Ravens vs. Bears: Full Roster Report Card Grades for Baltimore
Despite the Baltimore Ravens' 23-20 overtime loss to the Chicago Bears, there were a number of players who turned in great performances. Ray Rice, for example, had his best game of the year, as did a couple of the offensive linemen who paved the way for him.
Unfortunately, Joe Flacco wasn't so great and couldn't capitalize on the solid running game. Likewise, some of the more dependable Ravens, like Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil, didn't make their presence felt against the Bears.
Here are grades for every player on the roster that are based on their statistical output and how well they did their jobs and fulfilled their roles for the team.
Quarterbacks
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Joe Flacco: D-
Stats: 17-of-31 (55%) for 162 yards (5.2 YPA), 1 TD, 2 INTs, passer rating of 53.4
Joe Flacco had plenty of good moments in this one, but they didn't outweigh his mistakes. Both of his interceptions were the result of great defensive plays, but he shouldn't have made those throws in the first place.
He was good in the first half (despite those interceptions) and led an offense that moved the ball with ease. In the second half, however, it was a different story.
For most of the season, Flacco has had to work with subpar performances from everybody else, but that wasn't the case against Chicago.
The rushing attack looked good, and the pass protection was solid. In addition, the defense was playing extremely well. Those two turnovers led to points for the Bears, and without them, the Ravens would have won this game.
The bottom line is that Flacco was completely outplayed by Josh McCown down the stretch of the game, and that's unacceptable for the reigning Super Bowl MVP.
Running Backs
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Ray Rice: A+
Stats: 25 carries for 131 yards (5.2 YPC), 1 TD; 3 receptions for 17 yards
Ray Rice broke out against a Chicago Bears defense that was the second-worst run defense in the league. He started the day well with a 47-yard run on his first carry and punched it into the end zone to end that drive.
After a week where many (myself included) were calling for Bernard Pierce to see more carries, Rice responded with his best game of the year.
Bernard Pierce: F
Stats: 10 carries for 18 yards (1.8 YPC)
Bernard Pierce could not build off a solid performance from last week. For whatever reason, whenever he touched the ball, it seemed to result in negative yardage. Five of his 11 carries (including one that was negated by a penalty) resulted in no gain or a loss of yards.
Given the success that Rice found in the running game and the effectiveness of the offensive line in its run blocking, Pierce's struggles are his own doing. The fact that he couldn't do any better against a terrible run defense is disappointing.
Vonta Leach: B-
Stats: 1 carry for 1 yard (1.0 YPC)
Vonta Leach wasn't a huge part of the game, but he made his presence felt when he was involved. He landed a crushing block that took out two Bears on Rice's touchdown run, and he converted a 3rd-and-1.
Wide Receivers
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Torrey Smith: B
Stats: 5 receptions for 32 yards, 1 TD
Torrey Smith scored a touchdown, but he was fairly quiet other than that. He caught only one pass in the second half and wasn't the dominant force we've seen repeatedly throughout the season.
With the Bears missing Charles Tillman and the Ravens without Marlon Brown, the hope was that Smith would be in for a big day. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.
Tandon Doss: B-
Stats: 3 receptions for 37 yards
Tandon Doss made a couple of nice grabs early on to convert third downs, but he couldn't hold on to a number of critical passes toward the end of the game.
They weren't bad plays by him, as the weather conditions affected the flight of the ball and they were tough catches, but it would have been nice to see him hold on to them.
Jacoby Jones: C
Stats: 2 receptions for 18 yards
With Flacco completing only 17 passes, there weren't a lot of receptions to be made by anyone. Regardless, Jacoby Jones hasn't gone over 50 receiving yards on the season despite running better routes and showing better hands than he had last year.
Deonte Thompson: C
Stats: 1 reception for 11 yards
Deonte Thompson only caught one ball, and his role is limited right now. Even without Brown on the squad, he didn't get much work.
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Tight Ends
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Dallas Clark: B+
Stats: 2 receptions for 31 yards
Dallas Clark made the most important and most difficult catch of the afternoon by making a one-handed grab on 4th-and-4 in the fourth quarter.
He didn't put up big numbers, but that catch alone was worth a good grade. Clark has been inconsistent but has made a number of big plays in critical situations for Baltimore.
Ed Dickson: B-
Stats: 1 reception for 16 yards
Ed Dickson made one catch and drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone (he made the catch out of bounds), but he also dropped a wide-open pass.
Dickson was fairly solid as a blocker in the running game and made a couple of key second-level blocks to spring Rice.
Offensive Linemen
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Eugene Monroe: F
Stats: 2.5 sacks allowed
This wasn't Eugene Monroe's best performance in a Ravens uniform. In fact, it was by far his worst performance for Baltimore. He had been a rock anchoring the left side of the line, but he was outmatched by Julius Peppers.
Peppers made plays all over the field and beat Monroe for two sacks. Monroe was partially responsible for the third sack (along with Rice), missing a blitz off the edge.
A.Q. Shipley: B
Stats: 0 sacks allowed, 0 penalties
A.Q. Shipley played one of his better games. He was active in the run game and made a few key blocks. More importantly, he didn't make any glaring mistakes like penalties or blown assignments.
Gino Gradkowski: A-
Stats: 0 sacks allowed, 0 penalties
Gino Gradkowski played possibly his best game as a Raven. He was excellent as a run-blocker, leaping out of his stance and moving defenders backward with power. He also got to the second level on a number of plays and opened running lanes for Rice.
Marshal Yanda: B-
Stats: 0 sacks allowed, 1 holding penalty, 1 false start penalty
Marshal Yanda blocked well for most of the game but committed two penalties that backed the Ravens up.
