December 23, 2025 • 26 mins
Team insiders Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing share their takeaways from the film of the Ravens’ loss to the Patriots and Head Coach John Harbaugh’s Monday press conference.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome into the Lounge presented by DraftKings. I'm Ryan Mink
here with Garrett Downing, and we've looked at the film
from the Ravens twenty eight to twenty four loss to
the New England Patriots as well as heard from head
coach John Harball on Monday. So we're gonna break all
that down for you and Garrett. Let's start here. The
biggest talking point coming out of the game was still
a day later, Derrick Henry and why he didn't get
(00:28):
more snaps and more carries in the fourth quarter after
he scored a two yard touchdown with about thirteen minutes left.
Dereck Henry didn't see the field. The Ravens had two
more drives, eight offensive plays on those drives. It was
all handled by Keith Mitchell and rasheen A Lee. So
reporters asked John Harble to kind of dive into that
(00:50):
whole thing and the mechanics of how they decide how
the rotation works.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
There was, i mean multiple questions of John Harball about
this getting into the nitty gridy of how that rotation
is determined and basically the simple way to explain it.
You made a good point it's eight plays that we're
talking about here. The number sounds bigger when you say
he hadn't got didn't get the ball after with twelve
minutes and fifty seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
After how's that happened?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Eight place?
Speaker 1 (01:17):
It is eight place, so big, eight place?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah, the season on the line, of course, so it's
it's an important moment. I'm not diminishing that. The way
that John Harball explained it is that running backs coach
Willy Taggart, Derrick Henry, Keaton Mitchell like this is this
rotation is something that's been in place for weeks and
so on the sidelines, Willy Taggart and Derrek Henry have
a conversation along with Keith Mitchell about that rotation, and
(01:41):
the decision was going into that drive that Keith Mitchell
was going to start it and Derek Hennery was ultimately
going to come in later on that drive. Now, in
order for that to happen, you need to get more
first downs. John Harball also said that basically, on second thought,
looking back at it, had he realized that was the
game plan, he would have said, let's pull it back,
(02:02):
Let's put Derek in the game of that time. But
in the moment, there's a lot of different things that
you're thinking about. You're thinking about the defense, the play calls,
the upcoming drive on defense, special teams, all those things
are running through a coach's mind and so and the
moment doesn't want to call time out and make a
change right when you get to see the Keaton Mitchell
(02:22):
take the field in that situation. But basically, like how
does it happen, it's a conversation with Willie Taggert and
the running backs about the rotation, and they made the
decision that Derek was going to be the one to
start that drive. I'm sorry that Keaton was going to
be the one to start that drive.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yeah, And that's how it works really at every position
is you know, the play caller, the coordinators call the plays,
and the position coaches determine rotations, and of course, like
the play call can determine the personnel, right, certain plays
dictate certain players being in on them. And John Harbell
did say that the play calls that the Ravens had
(02:59):
early in that drive i've did lend themselves more to
being Keaton plays, and so that that was part of
the decision to have Keaton start that they generally speaking
wanted Derrick Henry to start two thirds of every series,
right like Derek starts two of them, Keaton starts one,
(03:19):
Derek starts too, Keaton starts one. And John Harball said
that that Rashiina Lee was the third down back, so
that was kind of how the rotation was supposed to work.
John Harball did say that he has stepped in in
times previously and said, no, I want this guy on
the field, or I want that guy off the field,
Like he has that you know power, and he's he's
(03:43):
exercised that power. I should say before he didn't in
this scenario in part because of the play calls, and
thought that they would lend themselves to Keaton. But in
retrospect it feels like, yeah, I should. I wish I
had stepped in and said, nah, I want Derek Henry
on the field situation.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
The other point that I just want to make clear
is that on third downs, rash and third downs is
not just third downs specifically, but we're talking about basically
clear passing situations.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Those that package of plays.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Involves Rashin a Lee on the field. That's what Justice
Hill previously ran. Since Justice Hill was currently on injured reserve.
Rashina A Lei has stepped into that role. So when
they're in a two minute offense or third and long
clear passing downs, Rashein a Lee is a running back
in the situation. So on the Ravens final drive, they
opened with rasheon a Lee on the field, they throw
a screen pass at him on the opening play that
(04:36):
was right before the two minute warning. The Raves had
all three timeouts. The first play goes to Rashein a
Lee on the screen, ends up getting tackled for a loss.
Play went nowhere that one didn't work out, But Rashin
a Lee is that is the personnel package that involves him,
and so that's the explanation that we're talking really about
that second to last drive. But I do think it's
important to point out why Rashina a Lee was in
(04:57):
on that very last drive rather than Derrick Henry.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Now I think it's fair to say did they need
to go straight two minute offense to that point? Short
there were about two minutes left, but the Ravens had
all three time outs plus the two minute warnings, so
like they had opportunities to run the ball with Derrick
Henry on that final drive.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Really, that first play is probably the one that you're
talking about me.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
The first play was a throw outside to Rashina Lee.
I don't know if it was a scream, but it
was a throw outside of him. Zay Flowers is the
lead blocker, and Zay missed his block, I mean just
just missed the block got blown up in the backfield
and so and then the next play is was the
Zay fumble. Yeah, and so that drive really went nowhere.
They didn't have a chance to really get they had
(05:34):
they could have started Derek on that drive, could have
started it.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
But like, honest, unless you break a really long run,
which hey he's capable of, like you're that's not gonna
be with two minutes left, even with all three timeouts
and the two minute warning, that's not gonna be a
grounded pound drive all the way down the field.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
You gotta move quickly, pass.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
And sprinkle in a little bit of Derek Henry. But
you ain't gonna you don't have many opportunities, no, exactly.
So it's really the second to last drive. And and
why Keaton had two carries on that drive, He had
one for four yards and when they got stughed for
zero yards. And generally speaking, the larger point is the
Patriots didn't stop Dereck Henry all night. He was The
(06:11):
sad part is you look at it. He recorded a
season high sixty six point seven percent success rate. He
had fifty two rushing yards over expected. He had his
fastest average rushing speed of the season through thirteen point
eight one miles pour. So like, Derrick Henry was having
a great game, Patriots couldn't stop him. And so John
Harball said, I understand the point this end. This is
(06:34):
why you have Dereck Henry. This is part of why
you brought him to Baltimore last year, is so he
could be a closer in these kind of situations, especially
with the season on the line in a huge sunny
night football game late this season. Yeah, And like, so
he understands the point and agrees with the point, like, yeah,
I want Derrick Henry to get the ball in those situations.
