in each of the last two games. Hauling in 2 touchdowns puts him back on the map.
- Rachaad White – What seemed to be a 3-headed monster on the back of lacking performances in the past, White came out to make a statement, catching all 6 of his targets including 2 touchdowns.
- Cade Otton – The receiving leader for the Bucs, nobody came close to his level of production. Expect him to see more work moving forward with teammates Mike Evans and Chris Godwin getting injured.
Two Down
- Zay Flowers – 1 catch and 1 carry… He wasn’t given much, and he didn’t need to do because the Ravens dominated this contest. That said, he wasn’t able to hold onto a backward pass that resulted in turning the ball over.
- Isaiah Likely – I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one as he didn’t need to do much either. Frankly, most players on both sides of the ball were either excellent or got injured.
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson: 17/22, 281 Yards, 5 TD | 9 Carries, 52 Yards
This guy is making a case for MVP: his throws, whether short, mid-range, or deep, were phenomenal and he had 5.7 yards per carry, plus tied his record for most passing touchdowns in a single game. We are accustomed to seeing him using his legs, but it seems the Todd Monken offensive scheme has him airing out the ball more and with massive success. The greatest receiving benefactor of this contest was Rashod Bateman who caught a deep middle arching pass for 59 yards, then later hauled in a 49-yard touchdown that Jackson perfectly placed near the end zone. Let’s also make note that Mark Andrews has risen from the ashes to not only put up his second good performance in 2 weeks but found paydirt twice. Even Derrick Henry got in on this touchdown action with a wide-open catch and run. If that wasn’t enough, Jackson showed his toughness as a lead blocker to help Henry rack up some yards down the field, showing that he can do it all! This offense is not to be reckoned with, and Lamar Jackson is the one leading the charge.
https://www.twitter.com/NFL/status/1848556594638000315
Running Back
Derrick Henry: 15 Carries, 169 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Catch, 13 Yards, TD
What initially seemed to be a very quiet day for the superstar runner turned into a massive eruption – 10 minutes into the 3rd quarter, he broke out an 81-yard run, reaching 21.7 miles per hour! At 30 years old, the King still hasn’t lost his step. Truly remarkable. He further padded those stats with another big run for 39 yards down the sideline where he just barely stepped out of bounds, making him millimeters away from hauling an even more gargantuan run. Oh, and let’s throw him a 13-yard touchdown while we’re at it, because why not? Fantasy managers wiped the sweat off their brows at this point after the whole first half we were wondering why John Harbaugh was limiting Henry’s usage. Is he hurt? Why is he not in on the 2-minute drill? And why is his helmet off on the sideline?! Nope, he’s just doing his signature late-game rampage.
https://www.twitter.com/NFL/status/1848550342813729141
Justice Hill: 5 Carries, 4 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Catches, 44 Yards, TD
Grossly inefficient on the ground, and that’s where any negativity ends. We know who this guy is, he’s the pass-catching back, and he yet again did what he does best: get lots of yardage from the backfield relative to his 3 total catches. His contributions were integral as his first catch was a fight through defenders to earn an 18-yard touchdown – meanwhile, both his other catches put the Ravens in field goal range on two separate instances, helping the team capitalize on what otherwise would’ve been moot. His role is small, but the significance of his work helped put 13 points on the board.
https://www.twitter.com/NFL/status/1848532670680338736
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Rashod Bateman: 4 Targets, 4 Catches, 121 Yards, TD
Somehow tied for the target leader with only 4, Bateman made massive strides with what he was offered as he established himself as a brutal deep threat. His first one was an arching deep toss downfield, where he earned around 30 yards after the catch totaling 59 yards on the play. Several plays later, Lamar Jackson found him near the endzone outrunning and creating separation from two defenders, heaving a beautifully placed ball for a 49-yard score. The Ravens needed a player who could stretch the ball downfield, and time will tell if this was merely a boom, or if there are more chapters to this story.