Michael Oher: C+
Stats: 0 sacks allowed, 0 penalties
It seems like Michael Oher's greatest skill is reacting to defensive linemen and drawing neutral zone infraction penalties. He did this a couple of times against the Bears and was solid in the run game. That said, he didn't land many big blocks and wasn't as effective as the interior linemen.
Nose Tackles
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Terrence Cody: B
Stats: 1 solo tackle
Terrence Cody was decent as a replacement for the injured Haloti Ngata. He stuffed the run well and was a block-eater for the whole game.
Brandon Williams: C
Stats: 0 tackles
Brandon Williams was less impactful at the nose tackle position, and he didn't see as many snaps as Cody.
Defensive Ends
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Chris Canty: A-
Stats: 4 solo tackles, 1 TFL
Chris Canty's numbers aren't spectacular, but he was making plays all over the field. He stepped up in a big way in Ngata's absence and anchored the defensive line.
Arthur Jones: B-
Stats: 2 solo tackles
Arthur Jones made a couple of run stops, but he didn't generate much pressure on McCown.
DeAngelo Tyson: B
Stats: 1 solo tackle, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 QB hit
DeAngelo Tyson has played well for the Ravens this year, and he came up with another sack (his second in as many games). He's giving them great production and energy in limited snaps.
Inside Linebackers
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Daryl Smith: B+
Stats: 6 tackles (4 solo), 1 TFL, 1 FF
Daryl Smith had another solid game as the quarterback of the defense. He made some plays in coverage and forced a fumble from Alshon Jeffery (although he couldn't recover it). Smith also made a number of plays against the run and was active as a blitzer.
Jameel McClain: B-
Stats: 3 tackles (2 solo), 1 TFL
Jameel McClain has been a lift for the defense since his return from injury, and he's given defensive coordinator Dean Pees some valuable leadership in the middle of the defense. Against the Bears, he had a decent game, but he can be more active against the run.
Josh Bynes: C
Stats: 2 solo tackles
Josh Bynes hasn't seen much action since McClain's return, and his role is a little unclear. He made a couple of nice tackles against the run against the Bears.
Arthur Brown: C
Stats: 0 tackles
Brown is seeing a fair number of snaps in passing situations thanks to his prowess in coverage. He wasn't involved in any of the action against Chicago.
Outside Linebackers
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Terrell Suggs: D+
Stats: 1 solo tackle
Suggs was strangely a non-factor in this game against the run and as a pass-rusher. It was a rare performance from the veteran, but he didn't play a big role in his defense's good performance.
Elvis Dumervil: D-
Stats: 0 tackles, 1 QB hit, 1 roughing the passer penalty
Like Suggs, Dumervil was barely noticeable in this game. He was matched up against Jordan Mills, Pro Football Focus' worst-rated pass-blocking tackle (subscription required), but he failed to register any pressure on McCown and was whistled for a personal foul that negated a third-down stop for the Ravens.
Courtney Upshaw: C-
Stats: 1 solo tackle
Even Courtney Upshaw didn't look like his normal self. He wasn't as active setting the edge, and he let himself get blocked out of the play on a couple of occasions.
Pernell McPhee: C
Stats: 1 solo tackle
Pernell McPhee registered the same stat line as Upshaw and Suggs despite playing far fewer snaps. The energy was lacking for the outside linebackers against the Bears.
Cornerbacks
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Lardarius Webb: B+
Stats: 4 solo tackles, 1 PD
Lardarius Webb was lined up in the slot whenever possible for the second straight game, and he was excellent in that role. There was some confusion when the Bears lined up in a bunch formation, and part of that has to be attributed to Webb for not sticking with the inside man.
He also gave up the biggest reception of the day to Martellus Bennett, which clinched the game for Chicago. All in all, however, it was a good game by Webb.
Jimmy Smith: A+
Stats: 4 tackles (3 solo), 2 PD
Jimmy Smith was covering Brandon Marshall for most of the game and held him to four receptions for 42 yards. Smith was fantastic, breaking up a number of plays and preventing touchdowns.
It was another excellent game for Smith, who has really come on as of late.
Corey Graham: B
Stats: 9 solo tackles, 1 sack, 1 QB hit, 1 PD
Corey Graham was all over the field and even registered a sack on McCown. He made a number of nice plays in coverage against his former team.
Safeties
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James Ihedigbo: B
Stats: 6 tackles (5 solo)
James Ihedigbo played another great game. He was good in coverage, but he did miss an opportunity to prevent Matt Forte from getting into the end zone.
Matt Elam: B-
Stats: 5 tackles (4 solo)
Matt Elam has looked more comfortable with every week, just as you'd expect from a rookie. He is much more reliable in coverage and has repeatedly shown the ability to wrap up and make tackles in space.
Specialists
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Justin Tucker: A+
Stats: 2-of-2 FG (52 and 21), 2-of-2 XP
Justin Tucker was again phenomenal, converting a 52-yarder in windy conditions. He was only called on for two field goals, but he drilled both of them.
Sam Koch: B+
Stats: 4 punts for 177 yards (44.3 AVG), 0 IN20
After some inconsistency, Sam Koch was much better against the Bears, and he needed to be against Devin Hester.
Jacoby Jones: C
Stats: 2 kick returns for 39 yards (19.5 AVG), 1 punt return for 3 yards (3.0 AVG)
Jones didn't get the chance to do much with any of his returns.
Tandon Doss: C
Stats: 1 punt return for 4 yards (4.0 AVG)
Doss didn't get the chance to break any returns.
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