And it didn't work at that workout that way.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Yeah. I think the one of the points that he
talked about is after the Ravens got the first round
for down on that drive, it was the completion of
DeAndre Hopkins. Is that the opportunity to bring in Derrick
Henry and like if if you're kind of looking at
a reset personnel wise, that would be the logical time
for it to take place, correct, And it didn't happen that.
They then went with a run there and to Keaton
(07:16):
that went nowhere, and on that play he basically said
there was a play action sweep play action called where
Keaton typically takes a lot of eyeballs and attention and
normally keeps it on those runs. But they checked out
of that, went to a different play based on the
look from the defense, and that play ended up going nowhere.
And so the play that was initially called again kind
(07:37):
of lended itself to the Keaton play, especially with him
being in the game, so kind of like the potential there,
and then they checked out of it and it didn't
work out, and so then you're really questioning the decision
at that point, right.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Right, So a lot to kind of break down there,
But you know, John Harball, I think you know, if
you had to do whatever, he would have done it differently, right.
And so another big talking point obvious coming out of
this game was the injury to Lamar Jackson suffered a
contusion on his back after he got knead in the
back late in the second quarter. And the update from
(08:12):
John Harball is that it is only a contusion, so
that's the good news. Had an MRI confirm there's nothing
beyond the contusion, but it's a significant that in John's word,
significant contusion that's extremely painful, right, And so Lamar Jackson
was here at the under Our Performance Center getting treatment
early Monday morning. But he's he's in pain, and so
(08:37):
the question is can he play on Saturday night in
Green Bay on a short week That will be the question.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
And like, a back is a tricky thing, like if
your back's anyone that's hurt their back, like and obviously
there's a big difference between like anything that we do
average shows versus what Lamar does on a football.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Field, but like, like my fifty pound kids jump on
my back and wrestling and I was laid up, So
I don't want to really imagine, you know, a two
hundred pound football player.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Right if like one of your friends is ever like, hey,
can you help me move this dresser down the stairs,
and then you just throw your back out and you're
on the shelf for two weeks.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Like if you.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Don't, if your back is hurt, you're in tough shape
and you really can't do much, and so it's also
hard to it's it's see. I think the backs are
probably a little bit more difficult to project, like exactly
when you're gonna feel good on that versus an ankle
or knee or things like that, and so it's hard
to know when's this thing going to feel right.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Right the ravensdic the Ravens medical staff told John Harbald
that Lamar Jackson's day to day, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Day to day, and Lamar said after the game he
did talk with reporters that the hope is that he's
able to play on Saturday night in Green Bay, but
of course it's going to depend on how things progress
over the course of this week. He tried everything he
could get back in that game, was in the locker room,
trying to throw passes, trying to stretch it out, got
a tour it all shot, he said, So the Ravens
(09:56):
he was trying to do everything he could to get
back out there on the field and play, and.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
We saw how much pain he was in in the
locker room. Afterwards, all the reporters in that locker room
saw that that was no show, Like the dude was
in significant pain. Yeah, so that is what it is
like if you if you can't touch your toes, it's
hard to play NFL quarterback.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Right, I mean he was moving slow. So I think that.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Again, the back and how quickly that responds and feels
better is I think, just a hard thing to predict.
But if he's able to play, he obviously will and
Lamar and the Raves are crossing their fingers that the
back improves pretty dramatically over the course of this week
and he's able to get back out there on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
And if not, it's gonna beat Tyler Huntley again he
beat the Bears. Well, it always just beat the Packers. Yeah,
so by proxy, well, look in.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
All honestly on Tyler hunty like he played well enough
to win on Saturday, and stepping in for Lamar like,
he did exactly what you want. He stepped in, protected
the football, ran the offense efficiently, put up fourteen points.
The Ravens leaned on the ground game with Eric Henery
and that's the recipe. Like, that's what he did against
the Barry.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
He's some key third down completions.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Mo. Yeah, moves around, can extend plays a little bit
with his legs, like that's the recipe with Tyler Huntley,
and he did that, and so I thought that he
played well enough for the Ravens to win in that game.
And if he's the guy as the Packers, then you
would expect him to do the same thing and I
think that he's fully capable of that.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Another injury update, left guard Andrew vore he's suffered a
foot injury. John Harball said that is also day to day.
The rookie Emery Jones stepped in at left guard, you know,
played about a dozen snaps a little more than that.
John Harvill said he was okay. You know, I think
he had some pass protection reps that he would want back,
(11:39):
but generally speaking, played like a talent, the talented rookie
that he is. You know, there's gonna be technique things
to clean up, and here's a guy getting his really
second game action, significant game action, and so yeah, he's
he's a young player who's gonna need to improve. He
might get those on that on the job training here
(11:59):
this week. I mean, the way that you improve is
to play the game. And so if Andrew Wores can't
play because of the foot, then Emery Jones step right up,
here's your opportunity.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Yep, yeah so, and that would be a big shait.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I know a lot of people have been intrigued by
Emory Jones for a while and what he could bring
to this offensive line.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Third round pick. A lot of talent, big guy, physical, physicality.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
You notice him out there. He's playing to the whistle,
I'll tell you that much.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
So, I think that there's been interest in him for
much of this season, and he may get an opportunity
to play more this week if Andrew Vorhees is not
able to go.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
So let's take a quick break.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
When we come back, we'll dive into some of the
other talking points from that loss against the Patriots and
also look ahead to Saturday's game against Green Bay. You're
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A couple other things that stood out. One there was
(13:17):
a question to John on Monday about ball security specific
to Jay Flowers. The Ravens had a couple of turnovers
in this game. Mark Andrews, well, that one didn't end
up being a turnover, but that was a reckless play.
And then the Jay Flowers won late that that sealed it.
