The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-22 to advance to 5-3, while the Bucs dropped to 3-5.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Baltimore:
1. Get healthy. This team has dealt with tons of injuries these past few years, and last night, some key players went down. TE Mark Andrews, WR Rashod Bateman, and RB Gus Edwards were all taken out of the game.
2. Know your identity. You are a run heavy team that controls the clock. Not a team that throws the ball 27 times in one half.
3. Even when Mark Andrews is healthy, give rookie TE Isaiah Likely opportunities. Likely was the preseason MVP, and in the absence of Andrews, he stepped up.
TAMPA BAY:
1. Tackle better. There were multiple plays, especially in the fourth quarter, where this team missed tackles that need to be made.
2. Get the run game going. Leonard Fournette averaged less than 3 YPC. You can’t pass the ball 40-50 times every game.
3. This is not a well coached team. Bruce Arians took a front office role this offseason, stepping back from the HC job. DC Todd Bowles took the HC job, and it hasn’t been pretty. Everyone needs to be better.
STATS:
Lamar Jackson: 27/38, 238 YDS, 2 TD, 0 INT
Gus Edwards: 11 CAR, 65 YDS
Isaiah Likely: 6 REC, 77 YDS, 1 TD
Tom Brady: 26/44, 325 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT
Leonard Fournette: 9 CAR, 24 YDS, 1 TD
Mike Evans: 6 REC, 123 YDS
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION:
BUCCANEERS: 26
RAVENS: 24
FINAL SCORE:
RAVENS: 27
BUCCANEERS: 22
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