Watch CBS News

Team Grades: Ravens Playoff Hopes In Jeopardy As They Fall To Chargers

By Samuel Njoku

The Ravens were riding high after an impressive victory against the New Orleans Saints. With the playoffs firmly in the minds of Baltimore, a win against San Diego would have been a big next step in their plans. Unfortunately for Ravens fans, Baltimore fell to San Diego in M&T Bank stadium. And now their postseason hopes are in serious jeopardy.

 

Offense Grade: B

 

It doesn’t have to be a blockbuster signing, but the Ravens have to sign Justin Forsett to a long term deal. He’s been simply sensational for Baltimore this season. It’s not his speed that make him so impressive – nor his agility. It’s Forsett’s vision from the backfield that makes him such a high commodity. Forsett eclipsed 100 yards once again for the Ravens and was truly the only consistent presence on the offensive side of the ball.

 

Torrey Smith has gone from an afterthought to a threat to score on any play. He hauled in two touchdown grabs against the Chargers and could’ve had a lot more had it not been for a few P.I. calls on the opposing defense. Steve Smith started hot this season for the Ravens but has since fizzled. He was held to 1 catch for 2 yards. Coupled that stat with a couple of dropped passes and you have the makings for an embarrassing day at the office for Steve Smith.

 

Defense Grade: F

 

When the offense scores 33 points and you still lose, your defense is always to blame. This game was no different. The Ravens defense was so porous it was hard to watch at times. Most of the game was spent watching Ravens defenders grabbing jersey and pads trying to slow down the Chargers receivers. That was the best case scenario. If defenders couldn’t get a hand on them, they were running down the field open for Rivers to make a play. It was a wakeup call for not only the Ravens coaching staff, but Ozzie Newsome as well. The secondary is awful and there’s no fix in sight – at least not this season. Regardless of how this season ends for Baltimore, the Ravens have to make major changes to this unit. That includes guys like former 1st round pick Matt Elam and former Pro Bowl corner Lardarius Webb. Both have struggled mightily this season.

 

Quarterback Grade: B

 

When the Ravens rushing attack has the kind of success it had against San Diego, Flacco usually has a good day. It was by no means a great day for Flacco, but he made plays down the field to keep Baltimore in the game when the defense played as poorly as possible. Of course there was the typical Flacco moment when he’d toss a pass down the field to double coverage. Or a few times where it seemed he didn’t have a total feel for the pocket when it broke down around him, but Flacco made big throws in big time moments. If Kamar Aiken had been able to reach out of bounds to stop the clock on the last play of the game, we’d be singing a different tune. But that’s no reason to discredit the kind of success Flacco had on Sunday.

 

Special Teams Grade: B-

 

Justin Tucker and Sam Koch continue to have great campaigns for the Ravens this season. Jacoby Jones was also very explosive on returns on Sunday. But it was his muffed return late in the fourth quarter that all but doomed Baltimore when they needed to move the ball down the field in a hurry.

 

 

For more Ravens news and updates, visit Ravens Central.

Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. Samuel Njoku is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.