And and then thank to Derreck Henry fumble, which was
(13:39):
really a momentum changing play in this game. And so
three plays by star players they didn't protect the football
and two of the occasions that really hurt the Ravens
on the Henry one and the Za one. And so
he was asked specifically about Zay and we've seen this
with him, that he has had fumbling issues over the
course of his career, and what do you do, how
do you coach that? And He made the point that, like,
(14:01):
of course, practice is a key piece of that, but
you want to keep leaving in the guy like Zay
can make so many big plays, so you don't want
to like throw the baby out with the bathwater when
you're talking about all that he does and the way
that he plays the game. But at the same time,
you also need to protect the football, and there's this
balance to be had there, and finding that exact right
balance is tough, but there's no question that you just
(14:22):
have to hold onto the football and key situations.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
I think what it boils down to is you can't
do that stuff in traffic, and you can't do it
in the middle of the field where you're going to
have guys coming up in your blind side and hitting you.
And that's when oftentimes fumbles happen, is from the defender
that you do not see, and so cutting back towards
the middle of the field is generally not advisable. You know,
(14:45):
you catch a thirty yard pass deep down the field
and you have one cornerback to beat to get to
the end zone. Okay, cut it back, juke out of
his shorts. I love that aspect of what Zay Flowers
does you have a safety, you're running down the field
and you're putting a sick juke going to cool. I'm
cool with that. You got linebackers and defensive linemen who
are peeling back and trying to chase chase you down
(15:06):
from behind, like you're within five ten yards of the
line of scrimmage. High traffic is not not great. And
you know when you watch that play back, the other
part that just kills you is if he just keeps
running straight, keeps you know, he catches it on a
shallow crosser. Uh, and if he keeps running with the
ball there. You know, as soon as he catches the ball,
(15:28):
you see Zay kind of throttle down immediately like he's
gonna try to cut back and make the guy miss.
If he doesn't throttle down, if you just gear up
and keep going, like, I think you have a pretty
solid game there. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
And and again that.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
This has been something that he's had these issues at
times in his career, and so the Ravens certainly want
to limit those.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
You want to eliminate the fumbles. You want to eliminate fumbles.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Here's the thing is, like you can't put fumbles on
I really in my opinion. You can't put fumbles on
the coaching Steff. You can't. I mean, I don't think
that they can stress it more than they have the
importance of ball security and coaching it and the finer
points of how you hold the ball on the raven
claw and and how much it means the team. And
you have the whole city riding on your back. When
(16:15):
you have the ball, you're carrying the city. Like they've
used every analogy, every coaching point, technique, they've stressed it right,
and so like it's that to me, that comes down
to the players, like you got to you gotta protect
the ball. That's that's a player thing and so and
the tough part for the coaches also is that it's
been some of the best players on the team. So
(16:36):
it's not like, you know, you don't have a back
end of the roster guy who fumbles and you're like,
all right, well, you you're out of opportunities. You're not
getting the ball again, you're benched. These are your best players.
What are you supposed to do? You know, and you
have these conversations with them of like, hey man, another reminder,
it's important, you know, and like maybe don't do it
in traffic or whatever. Like you have those conversations, which
John Harwall does, but at the end of the day,
(16:58):
your hands are kind of tied.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Right. There's also a conversation during the pres Commas on
Monday about Rashab Bateman. Different, different conversation than the ball
security won, but just another receiver, and Harball was basically
asked like, how do you it's been hard to get
him involved this season? And why hasn't been so hard
to get him involved because big drop off on the
production that he had.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
He has eighteen.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Catches for two hundred and seventeen yards and two touchdowns
this year. He has over the past his past three
games two catches for twenty three yards.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Not what you expected coming into the season. He signed
the contract extension before this year, and it felt like
for a guy that was off to a rocky start
here in Baltimore, he had a breakout season last year
and then you get the contract extension, it felt like, okay, things,
all that stuff is settled. He's now there's there's stability,
and he's going to flourish. That's what I thought coming
(17:46):
into this year and that he was going to have
maybe his best season yet. And build off the great
year they had last season that just has not come
to fruition. He did deal with an ankle injury that
hobbled him in the middle of this season, but still.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
He missed three games and John Harbal said he was
fighting through it, so, like, was it also limiting him
even in games that he was playing in.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
I think it's fair, right, right, so that the injury
certainly is a part of the explanation for the production.
But but you I still thought he game how much
big Yeah, games he's.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Played in and before the ankle injury, there was not
much for Shot Bateman production, right, I mean, and we
see some big plays in this game not being made.
I mean, after Derek Henry fumble Patriots Godown score a
touchdown tig Ball game, Ravens offense gets the ball back
and on key third down. You know, he and Lamar
Jackson just not on the same page. And we've just
(18:36):
seen that too often for both guys over their tenure together.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Yeah, Harba did say, like he gave Bateman a lot
of praise for the way that he played in the game,
so that he's running good routes, he's blocking.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Well, and he deserves to get the ball more.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
He also pointed out only nine drop back passes, like
true drop back passes. The Ravens only threw the ball
twenty times, none of them were drop back passes. And
previously the week before or the big conversation was like, hey,
when you're gonna get DeAndre Hopkins more? Invallved Ravens did
that in this game through five passes his direction. He
caught four of them. And that was a really important
player in this game. And so there's a little bit
(19:10):
of there's only one ball to go around. You want
to get the ball to Bateman, you want to get
the ball to Isah likely?
Speaker 3 (19:14):
You want to get the ball?
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Ask about Isaiah likely? Like it is coaches Harves hates
these questions because it's it is true. Like it's like, well, well,
why don't you get the ball to d hop More? Okay,
we did that. Why didn't you throw it Debaate or
Isaiah Likely? Well, because we threw it to d hop
like you wanted. Like, you can't just go down the
roster and be like, why didn't that guy get the ball? Moore?
Why didn't that guy get the Ballmore? Why didn't that right? Right?
Speaker 2 (19:37):
And obviously early in this season, Like that was a
lot of that conversation with like the running backs, and
it's like Keith Mitchell involved and that and that also
it's like right and that and that happened. That's what
That's really what spurned the rotation.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
That the.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Exactly and so like as soon as you go more
in one direction, people start asking about the other.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
But I think it works when and it's not, and
it's all fair, Like it's fair to question the Derrek
Henry Keat Mitchell stuff. It's fair to wonder like what's
going on with Batman wise, and you get that that
stuff is fair like big picture wise, you know what
I mean, But like sometimes you go through the nitty
gritty of it and it's just like I don't know.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Then then one other point from the game that I
had was he was asked about our Darius Washington on
Stephon diggs Key fourth down play on their on their
second to last drive ended up going for a big game.
