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The Baltimore
Ravens improved to 2-1 following their 37-26
victory in Gillette Stadium against the New
England Patriots in Week 3. As with every game so far this
season for the Ravens, several different rookies played important roles in the
outcome.
Kyle Hamilton, S
The
rookie first-rounder had a tough outing against the Miami
Dolphins in Week 2. He saw fewer snaps this week (16), though it’s
unclear if Head Coach John Harbaugh reduced his snaps due in part to Sunday’s
game.
“He
played the plays he had [and] he played really well. We’ll kind of work that
every single week. You move guys around; a lot of guys are learning,” Harbaugh
said on Monday. “Kyle [Hamilton] is developing. It’s his third game as an NFL
player. Obviously, [he] had a learning experience the week before, as a lot of
young guys did and do, especially on the backend.”
However,
Hamilton made the most of them as he forced a turnover in a crucial moment.
With the Ravens leading 31-26 with just over six minutes remaining, Hamilton
chased down wide receiver Nelson Agholor on a long run and catch to punch the
ball out from behind. Cornerback Marcus Peters was there to recover the fumble
in bounds. The Ravens followed up with a seven-play touchdown drive to make it
a two-score game with three minutes remaining.
Tyler
Linderbaum, C
Linderbaum had another solid showing in his third game as the starting center. According to PFF, Linderbaum allowed zero pressures against New England. This earned him a pass-blocking grade of 77.7 — the second highest on the team behind left guard Ben Powers.
The Iowa center continues to show his
next-level athleticism and speed in the run game as well.
https://twitter.com/ravens4dummies/status/1574456215605633024?s=20&t=ZjL20M5X-uCKlcak3Bw9rg
Daniel Faalele, OT
The
rookie fourth-round right tackle saw his first legitimate playing time in a
regular season game on Sunday when he was forced to step in at left tackle for
an injured Patrick Mekari. Faalele finished the game in Mekari’s place, playing
90% of the offensive snaps on the day. In unfamiliar territory, as Faalele
didn’t play a snap at left tackle throughout college, it was a shaky start once
he entered the lineup, particularly in pass protection where he allowed two
sacks and three pressures. However, he quickly found his footing and finished
the game on an encouraging note.
With
no clear date for left tackle Ronnie Stanley’s return to game action and Mekari
expected to be sidelined with an ankle injury, Faalele could be relied upon to
protect quarterback Lamar Jackson’s blindside for the time being.
Travis Jones, DT
After
missing the start of the season with an knee injury suffered during the
preseason, Jones made his season debut at Gillette Stadium. The third-round
defensive tackle played 29 snaps but did not make the stat sheet. He was
credited with one pressure by PFF and finished
with an overall grade of 61.2. With defensive tackle Michael Pierce expected to
miss some time with an injury, Jones could see his workload increase quickly in
the coming weeks. Harbaugh thought he played well and is excited for the games
to come.
“Travis
is going to be a very impactful player. It was his first outing out there, and
he played hard,” Harbaugh said. “He’s going to learn a lot from it. He played
well enough for the first time out, as you said he played well, but of course
we have high expectations for him and he’s only going to get better from here.”
Isaiah Likely, TE
Likely
was relatively quiet in Week 3. The tight end caught just one pass for eight
yards against New England. He finished with 20 offensive snaps and a PFF grade
of 59.1.
Jalyn Armour-Davis, CB
After
being thrust into action last week against the Dolphins, Armour-Davis saw just
nine snaps against the Patriots. He was credited by PFF with
allowing two receptions on two targets for 71 yards, as well as making one
tackle, finishing with an overall grade of 29.9. With both Marlon Humphrey and
Peters back to playing the majority of defensive snaps, Armour-Davis will not
be relied upon as much. He may need more development than hoped.
Damarion “Pepe” Williams, CB
Williams
saw more playing time than Armour-Davis, playing 20 snaps. Williams also
recorded one tackle and was credited with allowing two receptions on three
targets for 50 yards by PFF, finishing with an overall
grade of 35.4. Williams should continue to see snaps in the slot.
