The Ravens beat the Chargers 22-10 in Los Angeles in Week 16
in a game that had major ramifications for each team’s playoff picture.Baltimore
wound up going into the final weekend needing a win to seal the AFC North title
while the Chargers had to win and hope the Chiefs lost to get a division title
of their own. Both teams
won
Youth Mark Ingram
Jersey , but so did the Chiefs and that means the Chargers will be in
Baltimore next Sunday with their season on the line.Tight end Antonio Gates had
a key fumble in the Week 16 loss and was one of many Chargers to address the
rematch on Sunday afternoon.“Baltimore is a good team,” Gates said, via the
team’s website. “A very good football team with a good defense. We get a chance
to redeem ourselves. Me personally, I get a chance because I fumbled the ball at
the end. That absolutely motivates me. I always go about my business in a
professional manner. To me, it was all about letting the team down more so than
it was about me getting over it. And now I have that chance to help this team
get a win this time.”Among the wrinkles to this matchup is that the Chargers
will be the first team to see Lamar Jackson and the run-heavy offense the Ravens
have been running since he hit the lineup for a second time. We’ll see if that
helps the Chargers defense, although their efforts on that side of the ball
might not matter if the offense keeps turning the ball over.The Chargers have
nine turnovers in the last three games and Philip Rivers has been intercepted to
end the first possession each week. That will need to change if the Chargers are
going to play a redemption song in the Wild Card round. Which players were
helped and hurt by the Ravens moves during free agency?"While the cement has to
dry in NFL free agency, most teams are done making significant signings and
acquisitions. The initial wave of free agency was an eventful one for the
Ravens, as Baltimore saw familiar faces leave for new places, while also
bringing in new faces of their own on both sides of the ball.Based on what has
transpired thus far, which members of the Ravens stand to benefit from the
team’s decision-making during free agency? And who figures to be negatively
impacted? Let’s take a look below. Winner - Tim Williams & Tyus Bowser, OLB
The Ravens decision to let Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith leave was
undoubtedly financially-driven. However, it was also a significant vote of
confidence for two younger linebackers who are waiting in the wings: Tim
Williams and Tyus Bowser. Baltimore is banking on at least one, but ideally
both, of these guys stepping up into larger roles and making a big impact next
season. You can bet the Ravens will likely add at least one, if not multiple
pass rushers in the draft, potentially even using their first round pick to
address the edge position. However, Matthew Judon is currently the only
established pass rusher on the roster, so Williams and/or Bowser will be relied
upon to produce regardless. They’ll certainly be given the opportunity to, at
the very least. Loser - Gus Edwards & Kenneth
Dixon
Stitched Earl
Thomas Jersey , RB Whereas Bowser and Williams will see their roles
expand, the same can’t be said for the Ravens top running backs last season. Gus
Edwards and Kenneth Dixon each eclipsed 5.2 yards per carry in 2018 and were
particularly effective over the second half of the season, consistently wearing
down defenses as a 1-2 punch. However, the Ravens were evidently not content
with their running back situation, as they signed veteran Mark Ingram to a
three-year deal. Edwards and Dixon may continue to see a steady dose of carries
next season, but there’s no doubting their opportunities will be significantly
diminished compared to last season. Ingram isn’t coming to Baltimore to be
anyone’s backup. Winner - Tony Jefferson, SOut of all the returning players on
the roster, perhaps none stand to benefit more from the Ravens free agency moves
than safety Tony Jefferson. The reason is simple: the acquisition of Earl
Thomas. Jefferson’s first two seasons in Baltimore have been full of some highs,
but he’s consistently struggled in pass coverage. So too did Eric Weddle,
however, and Jefferson often found himself lost in the backend of the defense.
Thomas is probably the best free safety in the league and his range, play
recognition, and ball-hawking skills are unmatched. His implementation in the
defense will allow Jefferson to play his more natural role, which is in the box.
If there’s one thing Jefferson is very good at, it’s defending the run and
making plays on the ball closer to the line of scrimmage. With Thomas in the
fold, there’s a great chance that Jefferson has his best season yet in Baltimore
and perhaps the best year of his career. With Weddle, Terrell Suggs, and C.J.
Mosley no longer on the roster, Jefferson could also find himself in a
leadership position on the
defense
Youth Earl Thomas
Jersey , a role you can expect he’ll embrace. Loser - Chris Moore, WRAfter
the first several weeks of free agency, it appeared Chris Moore was set to be
one of the bigger winners on the roster. Other than Willie Snead, Moore was the
only receiver on the roster who caught a pass last season. Moore seemed primed
for a bigger role next yearbut after the addition of former Raiders wide
receiver Seth Roberts, the likelihood of a breakout season from Moore has
diminished significantly. Moore could challenge Roberts for a starting spot, but
Roberts is the more established receiver. If the Ravens were truly comfortable
with Moore penciled in as a starter, they probably wouldn’t have signed Roberts
at all. It’s possible they’re just bringing Roberts in for depth and
competition, but we’ll have to wait and see. There’s also the upcoming draft,
where the Ravens figure to draft a receiver early and possibly add multiple
bodies at the position. Add these together, as well as possible improvement from
Jordan Lasley or Jaleel Scott, and it doesn’t seem likely that Moore will see a
significantly larger role after all. Winner - Kenny Young, LB Similar to
Za’Darius Smith, the Ravens ultimately let C.J. Mosley leave because of his
price tag. However, allowing Mosley to walk was also a vote of confidence in the
linebackers currently on the roster, including Kenny Young. Patrick Onwuasor was
going to start next season regardless of whether or not Mosley was re-signed,
but the same can’t be said for Young. While he went through some growing pains
like most rookies, Young flashed some serious upside and potential last year,
particularly when he saw extended snaps at the beginning of the season. He
possesses good coverage skills and sideline-to-sideline athleticism. Barring the
addition of a linebacker in the first round of the draft, like a Devin
Bush
Stitched Maxx
Williams Jersey , Young is projected to start alongside Onwuasor next
season. He has a great opportunity to take a significant step forward and become
a consistent, impact player in Don Martindale’s scheme. Loser - Don “Wink”
Martindale, DC Speaking of Martindale, the Ravens defensive coordinator comes
out of free agency as a loser as well. While he does have a shiny new toy to
play with in Earl Thomas, a relatively significant upgrade over Eric Weddle,
“Wink” will have his work cut out for him next season after losing several other
defensive starters - Terrell Suggs, Za’Darius Smith, and C.J. Mosley. Will the
Ravens use the draft to reload on defense? Certainly, but the players they bring
in cannot match the talent and pedigree of the players that left in free agency,
at least not right away. Smith and Suggs were the Ravens leaders in sacks last
season and Mosley, for all his deficiencies in coverage and rushing the passer,
was a four-time Pro Bowler. Much of the Ravens success on defense last season
was because of Martindale’s scheme and creativity, but part of that also came
from the intangibles and recognition abilities of defensive leaders like Suggs
and Mosley. The Ravens have a long history of adequately replacing free agents
on defense, so expecting them to suddenly drop off on that side of the ball is
premature - especially considering the talent still present on the roster.
However, Martindale will be hard-pressed to recapture the dominance of last
season’s #1 ranked defense.
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