Diggs made an outside move, good pass from Drake may Or,
Darius tried to jump thro route, came up do for it,
didn't make the play, and then it was off to
the races for Stefon Diggs and Hardbot based said we
(20:40):
we like the matchup in that situation, like they like
our Darius Washington.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
He slipped on the play that was that happened.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Kind of right in front of me down on the field,
and he did slip a little bit on that play
and allowed Diggs to get a little bit of separation.
And then when you dive, you don't make the play,
then it's off to the races.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
And so I don't fall our Arius for going for
the ball. Still, I don't fender fingertip away from ending
the game. Essentially he's fourth and two and uh with
you know, minutes left, and so I don't I don't
fault him for trying to make that play. It's what
a playmaker does. Friend of Lounge on Darius, by the way,
go back and listen to that episode. He had a
he had a good game, Like, yeah, Ardarius played well
(21:16):
in that game, he showed up, he forced fumble, sack,
played well. So I don't fault Ardarius. It's a shame.
It's just a shame. It's a shame he slipped. And
like that was the play that the Ravens defense needed,
Like we were talking about, you know, previously, after the
game is like you need to just make a play
in those scenarios when the other quarterbacks hot, you're on
your heels their past past past past past past pass
(21:37):
and somebody has to step up and make a play.
And like, I also like don't want to get carried
away in talking about like the fourth quarter struggles Ravens
have had and all this, Like sometimes they have they
have made that play. I don't want to make it
sound like they never do this right, Like they never
they never close out games in the fourth quarter like
(21:57):
they do right. They closed out the Bengals right, they
made the interception the Kylevin Noi handed off to Lowi
Gill when that closed the door, closed the game out
right when the Bengals were threatening late in that game
to get back in it. And so kind of a
similar situation to a degree.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
And but I think there's been With that said, I
think there's been too many, too many comesbacks allowed by
the other team. Also another key point when you when
you really look at like there Evens had a eleven
point lead with thirteen minutes left in the NFL, Like
thirteen minutes left, that's the beginning of the fourth quarter. Yeah,
It's an eternity to think like an eleven point lead
(22:37):
is is ironclad at that point in the NFL, Like,
did did you watch the Steelers Lions game? How many
points were scored back and forth and the fourth quarter?
Somehow the Steelers just like have this miraculous record when
they have a two score lead in the fourth quarter
and like hang on by the skinner the teeth. I can't,
I can't tell you. I've lost number of fingers to
count on how many times those Steelers have somehow squeaked
(23:00):
out some victory. This was two OPI calls in the
past in the last twenty five seconds, Like somehow they
hang on consistently well, and the Ravens like have not
had that. Yeah, I don't want to say it's luck,
because it's not. There's some element of that, but like
it hasn't worked that way for the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Well, Honestly, this is a totally different situation like Buffalo
Week one, where you had that game and you should
have just been able to run it out for two
minutes with a love and point lead. Is not what
we saw earlier in this season. That's correct, and that's
a very different story. Yes, real quick on our Darius too,
Like it's a shame because he comes up, I don't know,
inches away from knocking down that ball and ending the
(23:38):
game and to play before Nate Wiggins gets a pass
breakup where he jumped the route. Look great job by
him to read the play and jump the route almost
comes up in an interception, basically a collision at the
ball and not able to make the interception. And like
if either of those happened, it's a game over situation.
And we're having a totally different conversation this morning, and
the Ravens just came up a little bit short on
(23:59):
both of them.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Honestly didn't really register that Wiggans had a shot at
picking off that pass. I mean, that's bang bang play.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
It was basically the collide at the football.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
It's not I wouldn't really count classified as a drop,
but like they basically met at the football right and
it would have been a great play had he been
able to make it. But both those guys were just
right there, and he did a great job reading that
play and breaking on the ball and getting a paybu
at a minimum, but would have been pretty sweet if
he'd just taken it into the house. Or even come
up with the interception.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Yep. The last point from John Harwall's press conference was
about Tyler Loop, who missed a fifty six yard attempt.
Missed it short well short, which for a kicker with
as big a leg as Tyler Loop has who we
saw bombing the ball in training camp and whatnot like,
was surprising. John Harwall said that he sat down with
Tyler Loop and watched that one together and that his
(24:48):
approach to the football was off, which screwed up his footwork,
which made him basically mishit the ball. He kind of
got under it a little bit too much. There's too
much rotation, which made it which knocked it down basically
in the wind, and that was the reason why he
came up short on that fifty six yarder. And so
that's unfortunate. You know, where my head went to is
(25:09):
our interview with Tyler Loop and Randy Brown in which
they like diagnosed exactly how fine tune that footwork is
and that approached the football and exactly where he lines
up and how each of those steps goes and so
like case in point, you see, when it's that fine
tuned and you screw it up, you know that approaches
the ball. This is what happens.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah, So the Ravens are now in a short week,
they're going to be back in the building. The players
are tomorrow working on practice, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Of course
it's a holiday week, so add that little wrinkle into
the mix with Christmas on Thursday, and then head out
to Green Bay on Friday before the game Saturday night.
And just again as a reminder to listeners, the scenario
(25:50):
for the Ravens to have a shot at the playoffs
is the Ravens first of all, they need to beat
the green Bay Packers. If they don't beat the Packers,
then they have c North is done and the Steelers
have won the division. Ravens have to beat the Packers
Saturday night. Then on Sunday, the Steelers would need to
lose to the Cleveland Browns. If those two things happen,
then hey it's we're back. It's Week eighteen. Win to
get in to.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Win the division in Pittsburgh between the Ravens and the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
If the Ravens lose, that's it. If the Ravens win
and the Steelers beat the Browns, that's still it. The
Steelers win the division so that's the scenario.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
High guy, do you have any Browns gear that like
you could love?
Speaker 2 (26:25):
I probably got I got some family members that's certainly
gonna be cheering on the.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Ravens all right.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
If the vibes, if you beat the Packers Saturday night,
I'm gonna need the bar some gear.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
Yeah, we're sending all the good vibes back to Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
So as always, you can email us at the lounge
at Ravens dot NFL dot net.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
We appreciate you listening. Thank you so much. We'll be
back with you later this week.
