The Ravens got contributions from just about every corner of their rookie class in Sunday night’s 30-23 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons, and a few of them played real roles in a game that tested Baltimore in all three phases.
At the top of that list was first-round interior lineman Vega Ioane, who delivered another clean and powerful performance while bouncing between center and right guard. He made his second straight and final start at center before sliding back to right guard, and the numbers tell the story: no pressures allowed on 38 pass-blocking snaps, plus a team-best 71.9 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. He was in the middle of several of Baltimore’s biggest plays, including Zay Flowers’ 13-yard run on the first snap from scrimmage, Derrick Henry’s 18-yard touchdown on a screen, and Tyler Huntley’s quarterback sneaks, including the game-winner.
“For him to be able to do what he has done, play the way that he has played, [it is] pretty remarkable, I would say,” head coach Jesse Minter said. “I do not know who votes for Rookie of the Year and all that stuff, and it is really, really early in the season, but he is a very impactful rookie for our team that has done things that I do not know that any rookies have ever done. Having to play those two positions [and] get shifted over to center in a game where you have to go on a drive to try to win the game, then to play the way that he has played in these big moments, [it is] pretty cool to see.”
One of the day’s more memorable rookie performances came from the second-round defender, who returned home to Georgia and made the most of it. He grew up in Atlanta and played at Westlake High School, and he logged a season-high 40.6% of Baltimore’s defensive snaps.
Against a Falcons offense built around the run, he held his ground on the edge, finished with two total tackles, and shut down Bijan Robinson for a three-yard gain in the first quarter. He also had his first career tackle for a loss erased on Baltimore’s big fourth-down stop in the third quarter after review ruled Charlie Woerner’s catch incomplete.
The fourth-round rookie was in the middle of a rough-and-tumble night too. He made his second straight start, left at one point on a cart because of a hand injury, then returned and later helped clear the way for Henry on one of the game’s biggest snaps: the game-tying two-point conversion. He even showed up on the field after the injury scare and made a key block on that sequence.
In the secondary, the fifth-round nickel saw a lighter defensive load than usual because Atlanta leaned on the run. He played a season-low 19 defensive snaps in his four games, but he added a season-high 15 on special teams. He finished with two solo tackles, had some coverage trouble, and missed a tackle on third-and-long that allowed Falcons rookie receiver Zachariah Branch to turn it into a 23-yard gain and a first down.
Josh Cuevas kept building his role, too. The fifth-rounder played 31 combined snaps between offense and special teams, with a season-high 19 on offense and 12 on special teams.
He caught both of his targets for new career highs: two receptions for 26 yards, including a long of 17. That stood out even more with veteran Mark Andrews having a brutal night as a receiver.
The sixth-round specialist was again a weapon in the hidden-yardage game. He flipped the field with his punting, putting Atlanta inside its own 20-yard line three times on four punts. He averaged 44.3 yards per punt, had a long of 54, and didn’t allow a punt return for the second time this season.
And with Trey Hendrickson out recovering from finger surgery for a second straight week, the undrafted rookie linebacker/defender got more real defensive work after spending the first three games almost entirely on special teams. He played 17 defensive snaps and set a career high with three total tackles, including a solo stop on Bijan Robinson for a four-yard gain in the second quarter.
He wasn’t credited with a pass breakup, but he still helped force an incompletion to Drake London by dropping underneath instead of rushing. On special teams, his 22 snaps were the most among Baltimore rookies and the second-most on the roster overall.
A few rookies were still on the outside looking in. Fourth-round wide receiver Elijah Sarratt and undrafted quarterback Joe Fagnano were healthy scratches, though Fagnano dressed as the emergency No. 3 quarterback.
Fifth-round running back Adam Randall was not activated from short-term injured reserve in his first eligible week, while third-round wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane is now eligible to be activated. Seventh-round defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny remains on the practice squad and has not been elevated.
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The wrinkle, of course, is that this kind of formula is hard to duplicate unless a team has the right personnel to sell it. Baltimore has the kind of offense that can keep drives alive, stress defenses with physicality and avoid giving away easy possessions, which is why the approach looked so effective in the moment. Whether it becomes something other clubs can actually copy, though, may depend less on the concept than on having the horses to run it. [Read more 🡒]