If Allen Iverson had been within the room, he’d have one query for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson: “Practice?”
After Baltimore’s 28-27 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, during which the Ravens failed to attain a landing on their first three journeys into the pink zone, Jackson stated again and again that their offensive execution in apply is there. In apply, the 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player can orchestrate sustained drives. In apply, the ball will get into the tip zone for touchdowns.
But there’s an issue.
It’s solely apply.
Baltimore wasted a number of alternatives on offense in its newest meltdown on Sunday. A fumble from operating again Gus Edwards within the fourth quarter was probably the most obvious mistake, establishing a late Jacksonville discipline objective. But that was hardly the lone misstep, with narrowly missed passes — and several other dropped — leaving the door cracked open for the Jaguars to burst via late.
“We look good in practice,” Jackson stated. “We get in the game, like I said, we had opportunities. Sometimes we just don’t hit. We hit one late in the game, went up, but still, I feel like if we scored early, the game would look different.”
It definitely would have. The Ravens drove deep into Jacksonville territory on each of their first two drives, however each stalled and compelled kicker Justin Tucker to place three factors on the board. Twice Jackson had Demarcus Robinson open, and twice they couldn’t join — as soon as on a deep ball during which Robinson was behind his defender and once more on a go to the again of the tip zone.
And on the Ravens’ first possession of the third quarter, Jackson had the look he needed. Tight finish Josh Oliver was open down the seam, streaking into the tip zone, but Jackson’s go was simply out of attain. Baltimore settled for one more discipline objective.
Including one other journey into Jacksonville territory, 4 of Baltimore’s first six possessions led to discipline targets. With these 12 factors, there was hardly any separation on the scoreboard, even because the Ravens’ protection held the Jaguars to 10 factors, three punts, a turnover on downs and a fumble via three quarters.
“We got stopped,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh stated. “You try to work all your best plays. Sometimes you think you can run it in, you try to run it in and you get stopped. Sometimes you try to pass it in. We just didn’t do a good job in the red zone. That’s the bottom line. You get down there and you kick, what, four field goals? That’s tough. Those are big trips down there, and obviously touchdowns are what we’re looking for, and that’s something we’ll have to improve on going forward.”
The pink zone inefficiencies aren’t unique to Sunday. Even throughout a four-game successful streak, the Ravens’s offense has appeared off-kilter. Against the Panthers final Sunday they punted seven occasions and managed 13 factors in opposition to one of many league’s lowest-ranked defenses. Entering Sunday, the Ravens scored touchdowns on 52.6% of their pink zone possessions, rating twenty first within the league.
But Baltimore has transformed at a lesser price than that over the previous 5 weeks, together with Sunday, with 10 of its 21 journeys into the pink zone leading to touchdowns.
“We look crisp in practice and stuff like that,” Jackson stated. “We just missed opportunities. When you’re playing in a game like this, in a tough environment, you can’t miss those. Catches, throws, we need everything. Put points on the board, separate and help our defense.”
There’s solely a lot a protection can do, particularly when the door stays open for a comeback regardless of ample probabilities to slam it shut. The Ravens may discover success in these areas in apply. But relating to video games, there’s loads left to be desired.
And in Sunday’s collapse, these inefficiencies had been blatant — and a key motive for the bitter style of leaving Jacksonville at 7-4.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com