Welcome into the Lounge presented by DraftKings. I'm Ryan Mink
here with Garrett Downing, and we've looked at the film
from the Ravens twenty eight to twenty four loss to
the New England Patriots as well as heard from head
coach John Harball on Monday. So we're gonna break all
that down for you and Garrett. Let's start here. The
biggest talking point coming out of the game was still
a day later, Derrick Henry and why he didn't get
(00:28):
more snaps and more carries in the fourth quarter after
he scored a two yard touchdown with about thirteen minutes left.
Dereck Henry didn't see the field. The Ravens had two
more drives, eight offensive plays on those drives. It was
all handled by Keith Mitchell and rasheen A Lee. So
reporters asked John Harble to kind of dive into that
(00:50):
whole thing and the mechanics of how they decide how
the rotation works.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
There was, i mean multiple questions of John Harball about
this getting into the nitty gridy of how that rotation
is determined and basically the simple way to explain it.
You made a good point it's eight plays that we're
talking about here. The number sounds bigger when you say
he hadn't got didn't get the ball after with twelve
minutes and fifty seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
After how's that happened?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Eight place?
Speaker 1 (01:17):
It is eight place, so big, eight place?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah, the season on the line, of course, so it's
it's an important moment. I'm not diminishing that. The way
that John Harball explained it is that running backs coach
Willy Taggart, Derrick Henry, Keaton Mitchell like this is this
rotation is something that's been in place for weeks and
so on the sidelines, Willy Taggart and Derrek Henry have
a conversation along with Keith Mitchell about that rotation, and
(01:41):
the decision was going into that drive that Keith Mitchell
was going to start it and Derek Hennery was ultimately
going to come in later on that drive. Now, in
order for that to happen, you need to get more
first downs. John Harball also said that basically, on second thought,
looking back at it, had he realized that was the
game plan, he would have said, let's pull it back,
(02:02):
Let's put Derek in the game of that time. But
in the moment, there's a lot of different things that
you're thinking about. You're thinking about the defense, the play calls,
the upcoming drive on defense, special teams, all those things
are running through a coach's mind and so and the
moment doesn't want to call time out and make a
change right when you get to see the Keaton Mitchell
(02:22):
take the field in that situation. But basically, like how
does it happen, it's a conversation with Willie Taggert and
the running backs about the rotation, and they made the
decision that Derek was going to be the one to
start that drive. I'm sorry that Keaton was going to
be the one to start that drive.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yeah, And that's how it works really at every position
is you know, the play caller, the coordinators call the plays,
and the position coaches determine rotations, and of course, like
the play call can determine the personnel, right, certain plays
dictate certain players being in on them. And John Harbell
did say that the play calls that the Ravens had
(02:59):
early in that drive i've did lend themselves more to
being Keaton plays, and so that that was part of
the decision to have Keaton start that they generally speaking
wanted Derrick Henry to start two thirds of every series,
right like Derek starts two of them, Keaton starts one,
(03:19):
Derek starts too, Keaton starts one. And John Harball said
that that Rashiina Lee was the third down back, so
that was kind of how the rotation was supposed to work.
John Harball did say that he has stepped in in
times previously and said, no, I want this guy on
the field, or I want that guy off the field,
Like he has that you know power, and he's he's
(03:43):
exercised that power. I should say before he didn't in
this scenario in part because of the play calls, and
thought that they would lend themselves to Keaton. But in
retrospect it feels like, yeah, I should. I wish I
had stepped in and said, nah, I want Derek Henry
on the field situation.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
The other point that I just want to make clear
is that on third downs, rash and third downs is
not just third downs specifically, but we're talking about basically
clear passing situations.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Those that package of plays.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Involves Rashin a Lee on the field. That's what Justice
Hill previously ran. Since Justice Hill was currently on injured reserve.
Rashina A Lei has stepped into that role. So when
they're in a two minute offense or third and long
clear passing downs, Rashein a Lee is a running back
in the situation. So on the Ravens final drive, they
opened with rasheon a Lee on the field, they throw
a screen pass at him on the opening play that
(04:36):
was right before the two minute warning. The Raves had
all three timeouts. The first play goes to Rashein a
Lee on the screen, ends up getting tackled for a loss.
Play went nowhere that one didn't work out, But Rashin
a Lee is that is the personnel package that involves him,
and so that's the explanation that we're talking really about
that second to last drive. But I do think it's
important to point out why Rashina a Lee was in
(04:57):
on that very last drive rather than Derrick Henry.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
Now I think it's fair to say did they need
to go straight two minute offense to that point? Short
there were about two minutes left, but the Ravens had
all three time outs plus the two minute warnings, so
like they had opportunities to run the ball with Derrick
Henry on that final drive.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Really, that first play is probably the one that you're
talking about me.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
The first play was a throw outside to Rashina Lee.
I don't know if it was a scream, but it
was a throw outside of him. Zay Flowers is the
lead blocker, and Zay missed his block, I mean just
just missed the block got blown up in the backfield
and so and then the next play is was the
Zay fumble. Yeah, and so that drive really went nowhere.
They didn't have a chance to really get they had
(05:34):
they could have started Derek on that drive, could have
started it.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
But like, honest, unless you break a really long run,
which hey he's capable of, like you're that's not gonna
be with two minutes left, even with all three timeouts
and the two minute warning, that's not gonna be a
grounded pound drive all the way down the field.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
You gotta move quickly, pass.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
And sprinkle in a little bit of Derek Henry. But
you ain't gonna you don't have many opportunities, no, exactly.
So it's really the second to last drive. And and
why Keaton had two carries on that drive, He had
one for four yards and when they got stughed for
zero yards. And generally speaking, the larger point is the
Patriots didn't stop Dereck Henry all night. He was The
(06:11):
sad part is you look at it. He recorded a
season high sixty six point seven percent success rate. He
had fifty two rushing yards over expected. He had his
fastest average rushing speed of the season through thirteen point
eight one miles pour. So like, Derrick Henry was having
a great game, Patriots couldn't stop him. And so John
Harball said, I understand the point this end. This is
(06:34):
why you have Dereck Henry. This is part of why
you brought him to Baltimore last year, is so he
could be a closer in these kind of situations, especially
with the season on the line in a huge sunny
night football game late this season. Yeah, And like, so
he understands the point and agrees with the point, like, yeah,
I want Derrick Henry to get the ball in those situations.
