NFL Winners and Losers, Week 11: Ravens Remain Undisciplined

Each week of the NFL season, the Baltimore Sun will recap the best and worst of the league. Here are our winners and losers from week 11:

Loser: Ravens

The Ravens’ long-held belief is that every time they lose, they fight.

“It’s been like that for the last year, I think, since the AFC championship game, we’ve been killing ourselves,” quarterback Lamar Jackson said after Sunday’s 18-16 loss at Pittsburgh. “The Chiefs game [in] THE [season] first game, we committed suicide. [The] Raiders [game]we committed suicide, and today, it’s the same thing. We can’t fight in these kinds of games. We need to find a way to fix this – it’s annoying.

Maybe this is an opportunity to recognize that sometimes the other team is just better.

It seemed no surprise that the Ravens’ league-best offense struggled on Sunday. The Steelers have one of the best defenses in the league, led by a formidable front. While Pittsburgh only sacked Jackson twice, they made him uncomfortable in the pocket and forced him to hold the ball too long, resulting in him having the fourth-worst completion percentage in his career (0.485). They stuffed him on a potential 2-point tie attempt because Outside linebacker Nick Herbig beat receiver Nelson Agholor’s block and blew up the room. Tight end Isaiah Likely was the only receiver to find open space. Derrick Henry lost a fumble for the first time since 2022 and was held to his second-lowest rushing total (65 yards) as a Raven.

“They’re a good defense,” Henry said. “They’re top 10 on defense, but I think a lot of that was on us – self-inflicted wounds.”

Really?

Yes, the Ravens committed 12 penalties. Yes, Justin Tucker missed two field goals. And yes, they turned the ball over three times. But Herbig made a nice play to force Henry into a fumble on the first drive, linebacker Patrick Queen snatched the ball out of Likely’s hands late in the first half and rookie linebacker Payton Wilson made a spectacular interception in stealing the ball from running back Justice. Hill on a sideline pass. While Tucker missed from 47 and 50 yards, his counterpart Chris Boswell finished 6 of 6 on his field goal attempts, including a 57-yarder.

These are not unforced errors by the Ravens. These were winning plays by the Steelers.

Also consider the Ravens penalties. Four were either offensive or defensive. Five were pre-snap infractions, including two false starts, an illegal change, a neutral zone infraction and too many men on the field. Left guard Patrick Mekari was twice flagged for being an ineligible man on the field. Defensive tackle Travis Jones was penalized for illegal use of hands in the face. Rookie safety Sanoussi Kane was whistled for an illegal block on a punt return. Whether it’s the result of poor technique, poor coaching, or simply losing, the Ravens continue to make clear and obvious mistakes. When will this be fixed?

It would be one thing to dismiss sanctions like a bad day at the office. But the Ravens have been hit with a league-leading 110 flags, which include compensated and disallowed penalties. Their 763 penalty yards against are nearly 100 more than the second-place Jets. At some point, indiscipline becomes the team’s identity. Calling these mistakes “self-inflicted wounds” does nothing to solve the problem.

This team doesn’t look like the Ravens as we know them. Their long-standing advantage on special teams evaporated, with Tucker going from an asset to a liability. The defense, although it was combative on Sunday, still failed to come together under the direction of first-year coordinator Zach Orr. Jackson is the only reliable player, and when he struggles, the whole operation falls apart.

We saw the ceiling and the floor of the Ravens. Whether they can be consistent enough to make a deep playoff run is up for debate.

Winner: Josh Allen

We have a new leader in the clubhouse.

After leading the Buffalo Bills to a 30-21 victory over the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Allen moved ahead of Jackson in the betting odds to win the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award.

It was far from a dominant performance, as Allen finished 27 of 40 for 262 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but his 26-yard run for a touchdown on fourth-and-2 with 2:17 left, they cemented their victory over the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. Allen was perhaps more impressive Sunday with his legs, rushing for a total of 55 yards as Kansas City neutralized James Cook and the rest of the Bills running backs.

There are quarterbacks with better statistical arguments. Joe Burrow of the Bengals leads the league in passing yards (3,028) and passing touchdowns (27). Jackson is second in both categories (2,876 yards, 25 touchdowns) while totaling 584 yards and two scores. Jared Goff was sensational in most games (and horrible in others) while leading the Lions to a 9-1 record.

But Sunday was a perfect example of how stories help decide that prize. Allen was the driving force behind a Bills team that ended Kansas City’s attempt at a perfect season and put itself in position to win first place in the AFC. His touchdown will top all of this week’s highlights. Burrow lost in prime time to the Chargers after failing in crunch time, dropping the Bengals to 4-7. Jackson’s high-flying offense ended in a frustrating loss to the Steelers. Goff had a huge day, but it ended in a blowout victory against a hapless Jaguars team with the worst record in the league.

There might also be something to the fact that Allen has never won the award despite being one of the best quarterbacks in the league for half a decade. Perhaps voters, subconsciously or not, want to reward this body of work. The Bills have a good chance of finishing with the best record in the league, and Allen should be near the top of the statistical leaderboard if he maintains his current pace. His current numbers – 2,543 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, five interceptions, 316 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns – are certainly MVP-worthy.

You also cannot challenge the eye test. Just ask his teammates.

“When Josh takes off, I find myself looking, like, ‘Wow, he’s different,'” receiver Khalil Shakir said.

It’s a long season and this week proved that things can change quickly. Jackson will have high-profile games against the Chargers, Eagles, Steelers and Texans to make his point. The race is not over, but Allen is in the lead.

Loser: Joe Burrow

Each statistic is sadder than the last.

After throwing for 356 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday night’s 34-27 loss to the Chargers, Burrow is the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in games consecutive and lose both. in the regulations.

In games this season in which Burrow has thrown for at least 250 yards and three touchdowns without any interceptions, he is 0-3. Other quarterbacks who have done this have a combined score of 14-2.

Through the first 11 games, Burrow has 3,028 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and five interceptions. Previous quarterbacks who met that benchmark through the first 11 games finished the season with a record of 13-3 or better. The Bengals are 4-7.