The Bills Debacle

It’s difficult to swallow the elimination pill before you even get to the conference championship game when you arguably have the greatest offense of all time.  Self-destruction is how we will remember the 2024 Ravens.  A team that, in the end, couldn’t avoid beating themselves.  Championship teams don’t do that.

The Ravens lost six games in 2024.  They were outgained in only one of those losses – and that was by 14 yards to the lowly Browns.  The offense averaged 450 yards per game.  Think about that.  They were held below 350 yards just once (the first Pittsburg game) and they still out-gained their opponent in that loss.  They played Buffalo twice, and the “mighty” Bills gained a total of 509 yards.  The Ravens?  They gained 843, including outgaining the Bills by 143 yards in the tragicomedy last weekend.

The Bills Debacle – Mark Andrews

I’m not going to rail (too much) on Mark Andrews.  He was great throughout the year, and has had a great career with the Ravens.  But he’ll be more remembered for his failure in this loss than for his many triumphs.  I feel like Nancy Kerrigan: “Why, why, why?”  Perhaps Andrews winds up in the Ring of Honor.  But he will always be remembered as the second coming of Lee Evans.  Andrews has one more year on his contract and, unless he wants out, he’ll be here next year.  Mark Andrews is not a quitter.

Andrews’ first drop was a big one.  The Ravens were first and ten at the Buffalo 28.  Andrews dropped the ball at the 21, where it would’ve been second and three.  Perhaps the Ravens run Derrick Henry from there; perhaps they play action.  Who knows?  But the second and ten prompted the Ravens to insert Justice Hill, who lined up in a pistol formation to Lamar Jackson’s right.  As Lamar bobbled a poor snap off to his left, Damar Hamlin immediately abandoned his coverage in the flat on Isaiah Likely and zeroed in on Lamar for a sack.  The pass protection was actually outstanding on this play.  The ball simply slipped through Jackson’s hand as he was twisted headed down.

The Bills scored a touchdown from this calamity.

There’s nothing to say about Andrew’s two-point conversion drop.

The Bills Debacle – The Disastrous Call on the Ravens Field Goal Drive in the Second Quarter

On the Ravens next possession after Buffalo’s touchdown, Jackson hit Rashod Batemen for 42 yards to the Bills two yard line.  Let’s then look at Todd Monken’s decisions from that point.

On first down, he brought in Ben Cleveland as an extra lineman on the right side outside of Roger Rosengarten.  From the I-formation with Pat Ricard at fullback, the ball was handed to Derrick Henry, who ran behind Rosengarten.

Unfortunately, Rosengarten was beaten badly by Ben Johnson who swam right over him, rendering the off-balance Rosengarten useless.  With Johnson driving towards him, Henry had no choice other than to dive up the blocked middle, for no gain.

This now lead to Monken’s disastrous play selection.  On second down from the three, he removed Cleveland but inserted James Jones as an extra lineman outside of Rosengarten.  Andrews lined up in-line next to Jones.  Ronnie Stanley reported as tackle eligible on the left side.  Only Tylan Wallace was on field as a wide receiver.  Pat Ricard was lined up as the up-back in this heavy I-formation.

The Bills defense was aligned with three lineman tight and A.J. Epenesa wide of Stanley.  Their three linebackers were set up at the goal line as were two cornerbacks.  Monken called a designed play-action pass, but none of the Bills defenders bit on it.

Andrews ran a simple drag route across the two yard line from right to left, as Wallace attempted to clear out the left side of the field by heading to the right side in the end zone.  Three defenders buried Wallace.  But he wasn’t the first option on this call.

Instead,  Lamar’s eyes zeroed exclusively on Andrews, who couldn’t cleanly clear the wash as he crossed right to left.  But the play design was so poor that, even if he Andrews had cleared the linebackers, cornerback Christian Benford was waiting for him on the left side.