https://www.twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1848548047778635815
Mark Andrews: 4 Targets, 4 Catches, 41 Yards, 2 TD
He’s back! This is his second week in a row where he found the endzone – the difference being that he scored twice in this outing. He was wide open on both touchdowns, showing that he’s not just relegated to pass blocking as he can find separation when called upon to deliver. His awareness and footwork were on display, particularly on a narrowly caught 8-yard pass where the tip of his toes just barely touched the edge inside the line. Moving forward, more targets would need to be there to ensure consistent production, but considering he was also tied for target leader with 4, we’ll take what we can get.
https://www.twitter.com/NFLFantasy/status/1848551353121210874
Zay Flowers: 1 Target, 1 Catch, 11 Yards | 1 Carry, 19 Yards
Well, this stinks. Honestly, I was expecting such a big game as he’s been fantastic over the past two weeks with 243 yards on 16 catches. But hey, if you don’t get thrown the ball, it’s hard to get catches. He created good separation on his lone screen pass, plus he had perfect timing to trick the defense on a sneaky handoff as he knifed his way downfield for 19 yards. Though not seen on his stats, it’s worth noting that he couldn’t catch a backward pass that was recovered by the defense and nearly run back for the touchdown. This mistake aside, the Ravens didn’t need much from Flowers to get the win.
Isaiah Likely: 4 Targets, 2 Catches, 17 Yards
Another byproduct of a lack of necessity, Likely was somehow tied with Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews for target leaders with 4. On the one hand, he helped the team get a 1st down near field goal range during the 2-minute warning before the half; on the other hand, he was penalized for offensive holding on 2nd and 28, moving the team back to 38 and goal.
Nelson Agholor: 2 Targets, 1 Catch, 20 Yards
Charlie Kolar: 1 Target, 1 Catch, 14 Yards
Patrick Ricard: 1 Target
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback
Baker Mayfield: 31/45, 370 Yards, 3 TD, 2 INT | 5 Carries, 22 Yards
The pass attack hit the ground running in the first drive as they marched down the field and heaved a 25-yard touchdown to Mike Evans on the third pass of the game. Alas, with a second touchdown to Evans not being hauled in and leading to his removal due to a hamstring injury, Baker had one less weapon in his arsenal. A perfectly placed ball went between defenders to Godwin for the touchdown, but it was called back due to a penalty on the offense – and this is where they started to falter and struggle to keep their momentum. The 3rd and 4th drives were capped short as Cornerback Marlon Humphrey had both interceptions on Mayfield, allowing the Ravens to take their first lead. These, along with a few sacks and a couple of broken-up passes, can be attributed to good defensive play, but the most egregious error was a QB scramble for a first down being called back due to Baker carelessly grabbing a defender’s facemask. Mayfield has performed well this season and barring a few errors, tonight was no exception; the Ravens simply outplayed him.
Running Back
Rachaad White: 10 Carries, 40 Yards | 6 Targets, 6 Catches, 71 Yards, 2 TD
Returning from injury, he hopped back into his role as the leader of this backfield. Granted, it was close to an even split between him and Bucky Irving, but White had 3 more catches, better efficiency on the ground, and an extra touchdown to boot. This was a relief as White has been underwhelming this season with 3.7 yards per carry in his first 5 games. That said, once again, his saving grace was his involvement in the passing game, with this game being by far his best of the season. Baker Mayfield has established this offense as a major passing threat, and with his willingness to involve the backfield to make manufactured check-downs rather than desperate ones (looking at you, Derek Carr), a more dynamic scheme evolves and opens up the deeper passing game. All this to say that Rachaad White‘s role here lends itself to the strengths of the other pass catchers and elevates the whole offense, as was evident by this performance.