And it didn't work at that workout that way.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Yeah. I think the one of the points that he
talked about is after the Ravens got the first round
for down on that drive, it was the completion of
DeAndre Hopkins. Is that the opportunity to bring in Derrick
Henry and like if if you're kind of looking at
a reset personnel wise, that would be the logical time
for it to take place, correct, And it didn't happen that.
They then went with a run there and to Keaton
(07:16):
that went nowhere, and on that play he basically said
there was a play action sweep play action called where
Keaton typically takes a lot of eyeballs and attention and
normally keeps it on those runs. But they checked out
of that, went to a different play based on the
look from the defense, and that play ended up going nowhere.
And so the play that was initially called again kind
(07:37):
of lended itself to the Keaton play, especially with him
being in the game, so kind of like the potential there,
and then they checked out of it and it didn't
work out, and so then you're really questioning the decision
at that point, right.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Right, So a lot to kind of break down there,
But you know, John Harball, I think you know, if
you had to do whatever, he would have done it differently, right.
And so another big talking point obvious coming out of
this game was the injury to Lamar Jackson suffered a
contusion on his back after he got knead in the
back late in the second quarter. And the update from
(08:12):
John Harball is that it is only a contusion, so
that's the good news. Had an MRI confirm there's nothing
beyond the contusion, but it's a significant that in John's word,
significant contusion that's extremely painful, right, And so Lamar Jackson
was here at the under Our Performance Center getting treatment
early Monday morning. But he's he's in pain, and so
(08:37):
the question is can he play on Saturday night in
Green Bay on a short week That will be the question.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
And like, a back is a tricky thing, like if
your back's anyone that's hurt their back, like and obviously
there's a big difference between like anything that we do
average shows versus what Lamar does on a football.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Field, but like, like my fifty pound kids jump on
my back and wrestling and I was laid up, So
I don't want to really imagine, you know, a two
hundred pound football player.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Right if like one of your friends is ever like, hey,
can you help me move this dresser down the stairs,
and then you just throw your back out and you're
on the shelf for two weeks.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Like if you.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Don't, if your back is hurt, you're in tough shape
and you really can't do much, and so it's also
hard to it's it's see. I think the backs are
probably a little bit more difficult to project, like exactly
when you're gonna feel good on that versus an ankle
or knee or things like that, and so it's hard
to know when's this thing going to feel right.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Right the ravensdic the Ravens medical staff told John Harbald
that Lamar Jackson's day to day, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Day to day, and Lamar said after the game he
did talk with reporters that the hope is that he's
able to play on Saturday night in Green Bay, but
of course it's going to depend on how things progress
over the course of this week. He tried everything he
could get back in that game, was in the locker room,
trying to throw passes, trying to stretch it out, got
a tour it all shot, he said, So the Ravens
(09:56):
he was trying to do everything he could to get
back out there on the field and play, and.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
We saw how much pain he was in in the
locker room. Afterwards, all the reporters in that locker room
saw that that was no show, Like the dude was
in significant pain. Yeah, so that is what it is
like if you if you can't touch your toes, it's
hard to play NFL quarterback.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Right, I mean he was moving slow. So I think that.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Again, the back and how quickly that responds and feels
better is I think, just a hard thing to predict.
But if he's able to play, he obviously will and
Lamar and the Raves are crossing their fingers that the
back improves pretty dramatically over the course of this week
and he's able to get back out there on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
And if not, it's gonna beat Tyler Huntley again he
beat the Bears. Well, it always just beat the Packers. Yeah,
so by proxy, well, look in.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
All honestly on Tyler hunty like he played well enough
to win on Saturday, and stepping in for Lamar like,
he did exactly what you want. He stepped in, protected
the football, ran the offense efficiently, put up fourteen points.
The Ravens leaned on the ground game with Eric Henery
and that's the recipe. Like, that's what he did against
the Barry.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
He's some key third down completions.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Mo. Yeah, moves around, can extend plays a little bit
with his legs, like that's the recipe with Tyler Huntley,
and he did that, and so I thought that he
played well enough for the Ravens to win in that game.
And if he's the guy as the Packers, then you
would expect him to do the same thing and I
think that he's fully capable of that.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Another injury update, left guard Andrew vore he's suffered a
foot injury. John Harball said that is also day to day.
The rookie Emery Jones stepped in at left guard, you know,
played about a dozen snaps a little more than that.
John Harvill said he was okay. You know, I think
he had some pass protection reps that he would want back,
(11:39):
but generally speaking, played like a talent, the talented rookie
that he is. You know, there's gonna be technique things
to clean up, and here's a guy getting his really
second game action, significant game action, and so yeah, he's
he's a young player who's gonna need to improve. He
might get those on that on the job training here
(11:59):
this week. I mean, the way that you improve is
to play the game. And so if Andrew Wores can't
play because of the foot, then Emery Jones step right up,
here's your opportunity.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Yep, yeah so, and that would be a big shait.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
I know a lot of people have been intrigued by
Emory Jones for a while and what he could bring
to this offensive line.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Third round pick. A lot of talent, big guy, physical, physicality.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
You notice him out there. He's playing to the whistle,
I'll tell you that much.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
So, I think that there's been interest in him for
much of this season, and he may get an opportunity
to play more this week if Andrew Vorhees is not
able to go.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
So let's take a quick break.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
When we come back, we'll dive into some of the
other talking points from that loss against the Patriots and
also look ahead to Saturday's game against Green Bay. You're
listening to the last podcast We're coming to you from
the Seakeek Studio. We want to mention our partners with
Trafficking Sports Book. They are an official sports betting partner
of the Baltimore Ravens Draft Kings sportsbook.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
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A couple other things that stood out. One there was
(13:17):
a question to John on Monday about ball security specific
to Jay Flowers. The Ravens had a couple of turnovers
in this game. Mark Andrews, well, that one didn't end
up being a turnover, but that was a reckless play.
And then the Jay Flowers won late that that sealed it.
