Seahawks vs. Ravens: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for Baltimore
The Baltimore Ravens played host to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14 with both teams heading in opposite directions.
Baltimore entered Sunday's game at M&T Bank Stadium at 4-8 and out of the mix for a playoff berth or even a winning record. Seattle, meanwhile, came into this week having won five of its past six games to climb into the NFC playoff race.
Not only did Seattle have far more incentive to win this game, but it also had more players capable of winning it, whereas Baltimore was depleted at nearly every position on offense.
The Ravens had a different starting quarterback, running back, center, left tackle, No. 1 wide receiver and tight end in this game than they opened the season with. All of this helped translate into Baltimore's first blowout loss of the season as Seattle ran away with this one.
The Ravens did manage to keep the game close going into the third quarter. The Seahawks' lead was only 14-6 at halftime as Baltimore did just enough to keep the game within striking distance.
But the wheels came off in the second half as Seattle scored 21 unanswered points and cruised to a 35-6 win. The loss puts Baltimore at 4-9 and clinches its first losing season of the John Harbaugh era.
Postgame Grades
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | C- |
| RB | D+ |
| WR | C+ |
| TE | F |
| OL | C- |
| DL | C+ |
| LB | B- |
| DB | D |
| Special Teams | B |
| Coaching | C |
This was Jimmy Clausen's first start at quarterback with the Ravens. He replaced an injured Matt Schaub, who sat out with a chest injury after going 1-1 as Baltimore's starter after it lost Joe Flacco for the year.
Clausen was ineffective for the most part in this game, though you can't put too much blame on him. As mentioned in the previous slide, the offense as a whole was depleted in this game while going against a Seahawks defense that's one of the best in the NFL.
That and the fact no one else stepped up on offense led to the Ravens scoring just six points in a 35-6 defeat that was their first double-digit loss of the season. Clausen finished with 274 passing yards and one interception.
The running backs did nothing in this game, as Terrance West and Javorius "Buck" Allen combined for just 30 yards on 13 carries. The receivers did step up and make several big plays highlighted by Kamar Aiken's 90 yards on seven grabs.
Jeremy Butler chipped in 72 yards on seven catches. Rookie receiver Daniel Brown registered career highs in catches (5) and yards (47).
The offensive line did better in pass protection as it allowed just one sack, but it also allowed 11 QB hits. It couldn't open up any holes for the backs on the ground either.
The defense got badly exposed against the Seahawks through the air and on the ground. Baltimore's front seven got manhandled in the second half as Seattle scored 21 unanswered points.
Seattle finished with 123 yards on the ground, but it was Baltimore's pass defense that really struggled and was its ultimate downfall. Seattle QB Russell Wilson threw for 292 yards and tied his career high with five touchdown passes.
Wilson dissected the Ravens defense throughout this game, and it simply had no answer for him.
Chris Canty Leaves with Pectoral Strain
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Another week, another starting player injured, though this time it's on defense.
During the third quarter, defensive end Chris Canty was forced from the game because of a pectoral injury. He was later ruled out of the game, and that helped lead to Seattle's second-half surge to win in dominant fashion.
Canty is by no means a game-changing player, but he's a solid starter and, more importantly, a defensive leader on a team that's lost many leaders to injury. If Canty misses any time, backup Lawrence Guy will likely be the one who fills in.
Second-year defensive end Brent Urban could also be in for more playing time if Canty is out. Urban was the man who blocked the Cleveland Browns' field goal that Will Hill returned for the game-winning touchdown in Week 12.
Jimmy Clausen Gets 1st Start
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The Ravens offensive line allowed Matt Schaub to nearly get killed last week in a loss to the Miami Dolphins.
That led to his not practicing all week while dealing with a chest injury, and it was no surprise when Baltimore made him inactive for Sunday's game. That led to Jimmy Clausen getting his first start of the season with the Ravens, which ironically made this the second time the 28-year-old has faced Seattle this season.
Clausen opened the season with the Chicago Bears and had to start in Week 3 against Seattle with Bears starter Jay Cutler out. Clausen and Chicago then proceeded to get shut out and punt the ball on all 10 of their possessions.
Speaking of the Bears, that is whom current Ravens offensive coordinator Marc Trestman was head coach of last season. Clausen spent last season with Trestman, and that connection is likely what led Baltimore to grab Clausen once it lost Joe Flacco for the season.
Needless to say, Clausen came into this game familiar with the Seahawks and their stout defense, and the end result was far too similar. He did manage to lead Baltimore to a pair of scores, though both were only field goals in a 35-6 blowout loss.
Clausen finished the game completing 23 of 40 passes for 274 yards and one interception while taking one sack. While nothing to brag about, it was encouraging enough that Clausen may start again next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, even if Schaub is healthy enough to play.
After the game, when asked about the starting quarterback next week, Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh told CSN's Bo Smolka, "I don't know right now." He added, "We'll see. We'll evaluate it going forward."
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Seahawks Super Bowl Hero Debuts for Ravens
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The Seahawks came very close to winning back-to-back Super Bowls thanks to a heroic effort from wide receiver Chris Matthews in Super Bowl XLIX.
In what turned into a shootout with the New England Patriots, it was an unknown receiver who stepped up and nearly led Seattle to victory. That was Chris Matthews, who caught his first NFL passes in the Super Bowl and finished with four grabs for 109 yards in Seattle's 28-24 loss to New England.
After opening the 2015 season with the Seahawks, Matthews would eventually be waived before the Ravens signed him to their practice squad. This week, Baltimore called up Matthews and made him active versus the Seahawks.
Matthews would only be targeted twice and caught one pass for a 21-yard gain. It will be interesting to see what he does the rest of the season as he tries to find a role with this Ravens team going into next year.
John Harbaugh on Worst Loss of Season
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You have to give the Ravens credit for the amount of fight they've shown this season.
In what's been a year full of brutal injuries, gut-wrenching losses and the worst season ever endured by Baltimore under John Harbaugh, the Ravens have continued to play every week like a team contending for a Super Bowl.
Though a championship-level effort is great, it doesn't lead to wins without championship-level players, something the Ravens have been depleted of this season. That was painfully evident in this game as Baltimore fought hard to keep it close going into the third quarter.
But the talent difference between the two teams finally took over as Seattle ran away with an easy win. After the game, Harbaugh expressed his disappointment in losing a contest his team had no shot of winning going into the fourth quarter.
"The worst we played all year by far," Harbaugh said, per CSN's Bo Smolka.
The pass defense was what really cost Baltimore in this game, as the Seahawks scored five times through the air to account for all of their points.
"We had assignment issues, we had technique issues ... It was bad," Harbaugh told Smolka. "We gotta play way, way better pass defense."
It didn't help that Baltimore turned the ball over twice and committed nine penalties for 94 yards.
"We haven't been good enough to overcome misfortune or mistakes that we made," Harbaugh said, per Smolka, adding, "If you give up big plays and you turn the ball over, against a team like that you just have no chance."
This 29-point loss was the third-worst defeat the Ravens have suffered under Harbaugh. It also marks the lowest point they've reached in a season full of lows.
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