Stocks Crash in Cleveland

The Ravens found another way to rip defeat from the jaws of victory when they lost to the Browns on Sunday. This team continues to find ways to lose games through self-inflicted wounds. The Ravens were not going to go 15-2. Losses were going to happen and more will likely be coming as well. It’s not that they lost, it’s how they lost.

I will give the Browns credit.  That is not a one-win team. They were healthier yesterday than they have been all year, Jameis Winston is a lot better than DeShaun Watson, and the team and fans were rejuvenated. The Ravens were also playing shorthanded on defense, were playing on a short week and were playing on the road for the 3^rd time in four weeks. It really isn’t a surprising loss when you really think about it, but it’s the way they lost and the way they keep losing these games that they shouldn’t.

Consider this: since the start of the 2023 season, the Ravens have lost eight games. Two of those losses are to Patrick Mahomes. The other six? Watson, Winston, Gardner Minshew (twice), Mason Rudolph, and Kenny Pickett. The complaint about the Ravens playing down to their opponents is real.

This is going to be a different stock up/down report because we had a stock market crash yesterday. Everything was down.

Here is your Week 8 Ravens Stock Report courtesy of LifeMed Institute. Men, boost your energy and restore your body to its peak performance with testosterone therapy from LifeMed.

Stock Down

Todd Monken

The Ravens ran play action just five times yesterday. They have dominated using play action all year and it wasn’t in the game plan. They gave the ball to Derrick Henry 11 times. He averaged 6.6 ypc. Why didn’t he get it more? And speaking of Henry, why would you call a direct snap to him on 4^th down near the goal line, telegraphing to the defense that he’s running? If you are going to direct snap it, why not leak out someone and let Henry do the jump pass that he has done in the past?  Why would you take away the threat of Lamar Jackson in that situation? Just a very head-scratching game plan from a coach that has been excellent since Week 2.

Marcus Williams

Looks like he has hit rock bottom. From what John Harbaugh said, it sounds like he didn’t play because of a disciplinary issue. Add to that his poor play this season, and he is in the doghouse and needs to fight his way out of it.

David Ojabo

A healthy scratch this week. That does not bode well for him at all. His production early in the season was promising but he has been nonexistent since. The Ravens are going to make at least one move at the deadline and possibly more. Would a team be enticed by Ojabo as a trade piece? If we can get Jadeveon Clowney back from the Panthers, would they want to take on Ojabo and see what they can get out of him? Something to watch out for.

Hands

As in, CATCH THE DAMN BALL! The drops on offense were bad, but the defensive drops were even more horrific. Kyle Hamilton, who was the best player on the field for the Ravens (outside of Lamar) yesterday, dropped the easiest INT he will ever have, and it would have won the game had he caught it. However, it wasn’t just him. The team dropped another three or four potential picks. The Ravens defense either can’t catch the ball or they don’t look for it. They should have 8-10 more INTs than they have but the lack of awareness and lack of hands is a real problem. It is partially why the defensive stats are so bad.

Eddie Jackson

Speaking of dropping the ball, he should have had two relatively easy interceptions yesterday and he also got burnt for the game-winning TD. As bad as Williams has been, Jackson has been worse. We have two of the worst free safeties in the NFL this year. Williams isn’t easy to cut right now, but Jackson is. Free safety is a position the Ravens should be looking to add at the deadline. Jackson shouldn’t play for the Ravens again. He was a worthwhile pick up for vet depth, but he has been abysmal.

Nnamdi Madubuike

In the offseason, the Ravens chose to make Mads one of the highest paid interior defensive linemen in the league. It was coming off a great year, where he was a dominant force. Where has that player been this year? People will say he is drawing lots of double teams. All great defensive players do that. People will say, well Clowney isn’t there and he was taking pressure off of Mads last year. Ok, so he needs an outside pass rush to be a good player. People will say it’s Orr’s scheme.  Is it? Is Nnamdi winning at the point of attack?  Is he beating his opponent like he did last year? Here’s the problem: you paid him a lot of money to be an ELITE player and he’s not one. He is very good but he’s not elite. You bought into one season and thought he would continue his upward trajectory, and he hasn’t.

Eric DeCosta

I just mentioned Mads and Williams but let’s include Roquan Smith too. Individually, these are players that were very good when you signed them. Williams has had injury issues that had led to his decline. Roquan had/has been one of the better ILB in the NFL and I just talked about Mads. But right now, these three are not giving you a ton and you can make an argument that they are in devalued positions and with the money tied up in them that the Ravens have, it limits them.

Yes, Roquan and Mads have been elite in the past and paying elite players is never a bad thing BUT if Nnamdi isn’t getting a ton of sacks, he is essentially a run stopper and even though the league is running the ball more, you don’t pay huge money for that type of player. Roquan, whether it’s a change in scheme or not, hasn’t been the same player and while some of these miscommunication problems are on Zach Orr,  the supposed leader of the defense needs to be doing a better job there.  Put it all together and this is just more ammo for the folks that talk about how EDC and Harbaugh want to play a brand of football that does not win in January anymore.

We will see how these guys play going forward but the first half of the season has largely been mediocre.

Special Teams

I feel like special teams is in the stock down every week. This aspect of the team has been swept under the rug a little because of all the focus on the defense but the special teams, which have been among the best in the league for a decade, have been awful. In terms of DVOA, it is the worst unit on the team by a wide margin. I know the Ravens have a lot of youth they are trying to integrate into the unit, but this isn’t about those guys. Justin Tucker, who looked like he had bounced back to his regular self, missed a crucial FG yesterday. Jordan Stout continues to be a mediocre punter and a waste of a 4^th round pick (going back to EDC), and we are just getting really bad decisions in the return game. Chris Collier, who is a rookie, was bringing it out too often yesterday. Tylan Wallace, a vet, fields a fair catch on the five on a ball that was very likely going to be a touchback and even if some miraculous bounce happens, that’s the way it goes. You don’t field that and pin your team back. That was just really dumb. Chris Horton’s unit is killing the Ravens this year and the offense has been so good, that it has been covered up a little but this unit has been awful and is part of why the Ravens have lost three games, two of which they shouldn’t have.

Mistakes

Another frequent visitor to the RED but really, maybe I should have it in the stock up…as in, they just keep doing it. This is a dumb football team. We have talked about the coaching issues, but this loss was more on the players even if the coaches had their issues (like why Harbaugh doesn’t call a timeout on two Browns touchdowns when the defense wasn’t set?). A poor false start by Ronnie Stanley at the wrong time, the special teams issues I mentioned, the drops, etc…This team can not get out of their own way. They continue to be the only team in the NFL that can beat them. They are their own worst enemy and they can’t stop the momentum of stupidity once it starts to roll.

This is on Harbaugh and the coaching staff but it’s also on the players. The execution has to be crisper, and the players have to stop being morons on the field.

Playoff Seeding

The top seed was probably gone anyway but yesterday clinched it. Even if the Ravens win out, they would still need KC to lose four games the rest of the season. That isn’t happening unless Mahomes gets hurt or something happens to Andy Reid. The Ravens will have to go into KC to make the Super Bowl unless they get lucky, and someone beats KC before the AFC Championship (if the Ravens themselves even make it there).  At this point, the two seed is in real danger. Buffalo has two losses, as does Houston.  They both have some challenging games left but it’s possible the Ravens will end up with 11-12 wins and get the fourth seed.

The post Stocks Crash in Cleveland appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2024/10/28/ravens-stock-exchange/stocks-crash-in-cleveland/