Wallace wasn’t open left to right.  Andrews wasn’t open right to left.  Who else was available as a target?  None other than Ronnie Stanley.  Yes, in this design Stanley headed down the field in the left flat.  He ran to the two yard line with Epenesa on him and in Lamar’s line of vision to the outside of Andrews.  Stanley turned his head back over his left shoulder to Lamar, though he was closely covered by Epenesa.  Lamar never gave Ronnie a glance.  Sack.

To me, this is one of the most preposterous calls I can imagine.  The first down dive by Henry failed because Rosengarten failed.  Me, I’m running Henry again, and likely again (perhaps with a Lamar option), and then probably again.  I’ve got Henry, I’ve got Ricard, I’ve got Lamar, and I’ve got Andrews for a tush-push if my fourth down has me inside the two.  But to call this cockamamie play, with two real receivers in a route (one of whom is Wallace) was absurd.  It was unnecessary.  It was trying to be too smart.  Now I can’t recall Ronnie Stanley being tackle eligible all year where he actually ran a route.  But even if he had, there’s no way on God’s green earth that I’m throwing him the ball there.  And I guess Lamar agreed.

The First Two Point Conversion – Strategy

After Derrick Henry scored on a five yard run with 1:41 left in the third quarter, the Ravens were down 21-19.  Now some can argue the Ravens should’ve kicked the extra point to make it a one score game.  But I’m not in that camp.  The thinking is this.  If Buffalo scored another touchdown and extra point, they would have 28.  At 28-20, were the Ravens to score a two-pointer could only tie the game.

But if the Ravens convert on a two-pointer after the Henry touchdown, it’s a different story altogether.  And, it’s better to try and fail at this earlier juncture, while you still have time to adjust to a two-point failure; if you deferred the two point attempt until a much later Ravens touchdown, you likely can’t overcome a failure at that time.  Coach Harbaugh made the right decision.

The First Two Point Conversion – The Play

Now, with that out of the way, let’s look at the play.  The Ravens lined up one receiver on either side, with two tight ends in-line next to Rosengarten.  Andrews lined up outside of Likely.  Derrick Henry lined up slightly wide to the left of Lamar.

Jackson sent Henry in motion, which became the key to this play.  Henry’s motion to the right tilted five Bills defenders towards his motion.  At that point Tylan Wallace, the wide receiver on the left, ran a hard slant towards the middle of the field, taking his corner with him.  Because the rest of the Bills back defenders all slanted towards Henry, the entire left side of the field was empty as Isaiah Likely ran the same drag route that Mark Andrews had run earlier.  No Bills defender was able to account for Likely in time, and he was wide open at the goal line, six yards outside the left hash.  Lamar tossed the ball towards Likely.

But as Lamar cocked his arm, Matt Milano, who was making no progress rushing Lamar through Ronnie Stanley, disengaged Stanley and faded back into the passing lane.  It was a high IQ, instantaneous decision by Milano.  Lamar apparently didn’t see this.  Jackson’s throw was six inches or so too low to get over the leaping Milano.  Incomplete.  Milano’s play was critical to the outcome of the game.  Without it, it’s 21-21.  Monken made a great call on this play.  Milano made a greater play.

Were the Ravens the Best Team Two Years in a Row?

The Ravens were the best team in the league in 2023, in my view.  They were an unstoppable offensive force in 2024.  The defense in 2024, notwithstanding some improvements over the last seven games, was not at the level of the 2023 defense.  There was no gaping hole at cornerback on that squad.  History forgets losing teams.  That’s the fate of the 2023 Ravens.  The 2024 team, which accomplished less, is already an afterthought.  Forever engraved on the Ravens history scroll alongside of the 2011 Lee Evans-Billy Cundiff squad.

There’s plenty to write about once the off-season gets here.  Salary cap, who should the Ravens keep/let go?  Who should they target in free agency?  The draft.  We’ll go through it all.  But your humble blogger is now on a brief sabbatical.