The Week 2 matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens certainly made an impression. The Ravens dropped to 0-2 in front of their home crowd, 26-23. Former Raven cornerback Domonique Foxworth showed some real concern Monday morning on his podcast.
“It’s a very Ravens-y issue over the last few years,” Foxworth said. “They’ve outplayed some teams until the end and then they give up improbable wins that they should’ve had in control. This one was less improbable because of offensive line issues. I wasn’t surprised by it because I’ve become accustomed to it.
“Then I went back and watched the game and was like ‘Yeah, the Ravens are better than them.' I think Brock Bowers stood out as the exceptional addition to the Raiders offense. However, I didn’t walk away from this thinking the Ravens are in trouble, but I did walk away thinking the Ravens are in trouble because they gave away a game they had to win.”
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson isn't accustomed to losing, much less it being at the beginning of the season. He hasn't started a season with a 0-2 record since his freshman season at the University of Louisville. While the Chiefs were projected to win the Week 1 matchup, the following week came as a total shock. A loss to the Raiders was unexpected with Baltimore being a 8.5-point favorite before kickoff.
Does Domonique Foxworth make a valid point about the Ravens?
Baltimore is notorious for beating contending teams with ease but struggling against lesser competition. For example, they beat the NFC champions, the San Francisco 49ers convincingly. They won 33-19 and proved why they belong in Super Bowl contention. That same season, they lost to their division rival, the Cleveland Browns 33-31. Baltimore allowed 16 unanswered points in that game.
While the Browns were a playoff-contending team, allowing 16 unanswered points and losing is a recipe for disaster. Through the first week of the 2024 season, Baltimore was mopped by the Chiefs on all fronts. Against the Raiders, the Ravens allowed 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback win. Gardner Minshew outperformed Lamar Jackson. Minshew threw for 276 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Lamar threw for 247 yards, one touchdown, and one interception and added 45 yards rushing.
The Ravens will take on the Dallas Cowboys in America's Game of the Week on Fox. Both teams are aiming to erase their embarrassing defeats, with Baltimore hoping to secure its first win, and Dallas not falling below .500.
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