https://www.twitter.com/NFLFantasy/status/1848561703069327851
Bucky Irving: 9 Carries, 23 Yards, TD | 3 Targets, 3 Catches, 54 Yards
He’s not the backup anymore: deservedly so, Irving has carved out a permanent role in the backfield. Head coach Todd Bowles stated a plan to take the “hot hand” approach, but considering the nearly even split, and the fact that both running backs found the end zone, it’s safe to say we are looking at a 2-headed monster. Irving showed toughness and a willingness to power through defenders to earn tough yardage, but also a heightened awareness, notably saving Baker Mayfield from being sacked and instead turning the play into a 15-yard reception. The way he used leverage and cut behind the O-line to gain extra yards, or find the openings presented to him, he knows how and when to make quick and decisive moves. His most impressive play was a low catch at the line of scrimmage where he cut back behind his linemen, ran laterally, and down the other side of the field for a 25-yard gain.
https://www.twitter.com/SleeperNFL/status/1848549185089667084
Sean Tucker: 5 Carries, 29 Yards | 2 Targets 1 Catch, 9 Yards
I hope you didn’t blow too much FAAB after his massive performance last week. To his credit, when he was given multiple carries on their 3rd drive, he looked solid; 5.8 yards per carry is nothing to scoff at. It’s also worth noting that Tucker will slot into immediate production if either of the two running backs in front of him were to miss time. However, I was told there would be a 3-headed monster, and that’s just not the case.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Cade Otton: 10 Targets, 8 Catches, 100 Yards
As the target leader for the Bucs, this guy was all over the field. He had a screen pass with 13 yards after the catch, a big catch down the middle for 28, and later ran up the seam for a 23-yard gain. Just to name a few. He even made a catch by pressing the ball against his ear to maintain possession of a ball that was nearly picked off. He looked dynamic, had clear chemistry with Baker Mayfield, and stepped up when needed after the unfortunate hamstring injury to Mike Evans. In the otherwise barren tight end landscape, Otton has shown that he can handle high volume and make a range of dynamic plays in both short and deep passing situations. This, plus the additional injury to Chris Godwin, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Cade Otton take on a larger role until the squad is healed up.
https://www.twitter.com/JordanDajani/status/1848558972183142738
Chris Godwin: 9 Targets, 7 Catches, 65 Yards
The 2nd highest targets on the team and the necessity to compensate for a missing Mike Evans led to a decent outing. His day should’ve been much bigger, but unfortunately, he had a gorgeous touchdown called back due to an offensive holding penalty by his teammate. Outside of this, he was making quick catches in tight coverage, with his only near miss being a ball that he bobbled, yet inevitably hauled in for a gain of 15 yards. The Bucs made a devastating error at the end of the game, opting to leave Godwin on the field despite their attempts at victory being a fool’s errand – near the end of the 4th quarter, his ankle was dislocated, meaning he will be out indefinitely. Praying for a swift recovery.
Mike Evans: 3 Targets, 1 Catch, 25 Yards, 1 TD
Before exiting with a hamstring injury on what would’ve been his 2nd touchdown on his 2nd catch of the day, Evans managed to haul in his 100th career touchdown! Not only that, but he’s the 11th player ever to catch 100 touchdowns; more significantly, he’s the 5th player ever to have 100 receiving touchdowns with the same team, putting him in the ranks with an elite set of Hall of Famers: Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and Marvin Harrison Sr. It’s truly a shame that Evans had to exit the game early, he deserves to celebrate the history that he made. Praying for a swift recovery for him as well.
https://www.twitter.com/NFL/status/1848520199999230363
Jalen McMillan: 8 Targets, 3 Catches, 15 Yards | 1 Carry, 11 Yards
Someone needs to be the next man up with the top 2 receivers going out with injuries. And his name is: Cade Otton. Or that who seems to be the biggest benefactor so far. In all seriousness, the rookie McMillan was offered great volume with 8 targets by Baker Mayfield but only hauled in 3 for minimal yardage. There were a couple of flashes in the pan, namely a fly sweep on 4th down which he converted after an 11-yard pickup. He also had a red zone reception, made a great catch in tight coverage, and almost hauled one in at the end zone, displaying great route-running skills. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to hang onto the ball, but if he did bring it in we would be having a much different conversation right now. Keep an eye on him as more clarity is shown on the injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Trey Palmer: 3 Targets, 1 Catch, 16 Yards
Sterling Shepard: 1 Target, 1 Catch, 15 Yards