The Baltimore Ravens continue their roller-coaster ride this season after collapsing against the New York Giants, 24-20, on the road in Week 6 of the 2022 NFL season. This loss prevented the Ravens from gaining solo first place in the AFC North. Here we'll look at some takeaways from the Ravens' loss in Week 6.
The Baltimore Ravens suffered yet another inexplicable fourth-quarter collapse. They lost by just four points in a game they were well on their way to winning. However, their all-too-familiar fourth-quarter woes once again dominated the main storyline. The Giants erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to secure a huge win.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was regrettably a big reason for this loss. He threw a devastatingly bad interception late in the game, giving the Giants the ball deep in Ravens territory to set up the go-ahead score. Jackson then had the ball stripped from him after New York scored. The Giants recovered, effectively ending the game.
Looking ahead to Week 7, the Ravens will try to bounce back quickly against the Cleveland Browns at home. The team, however, needs to do some serious soul-searching after so many unexpected late-game collapses this season. In fact, in each of their three losses, they started well but couldn't hold a lead late in the games.
Here are our four takeaways from the Ravens' Week 6 loss vs. the Giants.
4. Wasted a strong Kenyan Drake game
Ravens reserve RB Kenyan Drake had a heroic performance for the Ravens. He rushed for 119 yards on 10 carries with four runs of 15 yards or more. He had to step up with Justice Hill out and J.K. Dobbins not seeing action following the Ravens' third offensive drive of the game due to an injury.
Kenyan Drake had his best game yet, and he was really the brightest silver lining in this game. Will he become a viable threat moving forward? The sample size is too small for now, but Ravens fans sure hope so.
In this game, Drake converted a difficult first down and then ran for a 30-yard touchdown to put Baltimore up 7-0. This was his best outing yet this season after averaging just under 22 yards per game in the previous three games in which he played.
3. The Ravens' secondary was not good
Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters thought he had a game-saving interception, but it was nullified by a pass interference penalty. Unfortunately, that put the ball on the 1-yard line and set up the Giants' game-winning touchdown. This team is clearly still having communication issues, and rookie safety Kyle Hamilton was once again out of position.
As a result, the Ravens allowed Giants QB Daniel Jones to complete 19-of-27 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns for a 112.1 passer rating. Those aren't mighty big numbers, but they let Jones make plays when it counted the most. No Giants receiver gained more than 38 yards on the day, but the Ravens' secondary did allow two receiving TDs.
2. Lamar Jackson had a tough day at the office
For much of the game, Ravens star QB Lamar Jackson was blitzed heavily, and he made the biggest mistakes when the game was on the line. As mentioned above, he was responsible for a late interception and a fumble.
The Ravens typically win only when Jackson performs well, and they are unable to overcome his errors when he overthrows or misses his receivers. By the game's end, Jackson completed 17-of-32 passes for 210 yards, a touchdown, and an interception for just a 71.1 passer rating. That's his second-lowest of the season so far. He also rushed for 77 yards on seven carries. According to ESPN Stats, Jackson completed 0-of-6 red zone passes.
Again, because the Ravens go only as far as Jackson takes them, this kind of tough outing just won't cut it.
1. Ravens and fourth quarters don't mix
Ravens TE Mark Andrews' 12-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter extended the Ravens' lead to 20-10. Unfortunately, a multiple-score lead late in the game has not proven to be a big enough cushion for the collapse-prone Ravens this season.
After that Andrews TD, the Giants responded with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in under seven minutes. That cut their deficit to three points once more. As previously stated, the Ravens then blew a chance to put the game away with first downs or more points.
The illegal formation penalty called on Ronnie Stanley in the fourth quarter set things in motion. The interception and defensive pass interference penalty also helped the Giants win the game. The final offensive drive strip-sack was the final nail in the Ravens' proverbial coffin.
Kayvon Thibodeaux’s first career sack is a game-winning, strip sack on Lamar Jackson 😱 #TogetherBlue
pic.twitter.com/yepyDqXlD3— Sideline Daily (@sideline_daily) October 16, 2022
It's painful but it's true: all three of the Ravens' losses this season have one thing in common. They led by 10 points or more in the second half and couldn't close the deal. They slayed the dragon in Week 5 by finishing late against the Cincinnati Bengals, but they clearly failed to build on that today.
Remember that the Ravens committed 10 (!!!) penalties for 74 yards, many of which were pre-snap infractions. That has to be a major focus moving forward. The Ravens also committed turnovers on their final two drives and struggled in the red zone after dominating the first half. The defense appeared tired late in the second half and again struggled with communication. There's certainly a lot to fix for Baltimore in the weeks to come.
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