Week 2 Recap: Ravens Bounce Back in Dominant Fashion, Is the AFC North Theirs Again?
After a tough Week 1 loss, the Baltimore Ravens knew they had to send a message that they are a force in the league. Going into this week, the Ravens’ defense was being questioned after giving up 40 points and 251 yards in the fourth quarter of Week 1. With a stacked roster that includes Marlon Humphrey, Roquan Smith, Kyle Hamilton, Nate Wiggins, and Malaki Starks, the Ravens knew they had to show out in Week 2, and that’s exactly what they did.
This week was the total opposite of last week for the Ravens. In Week 1, their offense got off to a great start and looked dominant, while their defense couldn’t get a stop. On Sunday, the Ravens’ defense played spectacularly, holding the Browns’ offense in check and giving the Ravens’ offense momentum. That shift started with an interception from Nate Wiggins. The Ravens then scored a touchdown four plays later to extend their lead to 20-3, making a Browns comeback even more difficult. The takeaway marked Wiggins’ second career interception, with his first being a 26-yard pick-six against the Browns last year.
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Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson went 19 of 29 for 225 yards and four passing touchdowns. The biggest offensive highlight came on the opening drive of the third quarter, when Jackson showcased his scrambling ability by evading pressure, rolling to his left, and launching a 41-yard contested completion to DeAndre Hopkins. While Hopkins was ruled down at the 1-yard line after the play was initially called a touchdown, the 33-year-old receiver later found the end zone in the fourth quarter on a 23-yard touchdown catch. On the defensive side, Roquan Smith played with a big chip on his shoulder. Smith was all over the field in Sunday’s win, returning a fumble 63 yards for a scoop-and-score in the fourth quarter. Starting alongside fourth-round rookie Teddye Buchanan, Smith finished with a game-high 15 tackles, including three for loss, and added two quarterback hits.
Devontez Walker also had a big game with two receiving touchdowns. An underrated but impressive stat from Walker is that he now has three career receptions, and all three have gone for touchdowns.
"All that was positive. The way they persevered throughout the game and then found a way to extend it all at the end. It was a tough game yesterday against a really great defense, and yet he just kept pressing. He kept making the checks he needed to make, and a couple of times, there were plays that were really in trouble, and he bailed them out. Probably three of his big plays were plays that he made something out of absolutely nothing, and made a bad play into a great play with the help of his teammates. That was pretty — that's Lamar. That's the thing about Lamar that really just makes him another level of a player."
Head coach John Harbaugh praised his team’s performance after the game, focusing on their perseverance and ability to overcome a challenging matchup. Harbaugh emphasized both the resilience of the team and the individual skill that helped secure key moments in the game.
The Ravens will need to keep this momentum and defensive trend going if they want to win in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions, who are coming off an explosive victory against the Chicago Bears.