Ravens vs. Lions: Full Roster Report Card Grades for Baltimore
There were some highs and lows from the Baltimore Ravens' Week 15 win over the Detroit Lions. None were higher than Justin Tucker, who was superb and solely responsible for the critical victory. But how did everyone else grade out?
The secondary and inside linebackers joined Tucker with excellent grades, but there were other players who didn't perform as well.
Look through these report card grades to determine how each player stacked up. The grades are based on statistical output and how well the player carried out his job as well as any mistakes that were made.
Quarterbacks
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Joe Flacco: B
Stats: 20-of-38 (53% completion) for 222 yards (5.8 YPA), 0 TDs, 0 INTs, Passer rating 70.3
The stats aren't impressive, but the most important thing about Flacco's game is that he didn't turn the ball over. Baltimore won the turnover battle, and that was a huge factor in the win.
The offense struggled in the red zone, but there was no running game (as per usual), and Flacco made a number of very nice throws.
Additionally, Flacco moved well in the pocket and made some great plays with his feet. Overall, it was a solid performance from the quarterback, and you have to love the leadership and toughness he displayed by not missing a snap with the knee injury.
Running Backs
2 of 12
Ray Rice: B
Stats: 12 carries for 56 yards (4.7 YPC), 1 reception for 8 yards
Yes, you're reading that correctly. Ray Rice actually had an average higher than four yards per carry! Rice broke some pretty good runs, which bumped his average despite the negative plays that have been a common occurrence in the run game.
Rice was solid on the ground and excellent in pass protection, picking up a number of blitzes and giving Flacco extra time in the pocket.
Bernard Pierce: C
Stats: 7 carries for 21 yards (3.0 YPC)
It was an extremely ordinary performance by Pierce, most of which has nothing to do with the back himself. The offensive line didn't block anything, so Pierce's stat line is unimpressive.
Wide Receivers
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Torrey Smith: B-
Stats: 4 receptions for 69 yards
Flacco tried to hit Smith deep on a couple of plays but couldn't connect on a deep ball. The passing game never really got going, so Smith wasn't a big part of the game.
Jacoby Jones: B+
Stats: 6 receptions for 80 yards
Jones has been an important part of the passing game in recent weeks, and he continued that trend against the Lions. He led the team in receptions and receiving yards and made a crucial third-down catch on Baltimore's last drive to extend the drive and set up Justin Tucker's field goal.
Marlon Brown: C
Stats: 4 receptions for 31 yards
Brown made some important catches, but his targets have been inconsistent over the last few weeks.
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Tight Ends
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Dennis Pitta: C
Stats: 2 receptions for 24 yards
Pitta wasn't a big part of the passing game and didn't build off his excellent performance from last week. The Lions paid a lot of attention to the tight end and often had DeAndre Levy (one of the best cover linebackers in the league) matched up against him.
Ed Dickson: C-
Stats: 3 receptions for 10 yards
Dickson's contributions were minimal in the passing game, and he also missed a few blocks in the running game.
Offensive Linemen
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Eugene Monroe: B+
Stats: 1 holding penalty, 1 false start penalty
Monroe made a few bad plays, including the two penalties and a blown assignment on third down that forced Flacco to throw the ball away immediately. On the other hand, Monroe blocked excellently against a host of Lions pass-rushers, and nobody got close to Flacco when Monroe had his hands on them.
A.Q. Shipley: B-
Stats: 0 penalties
Shipley played pretty well considering the opposition, but there were a number of plays where he was just overpowered by the strength of Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh.
Gino Gradkowski: B-
Stats: 0 penalties
Gradkowski had a solid game, but like Shipley, he was just outmatched at times.
Marshal Yanda: B
Stats: 1 false start penalty
Yanda made a few nice blocks, finishing his man to the ground and getting to the second level.
Michael Oher: C
Stats: 1 sack allowed
Oher allowed the lone sack and also allowed a hit on Joe Flacco. He's having a bad year.