And and then thank to Derreck Henry fumble, which was
(13:39):
really a momentum changing play in this game. And so
three plays by star players they didn't protect the football
and two of the occasions that really hurt the Ravens
on the Henry one and the Za one. And so
he was asked specifically about Zay and we've seen this
with him, that he has had fumbling issues over the
course of his career, and what do you do, how
do you coach that? And He made the point that, like,
(14:01):
of course, practice is a key piece of that, but
you want to keep leaving in the guy like Zay
can make so many big plays, so you don't want
to like throw the baby out with the bathwater when
you're talking about all that he does and the way
that he plays the game. But at the same time,
you also need to protect the football, and there's this
balance to be had there, and finding that exact right
balance is tough, but there's no question that you just
(14:22):
have to hold onto the football and key situations.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
I think what it boils down to is you can't
do that stuff in traffic, and you can't do it
in the middle of the field where you're going to
have guys coming up in your blind side and hitting you.
And that's when oftentimes fumbles happen, is from the defender
that you do not see, and so cutting back towards
the middle of the field is generally not advisable. You know,
(14:45):
you catch a thirty yard pass deep down the field
and you have one cornerback to beat to get to
the end zone. Okay, cut it back, juke out of
his shorts. I love that aspect of what Zay Flowers
does you have a safety, you're running down the field
and you're putting a sick juke going to cool. I'm
cool with that. You got linebackers and defensive linemen who
are peeling back and trying to chase chase you down
(15:06):
from behind, like you're within five ten yards of the
line of scrimmage. High traffic is not not great. And
you know when you watch that play back, the other
part that just kills you is if he just keeps
running straight, keeps you know, he catches it on a
shallow crosser. Uh, and if he keeps running with the
ball there. You know, as soon as he catches the ball,
(15:28):
you see Zay kind of throttle down immediately like he's
gonna try to cut back and make the guy miss.
If he doesn't throttle down, if you just gear up
and keep going, like, I think you have a pretty
solid game there. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
And and again that.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
This has been something that he's had these issues at
times in his career, and so the Ravens certainly want
to limit those.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
You want to eliminate the fumbles. You want to eliminate fumbles.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Here's the thing is, like you can't put fumbles on
I really in my opinion. You can't put fumbles on
the coaching Steff. You can't. I mean, I don't think
that they can stress it more than they have the
importance of ball security and coaching it and the finer
points of how you hold the ball on the raven
claw and and how much it means the team. And
you have the whole city riding on your back. When
(16:15):
you have the ball, you're carrying the city. Like they've
used every analogy, every coaching point, technique, they've stressed it right,
and so like it's that to me, that comes down
to the players, like you got to you gotta protect
the ball. That's that's a player thing and so and
the tough part for the coaches also is that it's
been some of the best players on the team. So
(16:36):
it's not like, you know, you don't have a back
end of the roster guy who fumbles and you're like,
all right, well, you you're out of opportunities. You're not
getting the ball again, you're benched. These are your best players.
What are you supposed to do? You know, and you
have these conversations with them of like, hey man, another reminder,
it's important, you know, and like maybe don't do it
in traffic or whatever. Like you have those conversations, which
John Harwall does, but at the end of the day,
(16:58):
your hands are kind of tied.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Right. There's also a conversation during the pres Commas on
Monday about Rashab Bateman. Different, different conversation than the ball
security won, but just another receiver, and Harball was basically
asked like, how do you it's been hard to get
him involved this season? And why hasn't been so hard
to get him involved because big drop off on the
production that he had.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
He has eighteen.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Catches for two hundred and seventeen yards and two touchdowns
this year. He has over the past his past three
games two catches for twenty three yards.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Not what you expected coming into the season. He signed
the contract extension before this year, and it felt like
for a guy that was off to a rocky start
here in Baltimore, he had a breakout season last year
and then you get the contract extension, it felt like, okay, things,
all that stuff is settled. He's now there's there's stability,
and he's going to flourish. That's what I thought coming
(17:46):
into this year and that he was going to have
maybe his best season yet. And build off the great
year they had last season that just has not come
to fruition. He did deal with an ankle injury that
hobbled him in the middle of this season, but still.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
He missed three games and John Harbal said he was
fighting through it, so, like, was it also limiting him
even in games that he was playing in.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
I think it's fair, right, right, so that the injury
certainly is a part of the explanation for the production.
But but you I still thought he game how much
big Yeah, games he's.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Played in and before the ankle injury, there was not
much for Shot Bateman production, right, I mean, and we
see some big plays in this game not being made.
I mean, after Derek Henry fumble Patriots Godown score a
touchdown tig Ball game, Ravens offense gets the ball back
and on key third down. You know, he and Lamar
Jackson just not on the same page. And we've just
(18:36):
seen that too often for both guys over their tenure together.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
Yeah, Harba did say, like he gave Bateman a lot
of praise for the way that he played in the game,
so that he's running good routes, he's blocking.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Well, and he deserves to get the ball more.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
He also pointed out only nine drop back passes, like
true drop back passes. The Ravens only threw the ball
twenty times, none of them were drop back passes. And
previously the week before or the big conversation was like, hey,
when you're gonna get DeAndre Hopkins more? Invallved Ravens did
that in this game through five passes his direction. He
caught four of them. And that was a really important
player in this game. And so there's a little bit
(19:10):
of there's only one ball to go around. You want
to get the ball to Bateman, you want to get
the ball to Isah likely?
Speaker 3 (19:14):
You want to get the ball?
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Ask about Isaiah likely? Like it is coaches Harves hates
these questions because it's it is true. Like it's like, well, well,
why don't you get the ball to d hop More? Okay,
we did that. Why didn't you throw it Debaate or
Isaiah Likely? Well, because we threw it to d hop
like you wanted. Like, you can't just go down the
roster and be like, why didn't that guy get the ball? Moore?
Why didn't that guy get the Ballmore? Why didn't that right? Right?
Speaker 2 (19:37):
And obviously early in this season, Like that was a
lot of that conversation with like the running backs, and
it's like Keith Mitchell involved and that and that also
it's like right and that and that happened. That's what
That's really what spurned the rotation.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
That the.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Exactly and so like as soon as you go more
in one direction, people start asking about the other.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
But I think it works when and it's not, and
it's all fair, Like it's fair to question the Derrek
Henry Keat Mitchell stuff. It's fair to wonder like what's
going on with Batman wise, and you get that that
stuff is fair like big picture wise, you know what
I mean, But like sometimes you go through the nitty
gritty of it and it's just like I don't know.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Then then one other point from the game that I
had was he was asked about our Darius Washington on
Stephon diggs Key fourth down play on their on their
second to last drive ended up going for a big game.
