Senior NFL Editor (Ravens, Packers) at @TheAthletic | Past: @CBSSports, @WashingtonNFL, @HoCoTimesSports, @DBKSports
Baltimore, MD
Joined October 2013
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With the NFL season kicking off tonight, there’s no better time to announce that I’ve joined @TheAthletic as a Senior NFL Editor.
Super excited to be part of an organization I’ve admired from afar for years and to work alongside such a talented group of journalists.
Tremendous breakdown of how the Bengals scored five TDs in five second-half possessions against the Ravens.
Of course, there were some defensive breakdowns, which are evident early in the video.
There’s also this: Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are ELITE.
Lamar on Friday: “If I can just go out there and just be a statue and get hit, (there’s) no positives in that. ... I feel like I’m being selfish because it’s about me at that point, you know, getting out there and being hurt. That’s dumb.”
Is he right?
nytimes.com/athletic/7726069…
Cole knows his stuff, and he says Derrick Henry has not been the problem.
Im only through the first half so my mind will change, but the framing of Derrick Henry being the problem with the run game and that he's washed is pretty insane tbh.
The run blocking from the OL, TEs and WRs are a fundamental problem.
The tight formations creating alignment leverage issues are a fundamental problem.
There just aren't gaps to hit.
Vega Ioane, who was ruled out yesterday with a knee injury, exited the game after getting a helmet to the knee. (It happens right at the end of the video.)
Kyle Stackpole retweeted
Even by Ravens’ standards — this is a team that has lost 18 games since 2018 in which they held double-digit leads — Sunday was a debacle.
Lamar Jackson should return soon, but there's so much else to fix.
"We're just too much (in our) heads."
nytimes.com/athletic/7724990…
Kyle Stackpole retweeted
"It was like quicksand"
Calais Campbell was talking about the Bengals' 35 unanswered pts in the 2nd half. But his comments could easily apply to what's happening to the Ravens season.
Lamar Jackson is close to a return, but how many flaws can he mask?
nytimes.com/athletic/7724990…
Kudos to @jeffzrebiec for not holding back in his assessment of how the Ravens’ second-half collapse epitomized this team’s flaws
nytimes.com/athletic/7724990…
Kyle Stackpole retweeted
Derrick Henry said the Ravens all need to look in the mirror and called his own performance "terrible."
Ronnie Stanley acknowledged that the Ravens lose focus when things are going bad.
"We're too caught up in what is happening in the game."
Kyle Stackpole retweeted
Ravens trail 35-13 after leading 13-0 at the half. The last team to lose by 20+ after leading by 13+ at half:
Colts vs Giants 11/19/1950 (led 20-7 at half and lost 55-20)
The Ravens have a 55% chance to make the playoffs, per @TheAthletic playoff simulator. That goes to 70% by beating the Bills and 46% if they lose.
If they lose to the Bills and Jaguars, their chances drop to 43%.
Embarrassing second half today, but the season is far from over.
Disagree with this. The Bengals' offense was operating at such a high level that the #Ravens weren’t going to win with more field goals, even if it gave them the lead in that moment.
"The decision by Jesse Minter to not take points to take a lead was the defining moment."
@BMac_SportsTalk says the momentum for the Ravens completely left after the failed 4th down conversion.
#Scoreboard
Kyle Stackpole retweeted
Def came as a shock to the Ravens that Lamar couldn’t go, but Minter told me while he took majority of reps in practice, they went back and looked he was limited in what he could do. Lamar said if he can’t run, plant or have burst then it’s selfish to be out there. I was told he’s confident he will be back next week vs Bills #RavensFlock
Let’s remember that Tyler Huntley is 3-1 in his past four #Ravens starts. So just because Lamar Jackson is out doesn’t mean they have no chance against the Bengals. That’s reflected in them only being 2.5-point underdogs.
Josh Jacobs will make his season debut for the Packers on Sunday.
Earlier this week, he made his first extended public comments since his May arrest. Here’s everything he said (via @mattschneidman):
nytimes.com/athletic/7712250…
Three games in 12 days is the key here. It doesn’t make sense to rush Lamar back and then have him re-aggravate his ankle and miss even more time.
Obviously not ideal to not have him against the Bengals, but it’s more important to have him fully healthy — whenever that is.
