The Ravens’ rookie class walked out of Cincinnati with another brutal lesson attached to it: lead, lose, repeat.
It was the kind of second-half fade that has already become way too familiar for this group. Baltimore’s rookies have now dropped all three of the losses in their young NFL careers after blowing second-half leads, and both division defeats in a row came in ugly fashion.
If there’s a bright side, it’s that the learning curve is happening early. If there’s a warning sign, it’s that the pattern is already hard to miss.
Vega Ioane barely got on the field before his day was done. The rookie lineman, who’s been good enough to spark some rookie-of-the-year chatter at his position, played fewer than 15 minutes against the Bengals. The Ravens are still waiting to see their preferred offensive line take the field together now that Cam Jurgens has finally debuted, and Ioane’s absence appears tied to an MCL sprain that isn’t considered too severe but will keep him out for a bit.
On the edge, Zion Young’s workload held steady. Even with Tavius Robinson out for the season, the second-rounder stayed around the 40% snap range.
It wasn’t his cleanest outing, either. The numbers were rough across the board: low PFF grades, no credited pressures, no run stops and a missed tackle.
Still, with the whole defense having a bad day, it’s hard to isolate one rookie too sharply.
Ja’Kobi Lane was one of the few bright spots. He kept building on last week’s return with three more catches, and though they only added up to 25 yards, two moved the sticks on first down. The hands continue to pop - traffic catches, third-down conversions, the kind of plays that hint at a bigger role down the line once Lamar Jackson is back.
Elijah Sarratt, meanwhile, was a healthy scratch again.
At tight end, Matt Hibner returned after missing the Cleveland game and spent most of his time doing the dirty work in the run game. More than half his snaps came as a blocker.
On the routes he did run, he wasn’t targeted at all, which suggests the Ravens may have leaned on him to help up front after his hand injury. That’s also the backdrop for Josh Cuevas, who remains the more interesting receiving threat right now.
After a solid performance in Cleveland, he was on the field for just 16 snaps in Cincinnati, but he made the most of his eight routes, catching two passes for 35 yards and posting 4.38 yards per route run. The blocking is still lagging behind, though, with grades below 50.0 in both of the last two weeks.
Chandler Rivers was active, but he never made it onto the defensive field. Keyon Martin has reclaimed the slot job, and Rivers was left waiting.
Punter Ryan Eckley had a quieter night than you’d expect from a game that kept turning south for Baltimore’s offense. His first-quarter 49-yarder helped flip the field, but a 57-yard punt in the third quarter didn’t hang long enough and turned into a return chance for Cincinnati. His last punt went just 39 yards and landed out of bounds at the Bengals’ 21.
Among the rookies, Ethan Burke probably had the strongest overall case on paper, even if that comes with a caveat. His 78.5 PFF grade led the team. He played well in Tavius Robinson’s absence, holding up against the run and winning a few pass-rush reps, but he couldn’t finish a clean shot at Joe Burrow.
Joe Fagnano was active as the backup behind Huntley but didn’t enter the game. Adam Randall remains on injured reserve, while Rayshaun Benny is still on the practice squad.
In Other News...
Ravens Trade Deadline Need May Not Require A Splash Move
Baltimores trade-deadline conversation does not have to center on a blockbuster, and the fit with Tampa Bay defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson is a good example of why. Robinson brings the kind of run-stopping presence that could help deepen the Ravens defensive line rotation, and his contract status makes him the sort of player that can come up in deadline chatter when a team is weighing whether to buy or sell.
For Baltimore, the appeal is obvious enough: the Ravens do not have a ton of salary-cap room, but they do have enough draft capital to make a modest move if they decide the right veteran is worth adding. No trade has been reported, and the more interesting part may be whether Baltimore views this as a spot where a smaller, practical addition can matter just as much as a splashier name. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens May Need Ethan Burke Sooner Than Anyone Expected
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Burkes early showing has been encouraging enough that the Ravens cant ignore him as they sort through Robinsons absence. His ability to affect the pocket and hold up physically gives the defense a workable next option, and the coming weeks should tell whether his role stays as a spot contributor or grows into something more substantial. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Are Still Paying For One Costly Maxx Crosby Decision
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Now, with the defense still searching for answers, the choice looks more consequential by the week. Crosbys impact elsewhere has only sharpened the what-if conversation around Eric DeCostas judgment, especially after Baltimore turned in a different direction to address the pass rush. It is the kind of front-office fork in the road that can linger for a while, because the Ravens did not just pass on a player, they passed on a player who might have altered both the production and the personality of this defense. [Read more 🡒]