Diggs made an outside move, good pass from Drake may Or,
Darius tried to jump thro route, came up do for it,
didn't make the play, and then it was off to
the races for Stefon Diggs and Hardbot based said we
(20:40):
we like the matchup in that situation, like they like
our Darius Washington.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
He slipped on the play that was that happened.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Kind of right in front of me down on the field,
and he did slip a little bit on that play
and allowed Diggs to get a little bit of separation.
And then when you dive, you don't make the play,
then it's off to the races.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
And so I don't fall our Arius for going for
the ball. Still, I don't fender fingertip away from ending
the game. Essentially he's fourth and two and uh with
you know, minutes left, and so I don't I don't
fault him for trying to make that play. It's what
a playmaker does. Friend of Lounge on Darius, by the way,
go back and listen to that episode. He had a
he had a good game, Like, yeah, Ardarius played well
(21:16):
in that game, he showed up, he forced fumble, sack,
played well. So I don't fault Ardarius. It's a shame.
It's just a shame. It's a shame he slipped. And
like that was the play that the Ravens defense needed,
Like we were talking about, you know, previously, after the
game is like you need to just make a play
in those scenarios when the other quarterbacks hot, you're on
your heels their past past past past past past pass
(21:37):
and somebody has to step up and make a play.
And like, I also like don't want to get carried
away in talking about like the fourth quarter struggles Ravens
have had and all this, Like sometimes they have they
have made that play. I don't want to make it
sound like they never do this right, Like they never
they never close out games in the fourth quarter like
(21:57):
they do right. They closed out the Bengals right, they
made the interception the Kylevin Noi handed off to Lowi
Gill when that closed the door, closed the game out
right when the Bengals were threatening late in that game
to get back in it. And so kind of a
similar situation to a degree.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
And but I think there's been With that said, I
think there's been too many, too many comesbacks allowed by
the other team. Also another key point when you when
you really look at like there Evens had a eleven
point lead with thirteen minutes left in the NFL, Like
thirteen minutes left, that's the beginning of the fourth quarter. Yeah,
It's an eternity to think like an eleven point lead
(22:37):
is is ironclad at that point in the NFL, Like,
did did you watch the Steelers Lions game? How many
points were scored back and forth and the fourth quarter?
Somehow the Steelers just like have this miraculous record when
they have a two score lead in the fourth quarter
and like hang on by the skinner the teeth. I can't,
I can't tell you. I've lost number of fingers to
count on how many times those Steelers have somehow squeaked
(23:00):
out some victory. This was two OPI calls in the
past in the last twenty five seconds, Like somehow they
hang on consistently well, and the Ravens like have not
had that. Yeah, I don't want to say it's luck,
because it's not. There's some element of that, but like
it hasn't worked that way for the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Well, Honestly, this is a totally different situation like Buffalo
Week one, where you had that game and you should
have just been able to run it out for two
minutes with a love and point lead. Is not what
we saw earlier in this season. That's correct, and that's
a very different story. Yes, real quick on our Darius too,
Like it's a shame because he comes up, I don't know,
inches away from knocking down that ball and ending the
(23:38):
game and to play before Nate Wiggins gets a pass
breakup where he jumped the route. Look great job by
him to read the play and jump the route almost
comes up in an interception, basically a collision at the
ball and not able to make the interception. And like
if either of those happened, it's a game over situation.
And we're having a totally different conversation this morning, and
the Ravens just came up a little bit short on
(23:59):
both of them.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Honestly didn't really register that Wiggans had a shot at
picking off that pass. I mean, that's bang bang play.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
It was basically the collide at the football.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
It's not I wouldn't really count classified as a drop,
but like they basically met at the football right and
it would have been a great play had he been
able to make it. But both those guys were just
right there, and he did a great job reading that
play and breaking on the ball and getting a paybu
at a minimum, but would have been pretty sweet if
he'd just taken it into the house. Or even come
up with the interception.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Yep. The last point from John Harwall's press conference was
about Tyler Loop, who missed a fifty six yard attempt.
Missed it short well short, which for a kicker with
as big a leg as Tyler Loop has who we
saw bombing the ball in training camp and whatnot like,
was surprising. John Harwall said that he sat down with
Tyler Loop and watched that one together and that his
(24:48):
approach to the football was off, which screwed up his footwork,
which made him basically mishit the ball. He kind of
got under it a little bit too much. There's too
much rotation, which made it which knocked it down basically
in the wind, and that was the reason why he
came up short on that fifty six yarder. And so
that's unfortunate. You know, where my head went to is
(25:09):
our interview with Tyler Loop and Randy Brown in which
they like diagnosed exactly how fine tune that footwork is
and that approached the football and exactly where he lines
up and how each of those steps goes and so
like case in point, you see, when it's that fine
tuned and you screw it up, you know that approaches
the ball. This is what happens.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Yeah, So the Ravens are now in a short week,
they're going to be back in the building. The players
are tomorrow working on practice, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Of course
it's a holiday week, so add that little wrinkle into
the mix with Christmas on Thursday, and then head out
to Green Bay on Friday before the game Saturday night.
And just again as a reminder to listeners, the scenario
(25:50):
for the Ravens to have a shot at the playoffs
is the Ravens first of all, they need to beat
the green Bay Packers. If they don't beat the Packers,
then they have c North is done and the Steelers
have won the division. Ravens have to beat the Packers
Saturday night. Then on Sunday, the Steelers would need to
lose to the Cleveland Browns. If those two things happen,
then hey it's we're back. It's Week eighteen. Win to
get in to.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Win the division in Pittsburgh between the Ravens and the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
If the Ravens lose, that's it. If the Ravens win
and the Steelers beat the Browns, that's still it. The
Steelers win the division so that's the scenario.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
High guy, do you have any Browns gear that like
you could love?
Speaker 2 (26:25):
I probably got I got some family members that's certainly
gonna be cheering on the.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
Ravens all right.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
If the vibes, if you beat the Packers Saturday night,
I'm gonna need the bar some gear.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
Yeah, we're sending all the good vibes back to Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
So as always, you can email us at the lounge
at Ravens dot NFL dot net.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
We appreciate you listening. Thank you so much. We'll be
back with you later this week.
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