Nose Tackles
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Haloti Ngata: B+
Stats: 5 tackles (4 solo), 2 passes defended, 1 QB hit
Ngata was very effective against the Lions. He held down the middle of the defense well and got his hands on a few passes, including a tip that led to an interception.
We still haven't seen the nose tackle be completely dominant, but it was a nice performance.
Defensive Ends
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Arthur Jones: B
Stats: 3 tackles (2 solo), 1 TFL
Jones made a number of nice stops in the running game, including when he blew up a running play in the backfield. It was consistent, but there were flashes of dominance from the lineman.
Chris Canty: C
Stats: 2 tackles (1 solo)
Canty hasn't been as great as expected when he signed with the Ravens, and he was moved off the line of scrimmage by the Detroit offensive linemen.
DeAngelo Tyson: B+
Stats: 1 INT
Tyson pounced on the opportunity to record his first career interception and reacted quickly to the tipped pass.
Inside Linebackers
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Daryl Smith: A+
Stats: 5 tackles (2 solo), 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 sack, 1 PD, 1 INT
Smith made every play you can think of and was excellent at making the calls at the line of scrimmage. He checked to a blitz on numerous occasions, and it paid off every time.
Jameel McClain: B+
Stats: 8 tackles (5 solo)
McClain was very active and looked physical against the run.
Outside Linebackers
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Terrell Suggs: C-
Stats: 0 tackles, 1 QB hit
Suggs was decent as a pass-rusher, but his most meaningful play came when he failed to set the edge on Reggie Bush's touchdown run.
Elvis Dumervil: B
Stats: 2 solo tackles, 2 QB hits
Dumervil returned to action and had an impact on the pass rush, hitting Stafford twice.
Courtney Upshaw: C
Stats: 1 tackle
Upshaw did a good job of keeping the Lions running backs inside and reacting well to screens.
Pernell McPhee: C+
Stats: 0 tackles
McPhee didn't get much playing time, but he was beating his man and consistently around the action.
Cornerbacks
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Lardarius Webb: A-
Stats: 4 solo tackles, 1 PD
Webb was good in coverage and excellent against the run and with his tackling.
Jimmy Smith: A
Stats: 7 tackles (6 solo), 2 PD
Smith did a phenomenal job of covering Calvin Johnson in man coverage. He was partially helped out by some uncharacteristic drops, but Smith was right there for the most part and made Johnson feel his presence.
Corey Graham: B
Stats: 2 solo tackles, 1 QB hit
Graham got beaten badly by Johnson on a double move, but Johnson dropped the pass fortunately. Other than that, it was a solid game for the nickel cornerback.
Safeties
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James Ihedigbo: C+
Stats: 3 solo tackles
Ihedigbo was uncharacteristically quiet, but there were no glaring lapses or mistakes in his play.
Matt Elam: A-
Stats: 10 tackles (7 solo), 1 TFL, 1 INT
Elam was criticized for his comments about Calvin Johnson, but the megastar receiver played one of his worst games of the year (in terms of making bad plays), and the rookie safety had perhaps his best game of the year.
There were some bad plays to start (like a missed tackle and a personal foul penalty), but Elam made excellent tackles in the open field, showed his elite closing speed and even wound up with his first career interception.
Specialists
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Justin Tucker: A++++++
Stats: 6/6 FG (24, 29, 32, 49, 53, 61)
What is there to say about Justin Tucker? He was absolutely phenomenal, making six field goals including a ridiculous 61-yarder with the game on the line. Tucker was everything for the Ravens in Week 15 and deserves six game balls.
Sam Koch: A
Stats: 5 punts for 240 yards (48 average)
Koch helped the Ravens win the battle of field position with some great punts.
Jacoby Jones: A
Stats: 2 kick returns for 60 yards (30 average), 1 punt return for 24 yards
Jones didn't get many opportunities to return the ball, but he was very effective when he did.
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