Baltimore Ravens Offer Reminder Of Championship Formula In Week 8 Win

In the first half of the Baltimore Ravens’ Week 8 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, their offense had the distinct look of an attack trying to be something it isn’t.

For the final two quarters, the Ravens got back to what they do best, and the results were emphatic.

The Ravens pulled away in the second half after an anaemic first-half performance, claiming a 27-22 victory to improve to 5-3.

It was a turnaround that looked very unlikely after the Ravens scored only three points across the first two quarters, in which Baltimore ran the ball just nine times, an extremely small number for an offense that has succeeded primarily because of the diversity of its run game in previous years.

The second half saw the Ravens get back to that offensive identity, and their performance suggested they can be a legitimate threat to contend in the AFC if they stick with the time-tested approach that has worked for them.

Baltimore diced up the Buccaneers’ defense with the run game, stretching Tampa Bay horizontally to open the middle, using the jet sweep effectively and getting Lamar Jackson outside the pocket and throwing on the move in the passing game.

The Ravens ran for 206 yards on 24 carries in the second half, while Jackson was eight of eight passing for 94 yards. Baltimore averaged 0.30 Expected Points Added play on rushes against Tampa Bay, according to rbsdm.com, compared to 0.02 EPA per play throwing the ball. Baltimore is second in the NFL in rush EPA per play for this season behind only the Cleveland Browns.

It has long since been established that, generally, the pass game is much more efficient than the ground attack, but the Ravens offense is at its best when it can manipulate defenses with its diverse run game and the threat of the zone-read and the read option.

Though Jackson’s considerable abilities throwing the ball — he is a better pocket passer than he is given credit for — should be harnessed where possible, a win over the Buccaneers that was more comfortable than the final score indicated should serve as a reminder to the Ravens that the manner in which they played at Raymond James Stadium is their best formula for success.

Few teams in the NFL can control the clock and create explosive plays with the run game in the way the Ravens do. When they make the most of that capability and take advantage of an opponent’s offensive weaknesses, as their pass rush did against Tampa Bay, the Ravens — even in an AFC featuring two powerhouse teams in the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs — have a recipe to go deep into the postseason.